Rigging a Car

In this tutorial you establish relationships and other constraints to “rig” the moveable parts of a car so they can be animated together easily.

There is more to animating a car than simply giving it a trajectory. You should also consider such aspects as wheel rotation, the link between the steering wheel and front wheels, and body roll. Animating these aspects individually can become quite complicated. Wiring motions together—for example, wiring the steering wheel to the front wheels—helps manage the simulation and ensure that the animation is consistent and realistic.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to:

Skill level: Advanced

Time to complete: 1+ hours

Preparation for This Tutorial

  • If you have not already downloaded the tutorial files (MAX scenes and other assets), download them now and unzip them into a project folder called \Autodesk 3ds Max 2015 tutorials. See Where to Find Tutorial Files.
  • On the Quick Access toolbar, click (Project Folder) and set your current project to Autodesk 3ds Max 2015 Tutorials.