Character Animation using Point Cache Modifier

You don't use character animation in your walkthroughs or flybys? You say they're too hard?  Too memory intensive?  Or you just use drop-in RPC characters purchased from Archvision?  Well.  I used to say that too!  Previously a purchased add-on, Character Studio 4.0 is now included at no extra charge within 3ds MAX 7.  You say "so what -- it will take too long to learn and I don't have the time for all that."  Hmmm.  I say "bunk".  :-)

With Character Studio you can create bipeds and attach them to manually created footsteps or to a sequence of animation stored in a .bip file.  These files are readily available (some free and some for purchase) online.  (Check out www.turbosquid.com)   The biped is the basis for your character -- skin and physique are all modifiers you can add to give your character form.   This process has come a long way since the first time I was introduced to it as a plug-in for 3ds MAX many years ago.  It's much easier in terms of understanding and ease of use.

But what I want to talk about here is the point cache modifier.  Once you have animated a character or an object, you can apply a point cache modifier to it.  This modifier lets you store modifier animation to a disk file that records only changes in vertex positions, and then play back the animation using the information in the disk file instead of the modifier keyframes.  This is useful in reducing excessive computation that might cause your animation playback to run slowly or to drop frames.  Once the point cache modifier has been applied and the animation recorded to a file, you can throw away the bone structure -- leaving only the base mesh and point cache file.  Then you can scatter these characters throughout your scene.  This method works quickly and the characters are easy to move around and duplicate.  (Point cache modifiers are not restricted for use with characters only -- they can be applied to any object you are animating.)

Also, the fact that the animation is stored in a file means that the animation processes can overlap.  In other words, you can have different teams working on the project at the same time. The project animation environment can be updated by one team(s), and since the character (or object) is animated by referencing a file, that file can be updated by another team. 

To see an animation which made use of this method, see this animation by Urban Simulations: 

Follow the simple steps below to use this modifier with a biped:

You have two objects:

• one is duplicate ( editable poly) of the original mesh but has no biped skinned to it -- just a lone standing duplicate mesh.
• 1 biped with skinned single mesh character ( editable poly ).

Gave your character a walk using foot steps.

Select animated character's mesh in the modifier list.

• Add the Point Cache modifier.
• In the parameters rollout, click Record and save the .pts file.

Select the new mesh with no biped or skeleton/animation data on it.

• Add Point Cache modifier.
• Click Set Cache and load previously saved .pts file.

You will then see the animation data transferred to the new mesh.