How to animate a moving vehicle in 3ds Max (2024)

01. Splitting the wheels from the car

The first step is to select the right model to work with. We can have an amazing sports car with the wheels attached, but it will mean extra work splitting away the wheels and other components. Most of the time I select a model with the wheels separate from the chassis to avoid wasting the time. Once you get the full workflow down, you can use any car model and also place it in your model library.

02. Setting the main wheel dummy

It’s time to begin the process of adding dummies for the wheels. Set the Viewport to a side view so you can see the wheels, then go to the Helpers tab in the Create menu and select MadCar. Remember to have the Snaps turned on, click on the wheel and drag it to create the dummy.

03. Adjusting the wheel dummies

The dummy is in the wheel because we had the Snap tool on, but the size isn’t right. It’s pretty easy to use the Scale tool to make it fit, but in the past I have encountered various errors when launching the animation, so I’d recommend selecting the dummy and adjusting its size to exceed the wheel a little in each axis. It’s also a good idea to use the Rotate tool to set the arrow facing the other side of the tyre.

04. Copying and placing wheel dummies

Once we have our main dummy all set up, it’s time to make copies and place them over the other wheels, starting at the front. Copy the first dummy you made as an instance and place it in the other wheel in the front; 3ds Max’s Align tool is great to get the precise position. Now copy the dummy again so we can place it in the back wheels, but this time make it a copy, and then do the same for the other rear wheel, again as an instance.

05. Placing the main suspension dummy

Let’s add the car’s suspension, which gives us a great effect when the animation runs. In the Helpers panel, select Suspension and set the Viewport to Top. Click and drag so you can see the suspension icon appear. Once we have it, select only the pivot, then snap the suspension to the wheel dummy pivot.

06. Creating suspension dummy copies

Just as we did for the wheel dummy, we also want to copy the suspension dummy as an instance and place it in the other wheel. In the Properties, check whether the suspension has the Wheel Drive and Steering Gear options checked. Duplicate it as a copy for the first rear wheel, and create the other back wheel as an instance with the Handbrake option checked, which means the front suspension will control the direction and the rear suspension the brakes.

07. Adding the car chassis dummy

The process for the vehicle’s dummy body is perfectly straightforward, as it’s essentially the same as the wheels. Go to the Helpers tab and select Body, with the Viewport in the top view. Click and drag, and you’ll see the dummy, which will need its proportions adjusting in the Modify panel. Keep in mind that the dummy should cover the whole of the car’s chassis.

08. Connecting the dummies

We’ve now created all of our dummies, but they’re still not attached to their respective car parts. In the top bar, click ‘Select and Link’, then click in the car body, and click and drag the car body dummy across. Do the same with the wheels. This way we’ll be able to run the simulation for the car animation without any issues.

09. Making the full MadCar shell

The final element we need is the container. Again, in the Helpers tab use the MadCar option, which will give you a container housing all the elements. Click and drag in the top Viewport so it’s easier to see, and then adjust its size in the modify tab, keeping all the elements within the MadCar container.

10. Adding a plane and hit the road

Select the MadCar container and in its Properties, click Update, which will lock all the components, essentially making them a single working object. Add in a simple plane that’s big enough for the car to drive around. I set the Gravity to 23, the Rudder Sens to 20, and the Keyframes to 1,000.

Here comes the real fun! Click the Drive button and a little window will appear. Press Enter, and you’ll now be able to drive the car around the plane you just created. The car’s controls are the same as most video games, using the ‘W’, ‘A’, ‘S’, ‘D’ and ‘X’ keys. When you reach frame 1,000, the simulation will stop and you’ll have your animation.

11. Resetting the car's animation

But what happens if you don’t like the animation you’ve created and want a different path? This one is a simple fix: just use the Reset Animation button, which will wipe the slate clean. It can take a little practice to drive the car cleanly, but keep trying and you’ll get there – it’s a fun task to play around with too!

Reset plugin properties

Create an asset library