HACK 3ds Max : CAT Character Animation Toolkit V1.4
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HACK 3ds Max : CAT Character Animation Toolkit V1.4 - How to Create and Animate a Custom Character Rig
If you are looking for a way to create and animate a custom character rig in 3ds Max, you might want to check out the Character Animation Toolkit (CAT) plugin. CAT is a powerful and flexible tool that lets you create preset or custom rigs, adjust them to fit any mesh, and animate them with layers, motion capture, and procedural tools.
In this article, we will show you how to use HACK 3ds Max : CAT Character Animation Toolkit V1.4 to create and animate a custom character rig from scratch. We will cover the following steps:
Creating a CAT rig using the Hub object and bone chains.
Fitting the CAT rig to a custom mesh using the Edit Poly modifier.
Animating the CAT rig using absolute and adjustment layers.
Exporting the CAT animation to a game engine or other software.
Step 1: Creating a CAT rig using the Hub object and bone chains
The first step to create a CAT rig is to add a Hub object to your scene. The Hub object is the root of your CAT rig and contains parameters for global settings, such as scale, orientation, and gravity. To add a Hub object, go to Create > Helpers > CAT Objects and click on Hub.
Once you have added a Hub object, you can start creating bone chains for your character. Bone chains are groups of bones that form parts of your character, such as spine, limbs, tail, etc. To create a bone chain, select the Hub object and go to Modify panel > Setup rollout > Add Bones button. A list of preset bone chains will appear. You can choose one of them or create your own by clicking on New Bone button.
For this example, we will create a simple biped character with spine, pelvis, legs, arms, neck, and head. We will use the following preset bone chains:
Pelvis - This creates a single bone for the pelvis of your character.
Spine - This creates a chain of bones for the spine of your character. You can adjust the number of bones and their length in the Spine Setup rollout.
Leg - This creates a chain of bones for one leg of your character. You can adjust the number of bones and their length in the Leg Setup rollout. You can also choose between different types of feet, such as human or animal.
Arm - This creates a chain of bones for one arm of your character. You can adjust the number of bones and their length in the Arm Setup rollout. You can also choose between different types of hands, such as human or animal.
Neck - This creates a chain of bones for the neck of your character. You can adjust the number of bones and their length in the Neck Setup rollout.
Head - This creates a single bone for the head of your character.
To create each bone chain, select the Hub object and click on the corresponding button in the Add Bones list. A bone chain will appear in your viewport. You can move, rotate, or scale it to position it where you want it on your character. You can also use the Align tool to snap it to another bone chain or object.
To create symmetrical bone chains, such as legs or arms, you can use the Mirror tool. Select the bone chain you want to mirror and click on Mirror button in the Setup rollout. A mirrored copy of the bone chain will appear on the opposite side of your character.
Once you have created all the bone chains you need for your character, you can exit the Setup mode by clicking on Exit button in the Setup rollout. Your CAT rig is now ready for fitting and animation.
Step 2: Fitting the CAT rig to a custom mesh using the Edit Poly modifier
The next step is to fit your CAT rig to a custom mesh that represents your character's skin. To do this, you will need to use the Edit Poly modifier on your mesh and align its vertices to your CAT bones. aa16f39245