Cyclist passed by Fast Car

3deeguy · Post by **3deeguy** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 12:06 am

I hope forum members find this video interesting. The subjects move toward the camera. My background is empty because I haven't mastered everything I wanted to animate yet. (Distant poles caught up with foreground poles). Thanks to slowtiger for teaching me the techniques.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLZFNZh0rA4

GCharb · Post by **GCharb** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 12:36 am

Good work!

Looks like something that comes from the animator survival kit, which I recommend greatly!

neeters_guy · Post by **neeters_guy** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 2:53 am

The horizon line appears to be at cyclist's eye level. If that's the case then the car is either very small or the cyclist is very tall. If I may, I've taken liberty of marking up a screen shot:

A good rule of perspective (I learned this from the Loomis books) is to hang objects off the horizon line at the same height.

Anyway, hope you don't mind the crit. This vid and your other works show a lot of promise.

Poptoogi · Post by **Poptoogi** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 2:56 am

Very nice 3DEE!!!
I love watching videos of test work and trial an error stuff. Mainly because it's a visual record of what people have learned and how they progress. I think every time I come across an artist of any kind, animator, musician athlete ect. I always try to find their earlier works! It fascinates me to no end! I could spend all day just looking at concept art! I have a ton of animations like this one; testing movements, techniques and appearance and I save them all to look over again and again! Thanks for sharing!!

GCharb · Post by **GCharb** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 3:17 am

I proposed a perspective grid as a new feature, this would be useful for that kind of work.

neeters_guy · Post by **neeters_guy** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:22 am

Of course, the inimitable slowtiger posted one here:

A perspektive grid for bakgrounds etc

3deeguy · Post by **3deeguy** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 1:28 pm

I study the work of everyone that's replied so far and I'm working hard to learn the art of animation and AS.
What other animators think matters to me. I'm learning most of what I know through this forum.
neeters_guy demonstrated a flaw in my reasoning when I assumed "If I make the car fast, the viewer won't have time to see all the details."
I now realize that even the untrained eye may 'sense' that something is not quite right. Lesson learned.
I'm interested especially in animation that moves toward and away from the camera and I read anything I can find on the subject.

GCharb · Post by **GCharb** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 2:27 pm

neeters_guy wrote:Of course, the inimitable slowtiger posted one here:

A perspektive grid for bakgrounds etc

I was thinking more in the line of these.

As a new type of grids where you could snap to perspective and animate on them!

The one by tiger does not seem very usable to be honest!

drumlug13 · Post by **drumlug13** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 3:16 pm

3D, I too am on the Animation and AS Crash course trying to learn all that I can. One of the most common pieces of advice from the pro and more advanced animators has been to study Preston Blair's animation book and "The Animator's Survival Kit" by Richard Williams.

I'm about halfway through the Williams book right now and I was just reading about the exact perspective issue you're discussing, and just exactly how important the object spacing is.

Although I've been drawing my entire life I've only been animating for a few months atnd putting things in motion makes it a whole new ball game.

This book looks to prove invaluable indeed.

http://www.amazon.com/Animators-Surviva ... 952&sr=8-1

3deeguy · Post by **3deeguy** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 4:12 pm

GCharb, can you upload those files? I can use them.

slowtiger explained something essential; 'Objects appear to recede more slowly as they get farther away.' (paraphrase).

For example, you could have an object that moves to the vanishing point in five seconds in 1/2 second increments. The guide used for this could be represented by a line that is crossed by ten short lines that are drawn progressively closer together. This is used with the translation tool.
The second guide is used with the scaling tool for perspective. It is represented by lines that merge at the vanishing point.

In my clip, each of the 'yellow lines' in the road move from the vanishing point to the foreground in seven seconds in 1/2 second increments. I made a key every twelve frames for a total of fourteen. At every key I translated and rescaled. I then created an absolute cycle.

Once I was happy with the first 'line' I duplicated the layer and shifted it 12 frames to the right. (Test and re-do)

I then duplicated line #2 and so on for a total of fourteen cycled 'lines'.

GCharb · Post by **GCharb** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 4:15 pm

I offered myself a gift last christmas, the animator survival kit on dvd, 16 dvd with lectures from 30-45 minutes on each.

Every morning I watch a lecture, and I pay close attention, even though I've seen them many many times.

If you can afford these, I suggest you get them!

http://www.theanimatorssurvivalkit.com

drumlug13 · Post by **drumlug13** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 4:25 pm

I'm waiting to win the lottory before I buy the DVD's. I've watched a bunch of the clips of the lectures on Youtube. It does look awesome

3deeguy · Post by **3deeguy** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 4:42 pm

GCharb, You're right. I want a set of those DVDs but I may have to wait until Christmas.

GCharb · Post by **GCharb** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 4:55 pm

It is a great set, but you basically get the same information from the book.

But o have it live is a great plus, also, they are short enough to watch one of each each day, and every time I watch one, I see or at least digest one or two principles.

Cyclist passed by Fast Car

Cyclist passed by Fast Car

:)