Elite Guard Walk Anim

[Domarius]

See what you think...

Download Elite Guard Walking

[Springheel]

Looks quite good. You need to do something with the shoulder guards though...they shouldn't be sticking up like that.

[sparhawk]

It looks very good , but I would prefer it if you could play the animation in a fixed location. This way it is easier to look at it, as when it is actually moving along. Keep the background though.

[pakmannen]

Yep, it looks great.

Hey, how come you guys can see this video? Or does it also flickers for you?

[Domarius]

It's based on a motion capture file of someone walking, but they were a bit too "groovy" (walking like they were listening to music or something) and I had to do a bit of tweaking to make him look more determined.

 

So I've been worried it's still too groovy looking but if you guys don't think so then looks like I've tweaked it sufficiently.

 

Don't know how the shoulder guards are supposed to sit... PMing oDDity now...

 

@Spar - I know its easier to watch to have him walking in place. Anims these days are done with the character actually animated as moving - what I could do is render the movie with the camera following him exactly so the final movie looks like he's walking on the spot.

[sparhawk]

Hey, how come you guys can see this video? Or does it also flickers for you?

 

Nope. This one looks ok. Don't know what's wrong with the other one though.

[sparhawk]

@Spar - I know its easier to watch to have him walking in place. Anims these days are done with the character actually animated as moving - what I could do is render the movie with the camera following him exactly so the final movie looks like he's walking on the spot.

 

That would be preferable, because it distracts a lot that the char is jumping back every 2 seconds and you have to follow him all the time to actually see something. Either walk in place, or you could let him walk in a smooth cicle. This would also work, because then you have a complete repeatable walkcycle, which we will need anyway. When this sample is so short that it jumps, then you can't really judge wether the repeat is smooth, which is also important for a complete walk cycle.

[Macsen]

Nice animation, looks very natural. But what's going on with th chainmail between his legs there? There's some kind of glitch.

[Domarius]

Yeah I know - I have PMed oDDity about how to pose clothing - I dont know how to yet.

 

@SPar - if I get the camera following him - it will be a continuous and seamless cycle of him walking on the spot as if on a treadmill.

[oDDity]

It's too fast. A patroling guard wouldn't walk anywhere near that speed.

That guy looks like he's in a real hurry, just not important enough to run.

I already did a slow patrol walk which is already int he game.

[pakmannen]

I kinda like the fast walk though. It might be hard to catch up with him I guess, but isn't that a good thing?

Maybe the elite guards should move quicker than normal guards?

[oDDity]

They're meant to be patrolling, keeping an eye out, not marching.

[Domarius]

You're right about the speed. Maybe we could use it for someone else? A regular person on the street. I don't think I would use the default motion capture walk as it is in any situation, just looks too groovy.

[Springheel]

There's no reason we couldn't have two walking speeds. One for patrolling and one for going somewhere important. Not every AI the Thief meets is patrolling.

[Domarius]

Yeah I was thinking of this - there would be times when a guard is just walking and not patroling.

 

But programming the distinction between the two? I didn't meniton it because it complicates things a bit. Would they be patrol point settings? Actually that would probably be best.

[Domarius]

I already did a slow patrol walk which is already int he game.

This is another problem I have - I don't know what's already been done.

 

Would be good if we could grey out the items on the animation list in that other thread as they are done.

[Springheel]

What is the best way to organize which animations have been done? I can't just grey out 'walk' unless the same walk animation is being used for all our AI models. At the same time it might get unweildy to make separate lists for every AI, since some will be reusing animations.

[Macsen]

The speed could depend on where the guard is patrolling. He wouldn't trample around a mansion at that speed, but if he were crossing a bridge outside at night there would be little point for him to walk at a snail pace.

[Domarius]

What is the best way to organize which animations have been done? I can't just grey out 'walk' unless the same walk animation is being used for all our AI models. At the same time it might get unweildy to make separate lists for every AI, since some will be reusing animations.

Then there is nothing for it but to list anims seperate for the different characters. Guard walk, Noble female walk, etc.

 

We should only re-use generic anims between similar body types, eg. fat male walk, noble male walk, male guard patrol walk, all should be different, and so would female versions of each.

[Springheel]

Actually, for something basic like walking or running, is it possible to have two or three variations that are selected randomly for the AI? It looks a little strange when all the AI running at you are moving exactly the same. Maybe just slightly different speeds?

[Darkness_Falls]

I do detect some groove in this animation still -- mainly in the upper torso/head.

 

I agree w/ oDDity in that this appears to be a very determined gait. He doesn't care about his surroundings and is just going from Point A to Point B. Situations where it could be useful:

* Some civilians walking (like you said).

* Thugs (I can see a group of 2 or 3 thugs pretending they own the street walking like this).

* An off-duty guard, not caring about anything around him at all.

 

I can't see a regular guard using this walk, though. Too fast and too focused on his own thoughts or getting to Point B, rather than on his surroundings.

[sparhawk]

What is the best way to organize which animations have been done? I can't just grey out 'walk' unless the same walk animation is being used for all our AI models. At the same time it might get unweildy to make separate lists for every AI, since some will be reusing animations.

 

Obviosluy we need cross references. That's why I wanted to have a model tracking software that can cross reference so we can build our own hierarchy. Or you can make duplicates for all the AI groups that share some animations, but this will get rather unwieldy either.

[Springheel]

Yeah, it would be easiest if the animators (we really only have two) just posted a list of the animations they have completed as they finish them, along with which models they apply to.

[Domarius]

Well all I know is oDDity did that walk cycle, and I can see what MrDes has done by his thread. Is there anything else I should know?

[Springheel]

As far as I know, the only animations that have been applied are Oddity's: walk, run, draw sword, swing sword.

 

But we will need more than one run and walk cycle...we don't want all the models using the exact same movement speed.