Animation tutorials
I checked the Polycount wiki but it doesn't seem like much love has been given to that category. Any good overview/starter animation tutorials you guys could recommend for Maya or Max? I've done some 2D animation in the past, but would like to try my hand at doing it in 3d now.
Replies
I'm actually starting to become a 3D animator myself (But more focused in feature films) and I've actually set up a detailed plan and all sorts of things. One little thing before I lay down some tutorials I have in my stash I recommend you to, if you have Windows 7 or Vista, you could actually set up an Animation To Do List like I have.
For example :
Animation To Do List
Research -Active Always
Bouncing Ball- Understand
Walk Cycle - Pose to Pose DvD Try, Sad Robot, Tribal Walk, Quick Complex Gus Walk With Article
Posing -Studying
LipSync
I think that by doing something like it would keep you on track of your journey into animation. It certainly has for me! And I've only just began my journey and I barley know anything even thought I used to think I do.
On to the tutorials :
http://animationclinic.com/cart/
http://www.animationarena.com/principles-of-animation.html
http://www.keithlango.com/tutorials/old/powerCenter/powerCenter.htm
http://www.anticz.com/Walks.htm
http://www.animationarena.com/acting-and-animation.html
http://www.siggraph.org/education/materials/HyperGraph/animation/character_animation/principles/lasseter_s94.htm#moving%20holds
http://www.idleworm.com/how/anm/02w/walk1.shtml
That's barley half of the info I've bookmarked.
Also! I recommend you actually watch a TON of behind the scenes videos. I certainly have and it's inpsiring.
GOOD LUCK!
Added them here...
http://wiki.polycount.com/CategoryAnimation
Send more!
Animation excersises [Loads of them to keep you busy!]
[ame]
Victor Navone and Aaron Hartline webinar
awesome God of War inspirational behind the scenes
[ame]
http://animcareerpro.com/blog/2009/03/13/animation-principles/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_basic_principles_of_animation The 12 principles of animation
http://features.cgsociety.org/story_custom.php?story_id=1429 The twelve principles of animation applied to 3D
http://www.idleworm.com/how/anm/02w/walk1.shtml Walk cycle broken down
http://www.hippydrome.com/ The fine art of articulation
http://www.anticz.com/animatio.htm more basic info
Blogs, podcasts and Ref:
http://www.navone.org/blogger/ Victor Navone's blog (The alien song guy who works for Pixar now)
http://www.navone.org/HTML/Tutorial_DashTake.htm Dash Facial Surprise Take
http://animationpodcast.com/ Animation Pod Cast
http://research.animationsinstitut.de/45.0.html Facial Expression Library
Misc game related tutorials and tips:
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64379 animating procedural lava and bubble pops
http://treadster.com/blog/category/tutorials/ Tips and tricks, dealing with unreal Ed and mostly faceFX
http://www.guerrillacg.org/home/3d-rigging/the-rotation-problem Gimbal lock and common rotation problems explained.
3dsmax specific tips:
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?p=865223 Monsters Curve Editor tools for Max, these should be included...
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72038 Scripts and tips, for animating in max, with biped
Must read:
The Animators Survival Kit Richard Williams book
The Illusion of Life by Frank and Ollie
Awesome stuff. Thanks for the contributions mate : )
Tutorials
http://spungella.blogspot.com/2008/06/animation-links-tools-tutorials-and.html
http://andres.aniguild.com/animation_resources.htm
www.carlosbaena.com
http://www.angryanimator.com/word/test/ (lip sync)
Manipulating Rigs
http://animationbuffet.blogspot.com/2008/03/norman.html
Posemaniacs - extremely useful for getting form and shape and great poses in your animation
http://www.posemaniacs.com/
In addition to the books listed I recommend checking out Drawn to Life and god I can't remember the name of the other one but as soon as I do I'll post it.
edit* Jason Ryan also has some Great 2d to 3d tutorials
http://www.jasonryananimation.com/
If not it's some legend similar to him anyways : )
When it's in a good mood..
[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Animators-Workbook-Step-Step-Techniques/dp/0823002292/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276890117&sr=8-1[/ame]
[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Illusion-Life-Disney-Animation/dp/0786860707/ref=pd_sim_b_3[/ame]
its called Stop Staring by Jason Osipa, goes really in depth into facial rigging/animation/blend shapes etc..
[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Stop-Staring-Facial-Modeling-Animation/dp/0471789208/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276891316&sr=8-1[/ame]
great resource.
Linky?
really good for planing animation on paper and some concepts of weight
[ame]http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/0811850161/ref=oss_product[/ame]
Draw the Looney Tunes, maybe sounds stupid, but they cover alot of exaggeration, line of action, etc. really great book
[ame]http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/0240810767/ref=oss_product[/ame]
Directing the Story, also great book
I´ve bought alot ox books the last 12 months, those are not exactly covered to, how to animate, but those books give you inside about poses, story, etc which good animaiton needs. Drawn to Life by Eric Goldberg are also awesome, there are alot of cool books but i don´t want to link 15 books or so, i mean they are on amazon anyway.
From the O.G himself.
http://www.lettersofnote.com/2010/06/how-to-train-animator-by-walt-disney.html
Enjoy
Lol.
I originally posted my stuff for him but now this could be stickied or something! ;D
http://wiki.polycount.com/CategoryAnimation
I would, but I'm a bit overloaded as it is. Any takers?
Play around with the Sandbox, you can submit any kind of edit you want.
http://wiki.polycount.com/WikiSandBox
There's also a ton of help, down at the bottom of the editor itself...
Try the GUI editor...
I always like their tutorials a lot, they go over not just animation but a lot of other good modeling tips and techniques as well
link won't do the trick
Sorry about not responding earlier, never expected this level of response!
Thanks so much guys for all the great resources, I'll be sure to go through them and post some work in p&p once I have something worth showing
And I've actually found alot of awesome stuff...since I'm very new to animation aswell.
ok guise I posted this merely cause it made me lol pretty hard. Some useful stuff if you read between the lines tho.
Nice:thumbup: This is far and away my weakest point, I havn't done nearly enough of it..
11 second club articles is really good, don't miss the rest at the left hand side of the page
http://www.11secondclub.com/resources/helpful_hints/
Keith Langos stuff is awesome.
"Tricks for cartoon snappy motion"
"Pose 2 Pose Animation"
"Life After Pose 2 Pose"
"Power centers and personality"
"Facial Muscles Illustration"
"Arc D'Triumph"
"The Zen of Lead and Follow"
"Lipsync"
while this is true.. a lot of the smaller studios include rigger/animator as the same category, and even if they don't its always good to have another skillset - think about it in terms of two artists that have the same level of skill in animation, if you have experience in rigging, it gives you a 1up on the other animator,* which will hopefully lead you to snag the job.
*there are always other circumstances that factor in, just trying to make a point about skillsets.
Also not every place has a full time rigger, normally that's only found in film where the rigs are really really complex.
If its the technical that scares people they probably shouldn't get involved in 3D animation... heh. Just like if 24 drawings per second scares traditional artists, they should probably stay away from 2D animation =P
My pro channel
Check it out.