Tradigital 3ds Max Base Biped Walk Layer Reactor Layer Motion FIG 6.1 it was the "Acme Rocket" and the "Bat Utility Belt" which were to blame ... on separate occasions of course. Yes, unfortunately things do tend to break because of gravity. Actually, there is something else missing. There is a unique state of animation that is necessary to give meaning to a set of actions and reactions. The time when we let the audience know that something is going to happen and get their attention is known as anticipation. After grabbing a viewer's attention, they either have to believe in a theory or agree that it is plausible. Anyone who wants to argue that point can try to rationalize how millions of viewers can believe in the possibility of Death Star with a killer laser beam like the one in Star Wars. With the right amount of planning, and inclusion of details, anything is possible ... right? Take the case of new software upgrades or plug-ins as being a potential trap. We forget the lessons of our childhood, but also the belief that things don't have to happen in a certain way. All we really need to have is that perfect tool or magical element to make things happen the way we want them to. As a professional working in the field of animation, we tend to be enticed by that shiny new upgrade without paying attention to fact that it's not the plane that flies, but the pilot! The plane moves but is controlled by a living being. It's just a tool, but we have to have something extraordinary kicking around in the back of our minds that we want to create, not the magical combination of controls. We need to let our imaginations run free again. With a series of commands in the Motion Panel, you can easily create a walk cycle with a biped. This motion will appear a little stiff and inflexible at first. 78