Jump to content
The Dark Mod Forums

Domarius Patrol animation


Domarius

Recommended Posts

There's quite a few problems with it. Walks are hard, perhaps the hardest animation we have to do.

It's generally too mechanical.

The timing in the legs is off. When he lifts the back foot, it springs forward way too fast, the action should be much smoother throughout.

Same wiht the arms, there are fast secitons and slow sections, they spring back and then stop moving.

The actions of both should be smoother.

Also, the up and down is wrong. The lowest point should be just after the front leg contacts the floor, but you have the lowest point in the split position, and he actually starts to raise up after the front foot contact.

Also, there's a little sharp nod in the head halfway through the animation.

I still haven't done a walk I'm really happy with either.

Civillisation will not attain perfection until the last stone, from the last church, falls on the last priest.

- Emil Zola

 

character models site

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also, the up and down is wrong. The lowest point should be just after the front leg contacts the floor, but you have the lowest point in the split position, and he actually starts to raise up after the front foot contact.

How do you mean? In the reference vid, my brother falls onto his heel after sticking his foot out, so the body is at its lowest point. Then it starts to raise up after his foot makes contact, it makes sense cause the leg is sticking out the front and then goes under so the body goes up.

 

The timing in the legs is off. When he lifts the back foot, it springs forward way too fast, the action should be much smoother throughout.
Well I tried to copy the motion from the vid. The foot swings forward very quickly after leaving the ground.

 

Same wiht the arms, there are fast secitons and slow sections, they spring back and then stop moving.

The actions of both should be smoother.

I can see a bit of funny movement there that I can fix.

 

Also, there's a little sharp nod in the head halfway through the animation.
Well there's some head bobbing, is it really that sharp though? It bobs with each step, not just halfway through.

 

The reference vids;

http://208.49.149.118/TheDarkMod/movies/an...erate_front.avi

http://208.49.149.118/TheDarkMod/movies/an...gerate_pers.avi

http://208.49.149.118/TheDarkMod/movies/an...gerate_side.avi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The highest head position should be just before you drop to the front leg, and lowest as you put all your weight on that leg.

One of the things the old animators noticed when they tried to copy walks from movie footage, is that they didn't work as animations, they floated, and the timing looked bad, so don't try to copy the video too much, combine it with some basic walk animation principals as well.

The leg spacing is definitely a lot smoother in the reference vid, you have left too little time for the foot-in-air phase.

That nod is going to look very pronoucned when you see in in the actual walk. No one nods their head like that, it's actually more of a flick then a nod.

Civillisation will not attain perfection until the last stone, from the last church, falls on the last priest.

- Emil Zola

 

character models site

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree about the boots, is that gonna change?

 

Front of the boot caves in a bit too. That might be solved by turning an edge, I'd have to see the polys though.

I think the hips had a couple edges around the trim that could be turned too, there is some flickering going on.

Dark is the sway that mows like a harvest

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The highest head position should be just before you drop to the front leg, and lowest as you put all your weight on that leg.

One of the things the old animators noticed when they tried to copy walks from movie footage, is that they didn't work as animations, they floated, and the timing looked bad, so don't try to copy the video too much, combine it with some basic walk animation principals as well.

Ah I see what you're saying. Yeah I did read about the "weight" sinking after the foot hitting the ground, and I also know you have to exagerate some things in animation for it to begin to feel right.

 

However if he moves downward with his leg already planted in the ground, it's going to bend his knee. Surely this is going to pop the knee out and look stupid?

 

I'm going to experiment with the other points you made.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've already fixed the boots on the city watch, and I'll be doing this one as well. I originally made the boots oversized to offset the perspective distortion in doom, but in most situations you don't get that so they look too big.

 

Moving the whole body downward after the front foot is planted is the thing that gives the character weight. Remember the whole 200+ pounds of him is hitting that knee, and you do have to exaggerate things slighting in animation, but the up and down movement in real people is usually quite little.

Ideally you want a dead straight front leg just before he plants it, and then the bend right after, giving the maximum contrast.

IK popping is the bane of this process so you just kind of have to work around it, even if it means slight adjustments on each frame.

 

This is the more casual walk I'm working on and you can see the leg is thrown forward to a straight position, and the the sight dip and bend as it plants.

http://www.pixelwerks.be/pictures/walkt.avi

Civillisation will not attain perfection until the last stone, from the last church, falls on the last priest.

- Emil Zola

 

character models site

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had another go and took into consideration all the points you mentioned.

http://208.49.149.118/TheDarkMod/movies/Do...ol2_pers_x3.avi

Is this an improvement?

 

When his foot is in the contact position it's taking too long before it's flat on the ground. I usually take at least 2 frames to make the rotation. I would rotate the feet some more right after they take of the ground. I think this will give you the right speed of the feet moving forward. Check the move transformation curve (Z-axis ??) of the feet. When it first contacts the ground untill the point it lifts off it should be a straight line.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, I will take a look at that. Do you think it's an improvement over the previous one?

 

@Dram - thanks, it's reassuring to have confirmations from a variety of people. The goal is to please most people most of the time.

 

 

I think it's good if we all do a walk cycle and bounce feedback off each other, no matter if they're all used or not. I think walk cycles are to animation as nude figures are to illustration.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, I will take a look at that. Do you think it's an improvement over the previous one?

 

yeah it looks better.. it still looks like he's floating but your getting closer ;)

Once you know how a body moves and how to add weight to your movements it will definitly improve your view and skills on animation.

 

Are you creating a set of animations for his character? I am, because i think in the end we have more to choose from for our characters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah so you think he's floating too much, I'll focus on that.

 

I don't know what will happen and don't really care for now - I'm using this as an exercise.

 

We will have more to choose from if they are different enough. But if one is just "better" than the others, people will keep choosing that, and I'm prepared for it to not be mine, that's why I just see it as an exercise.

 

Ideally after this I'll be able to do useful ones.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

An animator at work said the reason he looks like he's floating is because the front foot isn't reacting with the back foot properly.

 

The angle of the foot is correct in mid air at one point, but as it approaches the ground, even though the front heel hits the ground at the right time, the toes need to be closer to the ground at that point, so that its almost instantly landing flat but not quite.

 

And then by the time the back foot is on its toes, the front foot is definetly flat by then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yes that's right. It looks like he's walking on his heels instead of using his whole foot at the contact pose to push forward. In the image below from The Animators survival kit you see a complete walkcycle which shows below a bit exaggerated hip movement going up and down but this shows the poses and inbetweens pretty clear.

 

what i miss in your current cycle is the feeling of snapping his foot on the ground right after the contact pose. I may have said it earlier but right after the contact pose you can take 2 frames before he rotates his whole foot flat on the ground. Even if that looks slow you can try 1 frame.

post-322-1200405742_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I don't know how many times this has been mentioned but we're using the regular citywatch for the animation base, not the elite. Another issue is that your animations face the z axis when they need to face the x axis. Thus your animations are rotated to the right 90 degrees.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Petike the Taffer

      I've finally managed to log in to The Dark Mod Wiki. I'm back in the saddle and before the holidays start in full, I'll be adding a few new FM articles and doing other updates. Written in Stone is already done.
      · 4 replies
    • nbohr1more

      TDM 15th Anniversary Contest is now active! Please declare your participation: https://forums.thedarkmod.com/index.php?/topic/22413-the-dark-mod-15th-anniversary-contest-entry-thread/
       
      · 0 replies
    • JackFarmer

      @TheUnbeholden
      You cannot receive PMs. Could you please be so kind and check your mailbox if it is full (or maybe you switched off the function)?
      · 1 reply
    • OrbWeaver

      I like the new frob highlight but it would nice if it was less "flickery" while moving over objects (especially barred metal doors).
      · 4 replies
    • nbohr1more

      Please vote in the 15th Anniversary Contest Theme Poll
       
      · 0 replies
×
×
  • Create New...