Date:         Wed, 18 Mar 1998 08:29:43 -0800
From: Robert WIlson <isdmml@IQUEST.NET>
Subject:      [IML] IFW: Nostalgia-Cycle setup/shuffle

    Does anyone out there remember these two commands from IFA and IFD
and what they did?  I was sitting here playing with IFW in the stage
with states/IK and realized that they would be great to have about
now.   Let me explain.
    These two commands basically moved the axis around for proper
orientation in use with the cycle editor, i.e..  they made the y axis
point at the next in the chain at the start and upon rotation or
movement of an axis for a new motion, respectively.  Correct me if I'm
wrong.
    Now, if this could be used for states on cascade groups,
reorienting  Z from the selected axis to the end of the chain and,
here's what I really want, RESIZING of the axis to touch the next axis
AND its width at a size relative to the points of its subgroup.  The
latter part of this would be the toughest, I think, but this would
really add to the visual feedback when using IK as the shape would make
the object skeleton clearer.  This would probably make folks a lot less
hesitant to use bones, too.  They are SOOOOO powerful.
    I do this all manually, when I care, but sure would like that piece
of code back in as a 'feature'.

Oh Yeah!  Please keep up the Maya Thread!  I really like hearing about
what Imagine compares to for others, especially on this scale.  I think
that IF Imagine were simply opened up to the input of ascii or database
info it would be the leap it needs for the next level: Time is money and
setting up an airplane crash based upon my own input sucks. (And lawyers
and investigators are picky.)  I'd rather Imagine sucked in the vector
data and did the path for me.  Anyone able to make a proggie like this
for Imagine?  Sure would be nice with the use of shredder, particles,
etc. without PLUGIN costs.

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Date:         Wed, 18 Mar 1998 11:37:39 -0700
From: Bill Graham <bill@TONGUEMONSTER.COM>

I think the Cycle Shuffle thing would be a boon to States. If, when
positioning limbs and such, you could optionally change which end of an axis
is the center of rotation (which is what Cycle Shuffle was) it would make it
possible to fake collision detection, among other things. At least with some
objects. For instance a boulder that was encompassed in the cubic "space" of
it's axis could be made to bounce around very realistically if you were able
to selectively switch the axes ends as rotation/pivot points.

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