3Ds Max Animation & Biped Rigging Tutorial

You'll first need a human character mesh to install the biped object in. Download one from a site listed in Resources, then import it into 3ds Max.

Create the biped object for the character by clicking the "Biped" item, which is in the "Systems" sub-menu of the "Create" menu. Working in front or side view and drag the biped up from the character's feet, through its pelvis.

Keep in mind that the biped's individual parts are movable. So, if you want an operation to apply to the complete biped object, such as putting it in Pose mode, select the biped's Center of Mass (COM), which is the diamond located inside the pelvis.

After selecting the biped's COM, enter "Pose" mode by clicking the stick figure in the Control Panel's "Biped" rollout. Rotate the biped's upper left leg to center it within the character. Then, use the resize tool to make the biped's knee reach to the character's knee. Repeat this fitting process for each of the biped's parts, using rotations, movements and resizing as needed.

After its fitting phase, the character has a correctly proportioned biped, but can't yet respond to its movements. A modifier solves this problem.

Apply the "Physique" modifier to the character mesh, then link the modifier to the biped: click the "Attach to Node" button under the "Physique" rollout, then click the biped's COM.

The character can now respond to the biped's movements. Click a leg or arm of the biped and rotate it. Some of the character mesh should follow, but some of it won't because the biped's envelopes don't fully enclose the character.

To fix this, select the character mesh, then select the "Envelope" node under the "Physique" node in the Control Panel's modifier list. Click on the yellow line inside the part that you're testing to display the purple envelope surrounding the part.

Click the "Outer" button in the "Blending Envelope" rollout, then increase the "Radial Scale" slider until the envelope encloses the mesh, in front and side views. Then, click the "Envelope" node again to deselect it, and rotate the part of the biped that earlier failed to fully move the character part. The character mesh now follows the biped part.

Adjust the envelopes of the remaining biped parts as needed, using the instructions just given. Once each part of the character moves with its biped part, you can animate the character through its biped.

Most of the movements needed to make the character walk are already built into the biped character. Your main task is to initiate the walking action.

Select the biped's COM, then click the Motion button on the Control Panel. Turn on footstep mode by clicking the footsteps button in the Biped rollout, then click "Create Multiple Footsteps" in the "Footstep Creation" rollout. In the dialog box that appears, change the "Number of Footsteps" parameter to 7, then click "OK."

Press the "Create Keys for Inactive Footsteps" button in the "Footstep Operations" rollout to make 3ds Max create visible footsteps you can later reposition. Then, slide the time slider to make the character walk.