The Copy Constraints

Back



The copy constraints have been grouped into one category because they all do essentially the same thing. The copy constraints will copy the scale, rotation, or location of one object/bone and apply it to another.

These constraints override the transforms of the constrained bone itself, unless the 'offset' option is enabled (see below). This means that the constrained position of a bone, and the actual position of the bone are different. To see this, enable the properties window in the 3D view with "n". Apply the copy location constraint on a bone, and then move the constrained bone to a new location (it should appear to stay still but the values in the properties window will change). Then turn off the influence of the constraint and the bone will move to it's actual position as the constraint it turned off.

Options and Settings

OB: The Object to serve as the controller (when rigging, it is the name of the Armature Object which contains the controller bone).

BO: The Bone to serve as the controller.

Offset Activating this button will allow the bone to be transformed in addition to the transforms generated by the constraint.

Head/Tail: This location constraint option determines whether the head or tail of the control bone is used as the target. The constrained bone can follow the head (0) or tail (1), or any value inbetween (giving access to the whole bone).

X/Y/Z (-) Buttons These determine which transform channels the constrained bone will copy. Negative means the channel will be copied, but in the opposite direction. (note that scale does not have a negative component)

CSpace Determines the coordinate system the constrained bones will be evaluated in.

• World Space means the coordinates will be relative to the world (the grid).
• Pose Space means the coordinates will be relative to the Armature Object orientations (as if the armature was a container full of bones).
• Local Space means the coordinates will be relative to the constrained objects/bones themselves.
• Local Space (With Parent) is the same as Local Space with the addition that the constraint will be evaluated if the control object's parent is transformed, because the controller's transforms are inherited from its parent.

Influence Determines the influence of the constraint as a percentage from 0-100%. This value can be animated manually, or driven by another object or bone in the IPO.

Show Shows the constraint in the IPO window.

Key Sets a keyframe on the current Influence of the constraint at the current frame.