How do I set this scene up so that the brain shown follows the hands?  Or that I can move the brain and the hands will follow along?

When the brain is selected and I try to use the set parent feature, the alien figure and it's hands does not appear among the choices,  I only get the universe, ground, lights, and cameras to choose from.

Open the Hierarchy editor and click on the brain and drag it to one of the hands. If that doesn't work, there is something wrong with either the alien or the brain. Is the brain a figure by chance? To get it to parent to both hands, you need to turn on IK for the other hand, delete all the key frames for all the arm parts (just that one) then set the other hand to be parented to the brain from Object/Change Parent. Then go back and delete all the key frames again. Now the brain should be a child of one of the hands and the other hand is a child of the brain. Simply move the parent hand and both the brain and the other hand should move. Alternatively you can use the brain and make both hands a child of it in the same way as making one. Then when you move the brain, both hands should follow.

Just be mindful that this method often causes joint "popping" if you move it too much.

Thanks, the brain is a prop.  IK is greyed out for the alien figure.  I cannot turn it on for hands or feet.  I cannot drag anything in the Hierarchy editor.

You can set up IK for it in the Hierarchy editor easily enough.  Look for "IK chains" under the alien's body parts and click on it. That should un-gray out the "Create IK chain" button. which you then click and name it Left Hand (or Right). Then you should have a new IK chain available to you. Now simply drag the parts of the arm starting with the collar (or whichever part is furthest from the hand) and drop it onto you new IK chain. Repeat until you finish with the hand. Now you should have IK available in the Figure/ Use IK menu.

Save just before you do this as sometimes this can cause unexpected results if the figure isn't properly set up and this process is not undoable.

Don't know why you can't drag in the hierarchy editor. Perhaps that's new in 7 but I don't think so. Test it out with a primitive such a ball. If it works with the ball, then there is something wrong with your brain - and I mean that in the nicest way possible :)

  Thanks.  I was finally able to drag the brain to the right pinky in the Hierarchy editor, now it follows the right hand.

Quote -   Thanks.  I was finally able to drag the brain to the right pinky in the Hierarchy editor, now it follows the right hand.

Excellent. Just don't stick that pinky out like a proper Brit drinking tea when he goes to eat it otherwise it will move out as well. LOL

Thanks for your help.  I could not get the other arm to IK correctly so I just tried to key frame it to follow along.

What is he doing to that brain? Talk about screwing with someones mind... :)

Attached above is the text of a pz2 (pose) file that should add arm IK chains to most figures. I say "most" because it assumes that the figure uses the standard naming convention for body parts, a few may not. The IK chains are loaded in the 'off' state, you will need to turn them on from the Figure menu.

Thanks.

try parenting the brain to one hand.
then parent the other hand to the brain.
turn ik on for the hand parented to the brain.

move the hand to which the brain is parented, the other should follow.

I cannot get the brain parented to the hand.  The hand does not show up in the list.

 I wonder.. is the hand called something else? I can't see why it shouldn't show up in the list, especially not if the pinky does...

I am sorry.  Yes it does show up in the hierarchy editor.