9

Cloning Objects Over Time with Snapshot 483
•ForShift +Rotate, the dummy’s center
becomes the pivot.
•For
Shif t +Scale, the dummy and selected
objects scale together toward the center of
the dummy.
For details of dummy object use in hierarchies, see
Using Dummy Objects (page 2–429).
Offsettin g the Local Pivot
In this procedure, you move the object’s pivot to
thecenterofrotationorscale.Thisworksmuch
like using a dummy object.
To offset the local pivot:
1.
Selecttheobjectwhosepivotyouwishtomove.
2. On the Hierarchy command panel,
choosePivotandthenturnonAffectPivot
Only.
3. Move the local pivot of the origina l object to
anotherlocationinyourscene.
4. On the Hierarchy panel, click Affect Pivot Only
againtoturnitoff.
Shi f t +Rotate or Shif t +Scale now animates
around the offset center. This works with the
default setting for local center.
Note: Moving the local pivot can adversely
affect linking and inverse kinematics. If this is
a possibility, consider chang ing the default axis
instead of moving the local pivot.
To change the default ax is while animating:
In this procedure, you set 3ds Max to a l low
animation of tra nsforms about any center on the
Use Center flyout.
1. Choose Customize menu > Preferences a nd
click the Animation tab of the Preference
dialog.
2. In the Animate group, turn off Local Center
During Animate.
This changes the default and makes all the
transform center options available when
animating. You can now animate around either
the selection or transform coordinate center,
as well as local pivot.
Note: Changingthedefaultsettinganimatesthe
rotation you see in viewports as a rotation plus
translation, which might not be the effect you
wanted.
Clonin g Ob ject s Ov er T i me with
Snapshot
The Snapshot tool (page 1–453) lets you clone an
object along its animation path. You can make
a single clone at any frame, or multiple clones
spaced over a selected number of frames.
Using car models animated along paths, Snapshot creates an
image of a collision.
Snapshot can also clone a particle system’s
particles.
Snapshot spaces the clones equally in time.
Adjustments in Track View let you space the clones
equally along the path instead.