Animating Tank Treads - Part 1

Level: Intermediate
Recorded in: 3ds Max 2012
Files used: http://areadownloads.autodesk.com/wdm/3dsmax/HTM-ANI_animating-tank-treads.zip
Description: This tutorial shows how to rig and animate tank treads. The principles shown here also apply to bicycle chains, escalator steps or any type of elements that travel along a path. The method discussed relies on a very simple script that even users with no scripting skills or knowledge can understand. This Part 1 movie lays down the foundation of what you need to do before you start scripting the treads on a path.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Autodesk
• 3d
• 3ds
• max
• design
• tutorial
• howto
• how
• to
• animation
• tank
• treads
• chain
• custom
• attributes
• wiring
• freeze
• transforms
• rotation
• degtorad
• list
• controller
• script
• scripting
• maxscript
• expression

[TheHDReleaser]

good turtorial. but can the treaks move along on terrains? like tank treaks moving over stuff and it goes up and down?

[3dsMaxHowTos]

@TheHDReleaser Not in this context no. For that, you'd need to animate the spline itself so that parts of it react to the terrain. You'd need to create a bunch of helpers for the spline and link individual spline vertices to these helpers using the Linked Xform modifier. That's a whole new ball game right there...

[maniksojat]

It is great tutorial Plz give me a link where i can learn modeling that tank

[3dsMaxHowTos]

@maniksojat I don't have a movie teaching how to model this tank but actually, it's a good idea for a modeling tutorial, as this particular tank and its steel wheels are fairly easy to model.

I'll put it on my to-do list.

[rifleman0007]

@3dsMaxHowTos but why use dummy? why not just put the tread on the spline and make like 30 instances of it..?

[3dsMaxHowTos]

@rifleman0007 The dummy is a master object to edit the speed of the animation. One can argue that to edit the speed, you can select the first tread and apply an Ease Curve to it but selecting the dummy is definitely easier.

[GeKa007ZP]

the best tutorial about making treads which i've ever seen!

[crazyking121]

yes fuck yes finally a person with same version as mine and voice tutorial!

[BedStuyBro]

That is so coool.

[DonApollon]

cool !