How to offset the start of rigid body physics to a specific frame How can I tell Blender not to start applying physics until a certain frame? Is it possible? I have a very complicated shot, where a massive object is crashing though various different cell fractured elements, but despite having tried the Enable Deactivation/Start Deactivated and trying somehow to set up keyframes for the Dynamic check box, all of my objects that are supposed to activate when my large object interacts with them end up just breaking apart on their own free will at the beginning of the animation. Is there a solution I am missing?
To offset when a rigid body simulation starts, I would suggest that you use keyframing to your advantage. You can keyframe any option in blender, including the "Animate" and "Dynamic" check boxes in the rigid body options. Mouse over the "Animate" or "Dynamic" checkbox and press "i" like any other add keyframe.


You can then make it so that only when the object is hit, or at a certain time, will the object begin to fall. Likewise, you can also use this so that your fractured objects do not fall apart until they are hit or about to be hit. Hope this helps!

P.S.You can find a full tutorial detailing this sort of animation/simulation here. This is a three part tutorial (with a prequel teaching how to model the mug) made by Blender Cookie.