Need help with grouping [in 3ds]

[Adrienne]

This is my first year in well FIRST and I'm the only person on Animation. I've read some of the tutorials that came with 3ds but no where near all of them. Anyway, when I am in Auto key, and I say ungroup something on the 500th frame, is there anyway it can spontaneously ungroup at the 500th frame without having to go back and reanimate the pieces separately, or visa versa when I want something to group at the 500th frame and have them remain separate entities (completely unconnected) up to that point. So basically I need help with grouping and ungrouping throughout animation in Auto key Mode. Thanks for your time, and I hope I get some response considering I have six days and counting.

[Soukup]

no...a group is a group and can't be animated. What you could do is take a collection (group) and link them to together. Linking will allow the parts to move in one basic object. But you will be able to move them seperately while still in reference to the main basic object.

hope that helps.

[Adrienne]

Thank you so much. Needless to say I have about 900 frames to go back over and try to link, but that helps. I wish there was some way, but I don't have time to wish. Must Animate. Ugggh.

[MBiddy]

You can use the Link Constraint to tell pieces when to be linked together. You can't animate linkage with the normal Link command, but with the Link Constraint you can keyframe links. To have an object not linked to anyother object, use the World link.

[Specialagentjim]

Here's my suggestion. Create a dummy object (in the helpers tab). Link all the objects to the dummy. You can then control all of them seperatly. Once you want them to move as one entity, simply start animating the dummy.


Im not sure if this answers your question exactly...lemme know if I misunderstood your question.