Untitled

3 Play the animation. Cowabunga!

You can see a finished version of this animation in the file

skating_complete.max.

Creating the Illusion of Weight

There are two techniques for giving the illusion of weight to a biped object

in an animation. Both affect the biped center of mass.

The first technique uses Balance Factor, which moves the center of mass.

Balance Factor is available on the Body Horizontal track. This technique creates

the illusion of lifting a heavy object. It lets you keyframe the center of mass

moving in and out of the body.

The second technique uses Figure mode to turn on Rubber Band; you then

move the center of mass in front of or behind the body. This technique creates

956 | Chapter 5 Character-Animation Tutorials