Advanced Animation // Project 1
03.10.23 - .11.23 (Week 6 - Week 11)
Emelyne How Sok Hing (0352938)
Bachelor of Design (Hons) Creative Media
Advanced Animation // Project 1
Lectures
Week 6:
Walk Cycle Animation
We learned about the walk cycle all over again however this time it's applied to our 3D character.
Week 7:
We learned how to make our characters walk with flexibility, giving them a natural and fluid appearance. We learned how to use the graph to make the changes rather than using the tools. Using the graph is more precise and easier as well.
Week 9:
Jump Animation
This week, we talked about creating a jump animation, which is similar to what we learned in the animation fundamentals class, but now we're using a 3D character model. We had an in-depth explanation of how the body parts should rotate, bend and move according to the specific position.
Instructions
Week 6:
Project 1A: Walk Cycle Animation
This task requires us to apply what we learned previously for the walk cycle and use it to animate our 3D character. We need to do a vanilla walk and an attitude walk. We need to find some references as well in order to do it properly and get the right movements.
Week 8:
Vanilla Walk
I proceeded to do the task using the tutorial made by our lecturer. However, I didn't exaggerate the movements as much and I tried to make the character's walk less flowy and a bit more stiff and relaxed.
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| Figure 1.0 Process, 17th October 2023 |
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| Figure 1.1 Process, 18th October 2023 |
I faced some problems, but I figured them out. Dealing with the character was tough because there was a lot to do and double-check. Even though it might seem easier than drawing a walking animation, I still find this task tricky. It's important to do everything correctly so the animation looks smooth and not strange or too stiff.
Vanilla Walk Video
| Figure 1.2 Vanilla Walk, 21st October 2023 |
Visual References
For the attitude walk, I referred to this video since I found it quite detailed and easy to understand.
Link for the reference: https://youtu.be/8XDrUs5kMZI?t=17
Attitude Walk
I opted for a confident walk because it seemed easier compared to the other options. I didn't want to go for something very challenging since I'm not very confident in my abilities, and I believed it required more experience. My goal was to create something straightforward and nice-looking.
I followed my reference closely, making some moves a bit more dramatic while keeping them natural. To look confident, I widened the space between his feet, rotated them outward, puffed out his chest, swung his arms more vigorously, and tilted his head up.
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Attitude Walk Video
| Figure 1.4 Attitude Walk, 22nd October 2023 |
Project 1A: Walk Cycle Animation (Before feedbacks)
Here's the compilation of both videos as required. I used Adobe After Effects to compile both the PNGs and both videos.
| Figure 1.5 Project 1A: Walk Cycle Animation (Before feedbacks), 22nd October 2023 |
Week 9:
Project 1A: Walk Cycle Animation (After feedbacks)
I made the amendments and resolved the problem of my video being too slow. The slowdown was caused by a mistake I made when arranging the frames.
| Figure 1.6 Project 1A: Walk Cycle Animation (After feedbacks), 29th October 2023 |
Week 11:
Final Project 1A: Walk Cycle Animation (After feedbacks)
I took into consideration the feedbacks for the attitude walk and made the amendments.
Figure 1.7 Final Project 1A: Walk Cycle Animation (After feedbacks), 9th November 2023
Week 10:
Project 1B: Cartoon Jump Animation
In the next part of our project, we will make a jumping animation using the principles we learned before. The requirements for submitting are the same as in the first part.
Visual References
I selected this video as my reference because I've used it before in my animation fundamentals class, and I found it very helpful.
Progress
Creating the extreme poses for my jump animation posed some challenges, especially in balancing the hip and spine. I also had some issues with the graph, but I was able to adjust it based on our lecturer's instructions. Jump animation was faster to do compared to a walk cycle because it required fewer frames, but it was still quite challenging due to the complex poses.
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Week 11:
Project 1B: Cartoon Jump Animation (Before feedbacks)
Here's a peek at the cartoon jump animation I worked on. I'm aware that some parts might look awkward or not very smooth, and some areas could use more frames. Since I'm not sure how to fix these issues, I tend to reach out to my lecturer for additional feedbacks.
| Figure 1.9 Cartoon Jump Animation (Before feedbacks), 6th November 2023 |
Week 12:
Final Project 1B: Cartoon Jump Animation (After feedbacks)
After countless edits in the graph editor and adjustments to keyframes, here's the final outcome of my jump animation.
| Figure 2.0 Final Cartoon Jump Animation (After feedbacks), 19th November 2023 |
Feedbacks
Week 9:
Vanilla Walk
- Make the fingers less stiff.
- Rotate the right wrist so that it faces upwards when the arm goes up. Edit it using the graph.
Attitude Walk
- Rotate the knees outward.
- Adjust the hips and modify the distance between the feet and knees accordingly.
Week 11:
Vanilla Walk
- Looks good
Attitude Walk
- Adjust the feet and put it closer to the middle.
- Adjust the head so that it's looking straight.
- Adjust the arms so that it's more swift.
Jump cycle
- Adjust the hips first.
- Straighten the spine for a more natural look.
- Adjust the arms.
- The starting position might need more keyframes.
- Use the graph editor to improve overall animation flow.
Week 13:
Jump cycle
- The legs are ok
- The arms look a bit jerky.
Reflections
Week 6 - 8:
Animating Snow's walk turned out to be more challenging than I expected. It was often tricky to determine if his movements were smooth and natural, and I sometimes struggled with how much rotation to apply. The key was keeping everything looking natural. Once I understood how to use the graph editor, things got easier. Learning the graph editor was a bit tricky at times, but it ended up saving a lot of time. I'll use this knowledge in my future projects and remember the tricks I learned.
Week 10 - 12:
Creating the jump cycle turned out to be more challenging than I expected. I initially thought it would be easier than the walk cycle due to fewer frames, but I faced difficulties with the arms, legs, and their positions. The graph editor became my go-to tool, and I spent a considerable amount of time experimenting with it to troubleshoot issues. The process involved a lot of trial and error, with constant adjustments in the graph editor. It felt like a never-ending and exhausting task. Despite the challenges, this exercise taught me a great deal about editing curves in the graph. I encountered numerous issues and worked hard to find the best solution. In the end, while my animation may not be as perfectly smooth as I had hoped, I'm relieved that it turned out decent enough to pass. Every project is a learning experience, and this one served as a starting point for improvement.
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