Animation Evaluations

[Springheel]

In an attempt to get a handle on our animations, I've decided to create a list of all the animations currently applied to the citywatch model (and similar models). I've also given them a rating based on my opinion of their usefulness.

 

Hopefully this will give our animations some sense of direction and help us keep track of what we've already got working.

 

** Currently ALL animations have problems with the hands--they are either twisted or dead-looking **

 

(This post is still WIP--just getting things posted, will organize later)

 

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cough1

Description: An idle animation; guard coughs into hands.

 

cower

Description: A panic response; AI hunches over and hides face.

 

death1

Description: AI teeters and falls backwards.

Evaluation:

 

death2

Description: AI teeters and falls forwards to the ground

Evaluation: Needs to end earlier so ragdoll can take over, otherwise serious clipping into geometry could occur.

 

 

draw

Description: An AI draws a weapon from his left hip.

 

failedKO

Description: AI stumbles forward a step as if hit from behind.

 

 

failedKO2

Description: AI stumbles forward a step as if hit from behind (mostly similar to previous).

 

 

Ready For Use

(good enough to be used as is)

 

 

 

 

 

Passable But Needs Tweaking

Not great, but good enough if there is no time to fix/replace them

 

 

bow_fire

Description: AI draws an arrow from their back, knocks, and fires.

Evaluation: Movements are stiff. The arm holding the bow bends at the elbow, which it shouldn't. The animation is also very fast, and needs a delay between knocking and firing the bow.

[New Horizon]

On the dance topic. Indeed, it would be far better if he did a little jig.

[Springheel]

Hmm, looks like there's an image limit--I'll have to break this up.

 

 

get_up

Description: AI gets up from a sitting position.

Evaluation: No problems.

 

 

idle_drunk

Description: AI standing idly, swaying back and forth.

 

 

 

Unusable in Present State

Not good enough to be used; needs to be redone or scrapped

 

dance

Description: The AI does 'the twist', slowly.

Evaluation: Extremely stiff and unnatural looking, and kind of pointless...why do we need this? Recommend removal

 

flip

Description: AI does a jump into the air and flips around, slowly.

Evaluation: Very stiff and unrealistic, and totally unnecessary--recommend removal

[Domarius]

From memory, the dance and flip were ones ascottk just put in while mucking around. Well the flip I remember seeing in a video he posted, not specifically the dance, but I'm assuming it's also just a muck around one.

[squill]

the failedKO and failedKO2 are basicly the same animations, the second is just a slight edited version of the first. I'll include a new version into the animation set i'm creating.

[Springheel]

Actually, one of those two isn't working properly--it jitters around fiercely. I'll have to check which one.

[Springheel]

From memory, the dance and flip were ones ascottk just put in while mucking around. Well the flip I remember seeing in a video he posted, not specifically the dance, but I'm assuming it's also just a muck around one

 

Yes, I seem to recall that as well. But since they're not really useable I don't think we need to be taking up disk space by applying them to all existing AI.

[Domarius]

Well yes I agree, I thought that would be insinuated by the "mucking around" term

[Ishtvan]

Keep in mind we need to meet the vital need of dancing zombies for easter eggs.

[greebo]

Speaking of the bowfire animation: how hard is it to make the animation last longer, especially before the archer releases the bow? Currently, they are firing arrows making Legolas look like a geriatric. For my tastes they should spend more time aiming before releasing the bow.

 

Is that easy to do?

[Springheel]

That's a good point. I'll add it to the list.

[ascottk]

From memory, the dance and flip were ones ascottk just put in while mucking around. Well the flip I remember seeing in a video he posted, not specifically the dance, but I'm assuming it's also just a muck around one.

Yup. I also included them in the test/animation map.

 

 

Yes, I seem to recall that as well. But since they're not really useable I don't think we need to be taking up disk space by applying them to all existing AI.

I wasn't sure which AI I was going to use. We could scrap it or improve it as an Easter Egg