Frontal walk cycle ?
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Frontal walk cycle ?
Does anyone know how to do a frontal walk cycle in AS?Thanks.
With bones only it is no so easy. I would like to give to you a quick answer but I haven't. Perhaps it could be a good thing watch some clasic animation and see how the frontal walk is done. By point animation is the clasic way I think.
I'm researching in 3D points rotations thru bones rotations. It is a little complex but the result is good. Perhaps my 3D rig could be useful for a frontal walk. In fact I was thinking to apply the 3D rig to some kind of insect where the limbs can rotate in 3D.
you could have a look to "Tipss & Techniques" and search for some of my topics. They are a little hard to understand at first sight if you are new to the issue and did not follow the previous posts. But once you understand the basics it is not so difficult and could be used for several things.
Good luck.
Genete
I'm researching in 3D points rotations thru bones rotations. It is a little complex but the result is good. Perhaps my 3D rig could be useful for a frontal walk. In fact I was thinking to apply the 3D rig to some kind of insect where the limbs can rotate in 3D.
you could have a look to "Tipss & Techniques" and search for some of my topics. They are a little hard to understand at first sight if you are new to the issue and did not follow the previous posts. But once you understand the basics it is not so difficult and could be used for several things.
Good luck.
Genete
Front walk cycles are hard because you may have legs and arms that need to go in front and behind each other and the body.
Couple of ways to do that:
1. Use multiple copies of each body part and animate visibility.
2. Use depth ordering in the bone layer and animate a tiny change in the z-depth of these layers to change their order.
I recently started using the second one. I really like this technique since it doesn't require an extra layer. Double click the bone layer and select the "Depth sort" tab. Select "Order layers by depth" but don't select the second one (order by true depth).
On frame 0 set each layer that needs to change order and select the layer translation tool. At the top of the document window change the z translation to a very small number. I use .01, if it's any higher than that the layer will noticeably change "size" as it gets closer or further from the "camera".
Now on other frames when that layer needs to go behind all the others just key the translation (using "Step" interpolation) by typing in -.01 in the z translation.
If you look in the scripting section Rasheed has a pinned post near the top with a cool script for changing layer order based on bone positions. It's called "FlipByBones". If you feel confident with using a layer script and bones you could try that one.
Keying z-depth by hand is acceptable... some of us are very lazy and want all our key frames on the bone layer.
------
As far as how to animate this walk cycle, it depends on how you set it up. If you are using bones like I do, you can use bone scaling to make the legs and arms "shorten" due to perspective.
For instance a leg going back and bent at the knee... the calf will shorten and the foot will "get longer"... seen from the top. As the leg unbends and comes forward the calf lengthens, the foot "squishes" back and the thigh may shorten a bit.
All this depends on the type of walk it is. A slow casual walk won't have those extremes of motion. Subtle scaling of bones will do the trick. A fast walk or run will have a lot of foreshortening and extreme distortion of the bones of the legs and arms.
There are a lot of resources on the web for this if you do a search on "walk cycle".
-vern
Couple of ways to do that:
1. Use multiple copies of each body part and animate visibility.
2. Use depth ordering in the bone layer and animate a tiny change in the z-depth of these layers to change their order.
I recently started using the second one. I really like this technique since it doesn't require an extra layer. Double click the bone layer and select the "Depth sort" tab. Select "Order layers by depth" but don't select the second one (order by true depth).
On frame 0 set each layer that needs to change order and select the layer translation tool. At the top of the document window change the z translation to a very small number. I use .01, if it's any higher than that the layer will noticeably change "size" as it gets closer or further from the "camera".
Now on other frames when that layer needs to go behind all the others just key the translation (using "Step" interpolation) by typing in -.01 in the z translation.
If you look in the scripting section Rasheed has a pinned post near the top with a cool script for changing layer order based on bone positions. It's called "FlipByBones". If you feel confident with using a layer script and bones you could try that one.
Keying z-depth by hand is acceptable... some of us are very lazy and want all our key frames on the bone layer.
------
As far as how to animate this walk cycle, it depends on how you set it up. If you are using bones like I do, you can use bone scaling to make the legs and arms "shorten" due to perspective.
For instance a leg going back and bent at the knee... the calf will shorten and the foot will "get longer"... seen from the top. As the leg unbends and comes forward the calf lengthens, the foot "squishes" back and the thigh may shorten a bit.
All this depends on the type of walk it is. A slow casual walk won't have those extremes of motion. Subtle scaling of bones will do the trick. A fast walk or run will have a lot of foreshortening and extreme distortion of the bones of the legs and arms.
There are a lot of resources on the web for this if you do a search on "walk cycle".
-vern
Perhaps this could help...
http://amanoalzada.iespana.es/Mohostuff/frontwalk.swf
http://amanoalzada.iespana.es/Mohostuff/frontwalk.anme
Enjoy!!!
Genete
http://amanoalzada.iespana.es/Mohostuff/frontwalk.swf
http://amanoalzada.iespana.es/Mohostuff/frontwalk.anme
Enjoy!!!
Genete
I was thinking more of doing a side view and a top view as intermediate steps. The side view would be to create the walk cycle, and the top view to study the foreshortening. If you combine both as a reference, you would get the front view.
I think this actually boils down more to a drawing challenge than an implementation challenge. How does the perspective of your character change from when you draw him front the side to when you draw him from the front? If you have figured that out, the realization of the animation technically can either be done with layer switching or layer ordering. I personally think the latter is the easy part, while the former is the hardest to do.
Now, doing the top view as an intermediate drawing step would probably solve a lot of your drawing challenges when doing the walk cycle from the front.
Correction, doing the walk cycle from the bottom would actually be more productive, because then you can match up the feet touching the floor.
I think this actually boils down more to a drawing challenge than an implementation challenge. How does the perspective of your character change from when you draw him front the side to when you draw him from the front? If you have figured that out, the realization of the animation technically can either be done with layer switching or layer ordering. I personally think the latter is the easy part, while the former is the hardest to do.
Now, doing the top view as an intermediate drawing step would probably solve a lot of your drawing challenges when doing the walk cycle from the front.
Correction, doing the walk cycle from the bottom would actually be more productive, because then you can match up the feet touching the floor.
Hey...A chance for a free plug!!!
Here's a swf of a frontal walk cycle from my Wienertoonz V1 collection available from Content Paradise.
http://www.errolgray.com.au/WALK.swf
Cheers
D.K
Here's a swf of a frontal walk cycle from my Wienertoonz V1 collection available from Content Paradise.
http://www.errolgray.com.au/WALK.swf
Cheers
D.K
@Draw_Girl:
You can use my sample file as a guide and try to move your drawing in the same way. You can do it with switch layers for the important keyframes of the walk cycle. Or with bones and the scale tool as heyvern suggested. Or try to rig your character as I did in my example...
The main problem of other tecniques is that you always have a premade interpolation between frames of the vertical movement. That interpolatin could be smooth, linear or easy in/out. With my technique you obtain a vertical movement interpolation "as it were a real rotation of the leg". With only a keyframe you have a complete vertical movement interpolation. The result is that you have less keyframes and more control for the front view with my pseudo 3D rig. Yes, it is a little harder to set up but the result is great.
I spent about 1 hour to setup the sample file. But now I can make my sample legs to walk in any direction very easily!!!
@Rasheed:
Once I made the pseudo 3D rig I rotated it to SIDE position at frame 1, to perform the walk cycle. It is not so difficult using onionskin. Then once the walk cycle in the SIDE view is done I undo the rotation and obtain the front walk cycle. In my example I did not use the top view. In my opinion to perform the feet lock during walk cycle is better to do it with onionskin and the SIDE view.
Finally, there are more movements that have not been commented. The rotation of the hips in the front view and the vertical movement of the whole body (the hips also) through the walk cycle. I have to study them and post an example if reached.
Best.
Genete
You can use my sample file as a guide and try to move your drawing in the same way. You can do it with switch layers for the important keyframes of the walk cycle. Or with bones and the scale tool as heyvern suggested. Or try to rig your character as I did in my example...
The main problem of other tecniques is that you always have a premade interpolation between frames of the vertical movement. That interpolatin could be smooth, linear or easy in/out. With my technique you obtain a vertical movement interpolation "as it were a real rotation of the leg". With only a keyframe you have a complete vertical movement interpolation. The result is that you have less keyframes and more control for the front view with my pseudo 3D rig. Yes, it is a little harder to set up but the result is great.
I spent about 1 hour to setup the sample file. But now I can make my sample legs to walk in any direction very easily!!!
@Rasheed:
Once I made the pseudo 3D rig I rotated it to SIDE position at frame 1, to perform the walk cycle. It is not so difficult using onionskin. Then once the walk cycle in the SIDE view is done I undo the rotation and obtain the front walk cycle. In my example I did not use the top view. In my opinion to perform the feet lock during walk cycle is better to do it with onionskin and the SIDE view.
Finally, there are more movements that have not been commented. The rotation of the hips in the front view and the vertical movement of the whole body (the hips also) through the walk cycle. I have to study them and post an example if reached.
Best.
Genete
Great frontal walk cycle D.K.DK wrote:Hey...A chance for a free plug!!!
Here's a swf of a frontal walk cycle from my Wienertoonz V1 collection available from Content Paradise.
http://www.errolgray.com.au/WALK.swf
Cheers
D.K
How did you do it? Point motion? Bones motion? Switch layers?
Ok, I will study your file closely. Nice walk cycle,DK!Genete wrote:@Draw_Girl:
You can use my sample file as a guide and try to move your drawing in the same way. You can do it with switch layers for the important keyframes of the walk cycle. Or with bones and the scale tool as heyvern suggested. Or try to rig your character as I did in my example...
The main problem of other tecniques is that you always have a premade interpolation between frames of the vertical movement. That interpolatin could be smooth, linear or easy in/out. With my technique you obtain a vertical movement interpolation "as it were a real rotation of the leg". With only a keyframe you have a complete vertical movement interpolation. The result is that you have less keyframes and more control for the front view with my pseudo 3D rig. Yes, it is a little harder to set up but the result is great.
I spent about 1 hour to setup the sample file. But now I can make my sample legs to walk in any direction very easily!!!
@Rasheed:
Once I made the pseudo 3D rig I rotated it to SIDE position at frame 1, to perform the walk cycle. It is not so difficult using onionskin. Then once the walk cycle in the SIDE view is done I undo the rotation and obtain the front walk cycle. In my example I did not use the top view. In my opinion to perform the feet lock during walk cycle is better to do it with onionskin and the SIDE view.
Finally, there are more movements that have not been commented. The rotation of the hips in the front view and the vertical movement of the whole body (the hips also) through the walk cycle. I have to study them and post an example if reached.
Best.
Genete
Re: Frontal walk cycle ?
Here's a front walk cycle I did in AS after reading your request. It's a point motion.Draw_Girl wrote:Does anyone know how to do a frontal walk cycle in AS?Thanks.
Here's a flash view of it. http://homepage.mac.com/rplate/Sites/frontWalk.swf
AND
Here's the anime file if anyone is interested.
http://homepage.mac.com/rplate/Sites/frontwalk.zip
If you would rather use bones and switches I'm sure you could easily adapt it.
It's just one cycle so keyframes would have to be copied and pasted for a longer walk.
EDIT
You're right lordstok, I missed that lefthand behind the body but I fixed it and I also fixed the zip file if anyone downloaded it before I fixed it. Otherwise go in and fix frames 9_13 left hand by draging the dots even with the body line.
I hope this helps Draw_Girl
Cheers
Last edited by rplate on Sat Feb 17, 2007 3:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
