Multi-Part Project Reflection

Overall, I really think I could have done so much better in each area of this project. I think that it was mostly over estimating how much I could get done. I spent so much time in the beginning thinking of ideas and loads of time researching with very little to show. However, I learnt a lot from this and I definitely will not leave my blog to the last minute again so I hope some of my research will come across well.

I learnt new ways of modelling, such as using vectors from illustrator and bringing them in and I also learnt better ways of hard surface modelling within maya such as duplicating faces and building off of these to make pieces fit together nicely. I also had rarely animated anything…basically nothing since February 2015 so it really is not my strong suit, but to be honest I learnt from Digital Tutors and feel like I really got into the swing of it and enjoyed it once progress started to show in my animations.

I absolutely adore ZBrush. I am quite pleased with how this model turned out as it is my first real attempt at using ZBrush and I learnt so much with Digital Tutors. I still could have so much more done and have not had the chance to retopologise my model. I also didn’t find the time to finish UV unwrapping my other models which is a shame.

I will be sure to manage my time better after this project and set deadlines for myself up to hand in.

Tina Walk Cycle Updated

I did pre and post finity on that one curve of the hip!

Marv Push Animation

I decided to do this to show weight as I felt it wouldn’t be too difficult to try out as my first time as it included a walk cycle, but it was still a challenge to show weight.

The initial stance is quite relaxed before the character is to look down and bend over to start pushing the block.

I took screenshots from the video to work out key poses and timing:

This is how I worked out the slow timing of the walk.

 

I started the animation with the legs after I made the first intial position. I figured I could make inbetween keyframes at the start to blend into the bent position that would be the ‘walk’ cycle, however I realise now that I should have just done the complete push cycle alone and added the beginning with an animation layer because I had to put in every repeated keyframe by hand to make the character have more steps instead of being able to repeat the curves.

Final Animation:

I still have so much to fix after! Natasha mentioned that it looks like the character is sliding a bit too much. I wanted to make it slow and look heavy but perhaps I could have made him push it with more force to show this as well instead of slowly shimmying it along.

Dex Run Cycle and Feedback

I thought that the run would be particularly hard, but I got into it and enjoyed it. It was faster paced than the walk, and I followed the keys of the angry run in Richard Williams’ The Animator’s Survival Kit.

 I had the character quite forward with his legs really exaggerated like in the angry run, however I showed Victor and he told me to make him more upright and more natural, so these are the animation views with this feedback:

I then got Natasha’s feedback who said there is something really weird going on with the legs! ha! They are too wide, and they were even wider in the angry run, but I fixed them up :

Tina Walk Cycle and Feedback

I wanted to do an older woman walk cycle. Something a little sexy and with more character. After looking at Richard William’s (2009) The Animator’s Survival Kit Expanded Edition and other animator’s work, I began the walk cycle.

I started animating from the legs upwards like we did in class with Conánn:

I then moved the shoulders and started moving the arms after I worked more on the feet.

I got some feedback from Victor on the animation and he told me to make the character taller as her legs were bending too much. Alec had given me similar feedback and said that the center of gravity wasn’t right.

Changes:

Elbow and wrist changes:

Finalised Walk Cycle:

AHHHHHH!!!! I only just noticed that the hip doesn’t keep swinging. I must not have put infinity onto it.

 

Ellie Walk Cycle

We started this in class with Conánn which was a huge help, but we only got some of the legs done and I ended up changing the hip motions eventually because they were far too much for a young girl.

Some notes I made during class:

Tina character (tall,slim female with heels):

• Booty roll
• Light shoulders
• Smooth curves

Stella character (plump female):

• Rolling shoulders
• Slower movement
• Holds in the curves to hold the weight.

Some tips:

1. Don’t use autokey and work in whole numbers.
2. Make sure all points of the cycle are 33 frames long so you can use finity for everything.
3. Shoulders move opposite to the hips.
4. Elbows come around at the front and bend to the front.

This is what I ended up with during the class:

Fixing it up more:

More finalised walk:

I think her walk is still quite fun but it can still be fixed. I don’t think the hands flow as nicely as they should. I gave the wrists an arc movement but they don’t come down as nicely when they should raise at the front like the digital tutors walk cycle that I finished.

My Digital Tutors Walk Cycle

This is my walk cycle based on the tutorial:

The original digital tutors’ walk cycle had a lot of exaggeration but I softened a lot of the character’s movements to make it more subtle and more natural as this is my first attempt at a walk cycle.

I also translated the walk cycle and attempted a head turn with an animation layer. I was going to make the character look at the camera and wave, but if I have time, I’d like to try it another day.

Looking back, it isn’t great but at least I had a little practice using animation layers.