The pose constraint, also known as a parent constraint, lets you constrain all three transformation types (scaling, orientation, and position) using only one constraint. The combination of these three is known as an object’s pose. As well, in the Pose constraint’s property editor, you can selectively constrain any combination of the transformation types, such as constraining only the object’s orientation and position, but not its scaling.
This constraint also lets you control the manipulation per transformation type over the hierarchy, which involves making sure two objects always seem to remain connected even if translation, rotation, or scaling is applied to the parent. This involves selective “compensation”: for example, when you rotate or scale the parent object, the rotation or scaling on the child is compensated, but not its translation.
To constrain an object to a pose
1. Select the objects to be constrained.
2. Choose Constrain > Pose and pick the object that is to act as a constraint.
3. In the Pose constraint property editor, you can set an offset for any transformation on any axis of the constrained object using the Scaling, Rotation, and Position X, Y, Z sliders.
See Creating Offsets between Constrained and Constraining Objects for more information.
4. On the Options page, you can activate or deactivate the Position (translation), Orientation (rotation), and Scaling constraints individually. For example, if you deselect the Orientation option, the constrained object is not constrained to the orientation of the constraining object.
5. Transform the constraining object.
The objects constrained to it are also scaled, rotated, and translated using the same values as the constraining object, depending on which options (Position, Orientation, Scaling) you have active on the Options page.
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