time to get slaughtered : my first walk :P
 

hey all .. I am not much of a character animator, im much more into animating static objects and so.. also my main focus area is modeling.

Well I decided to take the first step into the world of character animation, so here I present to you all: My first walkcycle !

I know there are some things to be done, like the hands has to get animated, the feet too, and he is bouncing a little..

But overall .. how is this for a first walkscycle, made in a couple of hours ?
- what can be better ?

and I can take the heat, but please comment on the walk animation, - how is the timing in the walk etc.. do not comment the model.

Attached is a 193 kb zip with an avi of the walk.



kindly

For your first walk... its not bad mate......=)

The overall speed is good... and the arms are pretty good.

I like the head movement.. has a nice fun feel.



Things to look at...

1) He looks to be leaning back on his bum a bit as he walk. Try pulling his root or hip forward so that he is centered for the
whole walk.

2) His foot roll... the feet don't curl up enough when he goes to plant his foot forward... Just add a key about 2 frames before he plants his foot down with it up.
Also you might want to widen his step out a bit more, that would help with his root and bum not leaning back.

3) Shoulders need a bit more rotation form left to right, and maybe a bit more up and down movment.


Thats about it.. its really not bad for you first walk... Once you do more you wlll learn a lot of little tricks and timming issues.

Hope that helps


Kurt

walking can be described as a process of falling forward and catching oneself in a cycle. moving the root forward would be a good start - also you might want to tilt it a bit forward.

the arm might straighten out as it swings back. think of forward momentum. the best tool to work on a cycle in maya is the graph editor. obviously you have already been working with it but you might want to work more with the ideas of momentum and gravity in your head - eg. slowing the rise at the top and gathering speed in the fall, the impact of the foot hitting the ground and how that effects the rest of the body and in which order, how momentum effects limbs with joints like the leg and arm as they swing - the thigh swings forward and the shin reacts the opposite direction and as the thigh stops the shin/foot swing forward around the fulcrum of the knee. I'm not suggesting you should try and animate every one of these details but they are good things to keep in mind as you analyze the movement.

kurt's comment on the foot roll is right on - maybe think about the foot hitting the ground and then how it must change to conform to the ground as the body's weight passes over it on it's forward path.

Thanks alot guys :) now I have a bit more to work on and have stuff to keep in mind.

I have to redo the rig, cause the rig is not made for the feet to be animated.. Good points to think of - so thanks alot :) I am gonna try to remake it when I get some time for it - and will also make the feet to be animated :) ..