Glossary
The default method of manipulating a hierarchy uses a technique called forward kinematics. The basic principles employed by this technique are:
Hierarchical linking from parent to child
Placement of pivot points to define the connecting joint between linked objects
Inheritance of position, rotation, and scale transforms from parent to child
In forward kinematics, when a parent object moves, its children must follow. If the child wants to go off on its own, the parent remains behind. For example, in a hierarchical linkage of a human figure, when the torso (the parent) bends over, the head (the child) moves along with it, but you can turn the head without affecting the torso.