Understanding Biped

Biped is a 3ds Max component that you access from the Create panel. Once you create a biped, you animate it using the Biped controls on the Motion panel. Biped provides tools to let you design and animate the figures and motion of characters.

The Biped

The biped skeleton created with the Biped module is a two-legged figure created as a linked hierarchy, and designed for animation. The biped skeleton has special properties that make it instantly ready to animate.

Figure and Keyframe Modes

character studio is designed to interchange motion and characters. In Figure mode, you pose the biped to fit your character model. In Keyframe mode, you animate the skeleton. Motions created for the biped can be saved and loaded onto other biped skeletons with different physical characteristics. For example, you could animate a giant ogre, save the animation, and load it onto a small child. Motion files are saved in the proprietary BIP format.

You can use these files in a variety of ways with Motion Flow, the Motion Mixer, and the Crowd tools to combine animation or animate multiple characters.

Animating the Biped

The two primary methods used in creating biped animation are footsteps method and freeform method. Each has its advantages. You can convert animation between the two methods, or you can combine both in a single animation. For detailed information, see these sections: Footstep Animation and Freeform Animation.

Biped Properties

The biped skeleton has these properties, designed to help you animate faster and more accurately: