CATModes

CAT provides two basic modes of operation: Setup and Animation:

• Select a rig bone. > Motion panel > Layer Manager rollout > Setup/Animation Mode Toggle button

• Setup Mode: In Setup Mode you create and modify your CAT rig. You can also add or remove bones later, even after animating the character.

  If your character is already skinned and you want to adjust bones, first go to frame 0 and on the Skin modifier Advanced Parameters rollout, turn off Always Deform. That way you can edit bones without affecting the mesh.

• Animation Mode: In Animation Mode you animate your character.
  Note: By default, bones don’t stretch when you manipulate them in Animation mode. However, if your animation requires it, you can enable a bone to change its length when manipulating it or its parent bone by selecting it, going to the Hierarchy panel, clicking Link Info, and turning on Animation Mode group Manipulation Causes Stretching. So, for example, if you enable this for the spine bones, then moving the ribcage mode will cause the top spine bone to stretch.

Procedures

To access Animation mode:

1. Select a rig bone or the CATParent, go to the Motion panel, and access the Layer Manager rollout.
2. Create an Absolute layer in which to animate.
   Note: You can switch from Setup mode to Animation mode only if an animation layer is present.
3. Click (Setup Mode).

   The button image switches to Animation mode.

   

   You are now ready to start keyframing.

   Note: The CATRig’s mode is saved with the scene, so if you save a scene containing a rig in Animation mode and then later open it, the rig is still in Animation mode.

To access Setup mode:

When you first create a CATRig, it’s in Setup mode, so you can copy and paste parts, apply manipulation gizmos, and so on. After you access Animation mode, you can switch back at any time by clicking the same button.

1. Click (Setup/Animation Mode Toggle).

   The button image switches to Setup mode.

   

   You can now modify the rig setup.