Cartoon Ani

# 1 23-05-2006 , 03:23 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Mar 2006

Location: Washington, DC

Posts: 195

This might be a bit of a leap but I really want to get into animation. So I am trying to make a neighborhoodesque type chartoon with the character I made a while back (https://forum.simplymaya.com/showthre...threadid=20902). This scene I'm making now is a little intro for the chartoon, he'll make/eat breakfast and then he will hear his window break and look up and see a ball on the kitchen counter and two boys peering through, with a baseballl bat smiling nervously.

I made this quick playblast just to see how my rigging went and to see how he looked in the scene: Playblast

Some quick renders of the scene still a wip

user added image

Last edited by Eldwick; 23-05-2006 at 03:52 PM.

Quote

# 2 23-05-2006 , 07:56 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2006

Posts: 9

possible suggestions right now, see what the doorand window would look like with a frame on it, something to make it seem like a door and a window instead of just a hole cut into the walls.

other then that, the only other thing is that it all looks offscale, somethings are huge (table, chairs, fridge) while the counter is really low and the cupboards seem to be up really high.

what does it look like with the character in the scene? might make the scaling seem better if it's compared to the character.

Quote

# 3 23-05-2006 , 10:09 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Mar 2006

Location: Washington, DC

Posts: 195

Thanks for the advise here is a revised kitchen:
user added image

Quote

# 4 23-05-2006 , 11:52 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2003

Location: New York, USA

Posts: 1,945

i agree about the scaling. The cupboards are way too high .counters too low. fridge looks a little small to me aswell...

________________________
AIM: SublimeDragon33
Catch me if i'm on. Always up for a chat.
e-mail: sublimedragon33@gmail.com

Quote

# 5 25-05-2006 , 01:11 AM

Subscriber
Join Date: Sep 2004

Location: Queens, New York City

Posts: 367

I was wondering how you've been doing with that character of yours! Your background is coming along nicely! My only suggestion is to try a different texture for the sink area. It looks a bit "outsized" for marble (or faux marble). I really like the wood finish on your table, however!

My comments are mainly aimed at your playblast. Even if the character has that "zombie" stare (as many of us do in the morning), you should have his head move up and down a bit as he walks. Never settle for the "default" curves! WAY too mechanical! Play around with the curves in the Graph Editor. It WILL become your best friend if you take the time to learn how to use it now! Otherwise, I like the way the character came out in the end!

Keep at it and keep us all posted! :-)

"Ad astra per aspera..."

Quote

# 6 25-05-2006 , 02:21 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Mar 2006

Location: Washington, DC

Posts: 195

Okay I havn't worked on this yet, have been modeling some other characters, but here is my first attempt at a walk cycle I used in the previous playblast. Walk Cycle

I have no idea how to use the graph editor well, I normaly just turn off all the easing that it does. But I also want to learn how to use the Trax editor, does anyone suggest the one digital tutors just released?

Last edited by Eldwick; 25-05-2006 at 08:14 PM.

Quote

# 7 26-05-2006 , 07:21 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2004

Location: Cleveland, Ohio (USA)

Posts: 1,541

from my experience, the trax editor is better for moving keyframes around in order to get timing right with different objects... at the same time, the graph editor can do the same, but instead of moving keyframes (although you can do that too) it helps alter the ease-in and ease-out of each motion. if you think a motion is going too fast or too slow you can alter the actual rate of movement in the same amount of time instead of moving the keyframes and making said action take less time or more time. originally when i would edit in the graph editor i would turn off all tangent weights and watch the animation, then turn them back on per keyframe to adjust the build-up or slow-down of a motion. it's like imagining a pitcher on the mound or a car at a starting line in the fast and the furious... they each start up with a slow motion and then as they reach the end of their movement they get faster and faster... that would be something to use the graph editor for. the trax editor would be best used for moving keyframes of one (or several) objects because they don't take enough time or take too long to complete their motion. although this is just how i used the different editors, i'm sure others in the forums would be able to give you greater insight to the positives and negatives for both the graph and trax editor.

anyone care to add to or correct my statement?

Accept no substitutions.

Quote