First Walk Cycle
polycounter lvl 9
Hey all,
I am pretty new to animation and Maya and thought I would post my first walk cycle. I think it's OK, but there is noticeable sliding in the feet. Anyone know how to fix this? I was messing around in the graph editor for awhile and it didnt seem to help much.
I am pretty new to animation and Maya and thought I would post my first walk cycle. I think it's OK, but there is noticeable sliding in the feet. Anyone know how to fix this? I was messing around in the graph editor for awhile and it didnt seem to help much.
Replies
This is not a bad start, and Im so happy to see that you`re using the ball with legs, instead of a full character. Less to keep track of, so that's great for beginners.
Yes, the feet sliding is the most noticeable thing. So, it really depends on how you`ve animated this moving forward. Did you do a cycle in place then just translate it across the screen, or did you animate it across the screen in its entirety?
(These tips are on the assumption that your feet are moving forward and back in the Z axis)
-If you animated it across the screen, then the translate z isn't consistent while the foot is on the ground. As soon as that heel hits the ground, your translate Z should be the same value until the toe comes off. Right now, it looks like that value is decreasing (or increasing) over a short time, causing your foot to slide.
-If you animated it in a cycle and moved it across the screen after, then the translate z curve between the time the heel hits and the toe leaves should be linear. That means a straight line from A - B. Right now, It probably looks more like a wavy line, with keys in between the two points.
That should fix your sliding. But Ive got a few other crits if you dont mind.
-The feet need to come down a little quicker after the heel hits. it feels a little slow and floaty right now.
-Youve got a nice forward and back rotation on your body. Go one further. Get the side to side in there as well. When your right foot is forward, the right hip should be forward and down (currently looks like it's just forward. no down)
-It looks like you have a bit of stretch in your body? I think the timing of that looks a bit off. When his body goes up, his body stretches up. When he goes down, it squashes down. Reverse those and you`ll get a nice offset going. It will look more interesting and pleasing. When the body starts going down, start stretching the body up. then when the body goes up, squash it down. (Does that make sense?)
Also, for future reference, don't use a black background. It actually hurts your animation. The shadows blend into the back and ruin your silhouette. It hides the animation you work so hard on.
Hope this helps! Cant wait to see more. Keep it up.
Thanks so much for your critique. The way I animated is what you listed above. Animating in a cycle then moved it across the screen. I will mess with the Z curve and see if I get better results. Also, I will play around with some of the other suggestions you had and see if I can make it look better. Will post an update if I can get these issues sorted out.
Edit: Deleted Video (New Link) http://syncsketch.com/playground/665daa9e961749e8836c010222b4a5cd#49843
Also, it's best to loop the video a few times before you upload. try for 4 or 5 loops. It makes it easier to pick it apart. Or, you can upload your video and share the link from http://syncsketch.com/ (no signup required!). That site also lets us scrub through frame by frame which is nice.