Object/Delegate Associations Dialog

You can use this dialog to link any number of delegate-object pairs. You can also use this dialog to align objects with delegates, optionally matching scaling factors as well. Lastly, you can specify that the objects use the delegates' controllers.

• Create panel > (Helpers) > Object Type rollout > Crowd > Setup rollout > (Object/Delegate Associations)
• Select a Crowd object. > Modify panel > Setup rollout > (Object/Delegate Associations)

Interface

Objects list

Lists objects available for linking, specified using the Add function (see following item). You can select any number of objects from this list for subsequent removal.

Add Click this to open the standard 3ds Max Select dialog, which lists all objects in the scene, including delegates. Make your selection, and then click the Select button to add the objects to the Objects list.

Remove Deletes the highlighted object or objects from the list.

Shift Up/Shift Down

Use the arrow buttons between the two lists to move highlighted items higher or lower in the list.

When you click Align Objects With Delegates, Link Objects To Delegates, or Assign Delegate Controllers To Objects, character studio creates associations between pairs of items at matching positions in the lists.

Delegates list

Lists delegates available for linking, specified using the Add function (see following item). You can select any number of delegates from this list for subsequent removal.

Add Opens the standard Select dialog, which lists all delegates in the scene. Make your selection and then click the Select button to add the delegates to the Delegates list.

Remove Deletes the highlighted delegate or delegates from the list.

Association via Linking group

Align Objects with Delegates

Aligns each object with its corresponding delegate by moving and rotating the object on its local axes. Each delegate's local Y axis points in the forward direction, so aligned objects will be rotated so their Y axes point in the forward direction as well. This option works much like the 3ds Max Align feature.

Align Scale

When on, clicking Align Objects with Delegates sets each object's absolute scaling factor to that of its corresponding delegates. This is useful if, for example, you've randomized delegates' sizes with the Scatter Objects Scale panel, and want the associated objects to match.

Link Objects to Delegates

Creates a hierarchy for each object-delegate pair, with the delegate as parent.

Association via Animation Replacement group

Assign Delegate Controllers to Objects

Copies each delegate's controllers to the paired objects as an instance.

This is the same as using Track View Copy Controller from the delegate, and then pasting the controller as an instance to the object. Does not link objects hierarchically with delegates.

Once you've set up the delegate animation the way you want it, if you then want to apply the animation to an object or objects en masse, use this function. You can then delete the delegates if you like.

OK

Implements any changes and closes the dialog.

Cancel

Eliminates any changes and closes the dialog.

Important: Clicking OK has no intrinsic effect; in order to implement any of the dialog functions, you must first click at least one of the Align/Link/Assign buttons.