Everything you animate in 3ds Max is handled by a controller. A controller is a plug-in that handles the storage and interpolation of all animated values.
Although 3ds Max has many different types of controllers, much of the animation is handled by the Bezier controller. Bezier controllers interpolate between keyframes in a smooth curve. You can adjust the key interpolation of these interpolations through the keys on the track bar or in Track View. This is how you can control acceleration, hesitation and other types of motion.
The default controller for Rotation is Euler XYZ, which breaks the rotation down into three individual Bezier Float tracks. The default controller for Position is Position X,Y,Z. The Scale controller default is Bezier.
Note: If you load in files made in earlier versions of the software, their existing controllers will be maintained.
Warning: Be aware that Euler rotations behave differently than TCB rotations. If you are used to using TCB controllers, you can reassign TCB Rotation as the controller and you will get the same behavior you are used to.
3ds Max has a specialized type of controller, called a constraint, that is commonly used to help automate the animation process. A constraint can be used to control an object’s position, rotation, or scale through a binding relationship with another object.
You apply constraints and controllers using commands on the Animation menu. When you assign a controller from this menu, a weighted list controller is automatically applied, with the controller you've selected appearing first in the list. The weighted list controller gives you the ability to blend controllers, similar to a nonlinear animation system. If you assign a controller through the Motion panel or Track View, it replaces the existing controller, rather than creating a list controller. You can do that manually if you are working in the Motion panel or Track View.
This section explains techniques for working with controllers. For details about the parameters and use of each controller type, see Animation Controllers.
Following is a list of topics in this section:
Changing Controller Properties