constraints and locators
 

Hello;

I am in the process of trying to use point constraints and locators. I have created 5 objects.
Above and to the center I have created a single locator attached to another object that acts as a crane. Each object on the ground also has a locator attached to it. I have added a point constraint to each object on the ground including one to the crane up above. I am using Maya 8.5. My problem is that I am unable to keyframe these objects. When I put a keyframe at 1 and move to 20 to move the crane down to the object and attach it via the constraint then keyframe the object to the crane, instead of the object attaching itself to the Crane at 20, the object is already moving itself towards the crane from frame 1. Even if I add an extra key in front of the keyframe added as the pick up it will not work. In other words the object is not sticking to the ground. I also work in 3d Max and all I would have to do is attach and release a set planted key. Pleeease help. I really want to learn this.

Thanks, Suzanne Hunter:headbang:

Try stepped keys maybe? :x

what do you mean by stepped keys. Are you referring to Mel or does it have to setting keyframes at one then at 20 then at 21 = your action

Thanks a bunch

There are different types of keyframes in Maya, clamped, spline, stepped, flat, plateau etc, stepped keys don't interpolate, for example a ball with a keyframed color of red at frame 1 and then blue at frame 30 will stay red until frame 30. I'm not that experience with animating and this drove me batty til I found out about it lol. :p

You know it sounds familiar. I tried to find where they all are under the animation menu and also in animation preferences,but don't know where to change these presets.

Thanks again!

I just found them in animation preferences under setting > animation. Is the default clamped? Anyway, maybe that is part of the problem. Thanks again, I will try that.

I know you can find them in the graph editor, you can make your own marking menu also. /shrug

(or yea putting a keyframe on frame 20 and then 21 would also do it)