Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
properties of the dynamic body you have set up in a simulation for regular, good old-
fashioned animation curves that you can edit along with the rest of the animated scene,
if need be. You can easily take a simulation that you've created and bake it out to curves.
As much fun as it is to think of cupcakes,
baking
is a somewhat catchall term used to
describe converting one type of action or procedure into another; in this case, you're
baking dynamics into keyframes.
You'll take the simulation you set up with the pool balls earlier and turn them into
keyframes to give you a quick idea of how it can be done and the curves that you'll get.
Dynamics is a deep layer of Maya, and there is a lot to learn about it. Keep in mind that
you can use this introduction as a foundation for your own explorations.
To bake out the rigid body simulation of the pool balls, follow these steps:
1. Open the scene file
Table_v2.mb
from the Pool_Table project on the CD; or, if you
prefer, open your scene from the previous exercise. You'll bake out the motion of
all three pool balls on the table to see their keyframes.
2. Because the simulation is already set up and working to your liking, you can jump
right to it. Select all three pool balls, and choose Edit
➔
Keys
➔
Bake Simulation
r
. In
the option box, as shown in Figure 12.9, set Time Range to Time Slider (which should
be set to 1 to 150). This, of course, sets the range you would like to bake into curves.
3. Set Hierarchy to Selected, and set Channels to From Channel Box. This ensures that
you have control over which keys are created. Make sure Keep Unbaked Keys and
Disable Implicit Control are checked and that Sparse Curve Bake is turned off. Before
clicking the Bake or Apply button, select the Translate and Rotate channels in the
Channel Box. Click Bake.
4. Maya runs through the simulation. Scrub the timeline back and forth. Notice how
the pool balls move around normally as if the dynamic simulation were running—
except that you can scrub in the timeline, which you can't do with a dynamics simu-
lation. If you open the Graph Editor, you'll see something similar to Figure 12.10.
Figure 12.9
The Bake Simulation
Options window
