Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 16-11
Note
What's the difference between full-time IK and IK that isn't “full-time”?
Way back when IK was new, its calculations not yet streamlined, and 40 MHz was
mind-bogglingly fast, the friendly folks at NewTek thought it would be a help for animators to
have the option of only solving for IK when the chain's goal object was moved, requiring
keyframes to be set by hand for the items in the chain. This saved the computer's CPU from con-
stantly having to think about IK calculations, and in turn, sped up the process of animation
significantly.
Nowadays, CPUs are so fast, and the calculations for IK so optimized, there's
almost
no reason
to not have all IK chains full-time, all the time. I say “almost,” because who knows…maybe you
might find a need for part-time IK you can't live without that nobody else has thought of.
It's for those instances when something most people see as passé is the key to a solution of
genius magnitude that NewTek still gives you these and similar options.
Similar thoughtful options have saved my job on several occasions. This philosophy of letting
the users have all the options they might need, even if “mundania” may not be able to see the
benefits, is one of the major reasons behind my strong respect for LightWave and for NewTek.
