Animation Battle
 

The First Animation Battle

Information

The Animation Battle is an animation challenge where you are provided with a set up scene file that includes a free character rig, and key poses set at the start middle and end of the animation, your job is to fill in the blanks in between. You may also delete the set poses if you wish and create your own animation.

Rules

• You may alter the timing of the animation by scaling ALL the keyframes. The middle must remain in the middle.
• You may alter the length of the animation (currently set to 11 seconds).
• You may alter the set poses provided with the scene file.
• You may alter the action of the animation.
• You may add objects to the scene to help your animation.
• You MUST use the scene file provided.
• You can submit animations in any format, be it render or playblast, you will be judged on animation quality only.

Suggestions

You may do anything you want to the character during the animation, the set poses are there to give you an indication of what could be going on.

You may also add other characters to the scene if your animation calls for it, but emphasis must be on the main, provided character.

The Files

.MB File - http://www.robsanimate.co.uk/SimplyM...RunJump_MB.rar
.MA File - http://www.robsanimate.co.uk/SimplyM...RunJump_MA.rar

If you would like to participate feel free to set up your own topic in this forum titled as such:

Your name - Animation Battle #1

The Deadline

Final submissions should be made by Midnight GMT - Tuesday the 26th of August.

The Prize

The winner, as either voted for or chosen, will receive a video critique of their animation, demonstrating what could be improved and the good bits about the animation.

Most Importantly have fun and animate



[Edit] I forgot to mention, the Keyframes are currently stepped, this for me makes it easier for blocking, if you would like to change that just go into the graph editor, select the Blok character set and set the keyframes to your preferred output.

Reply in here or PM me if you have questions, comment or suggestions

thats cool, I wish I knew how to animate, haha

I'll probably have a bash at this one,

nice one Rob :)

Joopson, now is the time to get learning :p

Thanks Happymat, look forward to seeing you in this one.

I am going to re upload the files as I haven't put keyframes on all the controls on the key poses, which will cause the poses to change when you animate the controls in between.

• Files are now re uploaded and fixed, you can download these or simply fix yours if you have already downloaded, select all the controls on each keyframe and hit the s key to keyframe them all.

Love to take a wack at it, but the files are not opening for me. I am using Maya 8.5.

The .ma file should work for you rockymills, if not open it in notepad and on the top couple of lines it should say the version no. the file is, just change the two numbers to 8.5 in your case.

Chris

Rocky that is why I uploaded an .ma version too, I am using 2008 so for people that are using lower versions simply open the ma file in notepad and change the version number as Bendingiscool said.

Added a sort of prize for the winner

Haha, now THAT is a prize ;)

When I open the file in notepad I am seeing a bunch of 2008s
should I change all of them to 8.5 or the first one?
Here are the first few lines....
--------------------------------------------------------------
//Maya ASCII 2008 scene
//Name: Blok_RunJump.ma
//Last modified: Wed, Aug 13, 2008 09:30:51 AM
//Codeset: 1252
requires maya "2008";
currentUnit -l centimeter -a degree -t film;
fileInfo "application" "maya";
fileInfo "product" "Maya Unlimited 2008";
fileInfo "version" "2008";
fileInfo "cutIdentifier" "200708022245-704165";
fileInfo "osv" "Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (Build 2600)\n";
createNode transform -s -n "persp";
setAttr ".v" no;
setAttr ".t" -type
---------------------------------------------------------------

What to change exactly?

Im a noob, but Im pretty sure you only need to change this:

requires maya "2008";


to



requires maya "8.5";

I'm pretty sure that Maya 8.5 has the option to ignore version under File > Open options. This will allow the user to open Maya 2008 .mb files in Maya 2008.

Obviously if the Maya 2008 file contiains version specific commands (muscle systems etc.) then Maya 8.5 is not going to register them but for a simple scene like this there shouldn't be a problem.

ummm.... we have to keep the poses... those 3 poses?
why?

Well, I finally got it open. Thanks to all for the help. What happymat27 said worked, but it opened with couple errors. I can still see and interact with the rig and mesh.
I got two file read errors and an invalid -jointXray flag error. Hope its not too important.
I must say, thats a real complex rig you got set up. Way beyond what I am used to. The level of control and movement that can be achieved using this rig is mind blowing.:bow:
Now for the fun part, learning how to drive this bad boy.
I would love to know how to create rigs like this:attn:

RockyMills - Its not my rig, it is a free one found on highend3d called Blok, made by Jason Baskin.

LauriePriest - Yes you have to keep the base poses, I did this so as to introduce people who may have not animated before an idea of what poses to hit to tell the story.

You have 3 frames out of an unlimited number that are set, you can do anything you like with the rest.