keyframing question

Slipstream

I just started learning how to animate and I think I've gotten the basics of the software down, but there are two things I can't figure out that the tutorials I've looked through so far don't explain, (they just tell me what to do, not why)

My first question is, at one point in an animation do I put my keyframes, and the second is how do I decide upon the length of an animation?

Thanks ^^

Slum

It would be really helpful if you'd mention what software you're using.

MoP

The replies to both of your questions are ENTIRELY arbitrary and up to you.

The length of an animation - what sort of animation is it? Are we talking walk cycles here? An animated short film?
For the former, time yourself walking and divide that into strides, usually 2 strides in a walk cycle is enough, say it takes 1 second per stride, that's 2 seconds for the cycle, which equals 60 frames long at 30fps.
Anything else is up to you really.

If your first question was "at *what* point in an animation do i put my keyframes" ... then ... uhhh ... wherever you want? You'll need them at the start and end if your animation is looping, so it matches up. Anything else is entirely up to you. I can't tell you when to key hands, feet, arms or legs. It depends entirely on the motion and the style of the animation.

e_x

What software he is using doesn't really matter that much. A keyframe is a keyframe and the principles of animation are what is important.

I tend to animate on 4's for 24fps and 5's for 30fps. What this means is every 4th or 5th frame I block in a pose, setting a keyframe on every bone. This is more of a 2d animation technique, but I've found that it can still be used to quickly block in motion in 3d.

After I have done that, I look at the animation and then slide around the poses in the dope sheet to get better timing. Of course after doing this for awhile, you start to get a grasp of timing and how long you should hold poses which eliminates some of the dope sheet work, but you won't always get it right the first time.

For quick and broad movements you will probably want to set a key frame at each frame (animate on 1's) since sometimes the software does a poor job of inbetweening.

This is by no means the only/best way to do things, just something that I've found that works for me. Mop is right, you can slap down keyframes where ever you want, and your timing is going to be determined by the action.

For a much better description of what I'm trying to say, check out Keith Lango'a site, especially his Pose-to-Pose tutorial. It's great for people who are starting out.

Also, you will probably want to pick up Richard William's The Animator's Survival Kit. I've found it invaluable as an animator.

Tulkamir

Well, I was going to say was e_x said, but he got to it first, so I'd just like to reenforce that. A lot of people thing it's useless to learn traditional animation (I got to hear the complaining when we had the class at my school) for 3d stuff, but it is needed in my opinion.

For another take on how it can be done in 3d though, everytime your motion needs to change. If someones hand moves from point a to point b over a period of 30 frames you just need two key frames, one at the start, one at the the end. Then you can go through and tweak the animation as needed, add in more keys if you need, tweak the graphs, etc...

Anyways, you've had better animators than me already answer, but I just thought I'd throw in my two cents.

Slipstream

Thanks guys. All this info is really invaluable to me because I have only the vaguest idea of how to animate >>;
I haven't even gotten into any of my animation classes at my school yet, so I'm just trying to figure out how to move things properly and get the timing right, for a simple walk animation.

Zergxes

Try a ball bounce first, it will help you with the core of animation - weight and timing. A 'simple walk' is one of the harder things to perfect, something to build up to.