CompuServe Messages

HELP!! In an animation I am working on, I need to rotate an object in the keyframer, at 30 frame intervals. Problem is, the XYZ coordinates I am using assume a rotation about the axis of the object – as if the XYZ planes rotate with the object. If I just enter my coordinates directly into the keyframer, it uses them in a coordinate system that remains fixed – meaning that different outcomes happen, depending on the order in which I enter the coordinates. If Imanually use a rotation about the Y axis of 90 degs, and then change the pitch by 45degs using X axis, the order in which I enter them seems to determine whether I need to use Rotate, or Rotate Abs. In addition, what I end up with in the Key info box is a X rotation = .3574,a Y rotation = .862856, and a Z rotatio = -.3574!! – with an Angle of 98.42. I think if I multiply the numbers for X,Yand Z by the Angle parameter, I end up with the actual amount of rotation in each plane, but what equation(s) do I need to use to transform my angles into the system 3DS uses?? Am I even on the right track!?? Any help on this is much appreciated, as it seems like somehting that will be necesary for me to get a handle on to work with 3DS much at all! Thanks much APG