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Thai Chi Feedback

tholmes3d
tholmes3d
polycounter lvl 11
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tholmes3d polycounter lvl 11
Hello world.
I'm finally getting around to posting personal work after lurking for a while. This is a piece I've just taken from stepped to linear. I love watching martial arts forms so I wanted to do my own version. It's been a challenge to modifying the timing to spice it up without loosing what makes it so pretty. 

There's a few areas I especially need to focus on. Bonus points for notes on places where the root and spine could be better at driving the motion, the swooshy torso part 60 frames into the clip, and overall timing because I tend to not exaggerate enough.

I'd love as much feedback as you have time for. Rip it up :) Thanks!

https://syncsketch.com/sketch/153682#184386

Reference: Just the first 11 seconds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_yctN4uTQM&index=1&list=PLqCW9WpU8E8eMFfeioh1Eeg6LLGtIbiwI
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  • tholmes3d
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    tholmes3d polycounter lvl 11
    I've updated the Syncsketch at the top of the thread. Here it is again: https://syncsketch.com/sketch/153682#184386

    Thanks to the mystery person who left some comments/drawings. I think I've worked out a lot of the little motions that help give the movements a nice flow. My plan from here is to going to do a hands and feet pass, a head tracking pass, and then dive into curves.

    I could still really use critique! Especially about timing.
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  • AGoodFella
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    AGoodFella polycounter lvl 5
    Cool. I would probably stay in stepped a bit longer and push the poses more. Really get a nice line of action through them and a strong silhouette. Really get the weight shifts in there and the clarity. 

    Hand passes, feet passes, etc come in later. Right now, I would nail down the poses.
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  • Einar
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    Einar polycounter lvl 5
    Are you animating his hands in IK? Thai Chi is all about flow, and animating flow in IK is veeery challanging compared to FK. Thai chi movement flows through the whole body, and keeping everything connected will help you immensenly
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  • tiagosol
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    tiagosol polycounter lvl 3
    tholmes3d I think as Einar FK for this klind of movement would be best! remember that everything is connected. This kind of test is an amazing way to study movement and flow. Check up those golden poses, figure the best timing for every move! keep it up!
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  • Hito
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    Hito interpolator
    I was mystery person lol. don't know why Syncsketch won't keep me logged in, and didn't check my username. I'm split about IK/FK on this. on one hand sure everything is connected and FK can give nice arcs. but on the other hand it's difficult to get smooth path and velocities in the extremities when you throw COG, Torso, and Arm motion into the stack, there you're essentially trying to create paths using only rotations and it's difficult to figure out which rotation in the stack is causing a hiccup or bump.

    It's a Kiel Rig isn't it? It has good tool for FK/IK matching I think? I'd pop it all into spline and see how things look along the way and adjust as you go.
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  • tholmes3d
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    tholmes3d polycounter lvl 11
    I'm really interested to understand what areas are making people call out IK vs FK. Are there area's where the hands feel floaty or disconnected?
    Right now the arms are all FK. I'm currently switching between rotation axis on both arms because they've been pretty troublesome (would love to hear better solutions if you have them, especially for this rig). That's the cause some little pops and weird interps. I expect that I may have to do some of the final in IK once I've made sure I have the motion all planned out. 

    AGoodFella, you're right about the poses. I was hesitant to push them because the timing doesn't allow for it in some areas, but I'll just need to adjust that too. Frame 159 is a good example of that. In order to push him further to the left I just need to give more time for that translation so he's not ping ponging back and forth. 

    Thanks for the feedback ere'body!
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  • tholmes3d
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    tholmes3d polycounter lvl 11
    Almost done! I'm planning to polish whats here, unless somebody has a great note of something more fundamental. I changed the ending since I decided I wasn't going to add more to this piece. I'd love to hear your feedback on anything that sticks out to you, even if it's not polish notes. It's always helpful to hear critique. 

    https://syncsketch.com/sketch/153682#195077   (same link as above)
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  • AGoodFella
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    AGoodFella polycounter lvl 5
    Nice, looking cool.

    At f61, I feel like his right shoulders pops up to quick. Also, I feel like the body and spine hits a few walls from 60 to f118 or so.

    Make the speed gradually slow down at f101 for his left hand. I feel the slow down is a little abrupt.

    f160 - the kerk back from his hips feels awkward.

    Pop in his right knee around f203

    f224 - he's off balance

    f246 - his left wrist looks busted
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