This two-part series is aimed at Technical Directors and those with some experience with MEL scripting and API programming. Bi-Directional Constraining Part II: Breaking the Cyclic Dependencies will present a method to free up the animator from the uni-directionality of Maya relationships. This class will introduce a new constraint that can change source and destination objects interactively as well as during animation playback. You will benefit from practical examples on how to use this new paradigm for character rigging, character to character interaction and character to prop interaction. You’ll also explore how this constraint was developed through an in-depth analysis of the problems associated with traditional methods of constraining. To aid your understanding, this two-part series will provide you with a foundation of knowledge on Maya's Dependency Graph evaluations, with an “under the hood” look at what a transform is and how they are built in hierarchies, coordinate space basics, and finally the structure of the constraint node.

Skill Level: Advanced
Module(s): Animation, MEL
Format: eDVD [approx. 80 minutes]

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