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Hash, Inc. - Animation:Master

Running Man


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Man! I hope I don't have that expression on my face when I run.

 

But shouldn't his hips be bouncing up and down?

Yeah, maybe, but they do twist.

I thought about adding that, but didn't feel it was gonna add much to this particular motion.

 

 

Mike Fitz

www.3dartz.com

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Cute guy - and I like that his mouth is open but would like to see the mouth make motions as if it were huffing & puffing

It does change shape, but only slightly.

The shape goes between a "U" and a "W".

Hard to do the huff and puff in a cycle, as it repeats, it would look like he's breathign way too much and perhaps heart attack would follow?

 

Mike Fitz

www.3dartz.com

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I like it.

 

About the breathing, hips, and such. My dad has a video of me running in my conferance track meet (the big thing and by the way we won!) I was a sprinter, and when i watched the video, all that moved was my arms and legs, when someone runs fast enough, the motion carries them through and the hips don't move up or down.

 

When running, you are supposed to keep a loose jaw, that way you run faster ( I don't know why, thats what my coaches said) I found when i run, i grit my teeth, and breath heavily through them. That way i dont get to much air (so i dont passout or whatever), but i can exert alot of force in my running.

 

I don't think your going for a track sprinter look, but those are just some things to consider.

 

Looks cool

 

Ben

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when someone runs fast enough, the motion carries them through and the hips don't move up or down.

 

Ben, I'm really glad you said that!

That's exactly why I did not add the hip motion other than the twist.

 

Mike Fitz

www.3dartz.com

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Nice run cycle.

It looks to me like you might bump the whole arm cycle ahead just a frame or two. I had to go double check my Muybridge, but it looks like the arms should just slightly proceed the legs, as if providing the initial thrust. From what I can see you've got them timed exactly with the legs.

Also, he is so bulky up top I expect a little more up and down action as his legs react to all that mass.

 

Just my 2c.

 

Ben

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  • Hash Fellow
when someone runs fast enough, the motion carries them through and the hips don't move up or down.

 

Ben, I'm really glad you said that!

That's exactly why I did not add the hip motion other than the twist.

Lets see some reference footage in which someone is able to run at the pace this character is running without their hips ever changing distance from the ground.

 

Can't be done.

 

Even in the fastest run, it would be impossible to hold the hips at a constant height.

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Sir Robert, the hips do change height.....

I guess you just can't see it too clearly as it isn't that severe of a change....

But, that wasn't what we were talking about... we were talking about the left hip rising and right hip falling, then vice versa

right hip rising, left hip falling, like one would see in a walk cycle...

 

Mike Fitz

www.3dartz.com

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I noticed something I had to deal with in creating walk cycles:

 

If you do the three step cycle method, then the "seam" of the cycle when the right foot reaches the end of it's second step is noticable. If you are encountering a slight stutter or pause in the cycle when previewing it in a chor, then you could try looking at the first and last keyframes of every item keyed in the action and switch those to zero slope in the motion curve graph mode of the timeline.

 

That might help with this.

If you already do this, whether it works or not, then great.

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John Yeah, I usually do 2 thing.....1 just chop off the tail end if I am going to loop it.

say 0 to 60 in the action, play it out 0 to 59(You can do that in the prop window when in the chor, if you're looking for it)

2. hit the channels and zero slope the data.

 

very easy to get rid of the loop hicup...

I had this cycle play twice in this test and don't see the loop point....

 

Mike Fitz

www.3dartz.com

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It does change shape, but only slightly.

The shape goes between a "U" and a "W".

Hard to do the huff and puff in a cycle, as it repeats, it would look like he's breathign way too much and perhaps heart attack would follow?

 

I guess I was looking at this guy as if he were a TOON type character - I didn't think of him as real.

 

He would be ideally suited for exaggerated Toonerverse laws to control his motions - Yeah make him look like he's going to have a heart attack huffing and puffing, face turning red even ! - maybe exaggerate the hip movements in a stylistic way to go with his character - think Looney-Toons

 

Also for the mouth motion - put it into a separate action that could have its own timing and not be synced strictly to the run cycle - thus helping to eliminate the obviousness of a "cycle" and provide interesting variation. I've seen your faboulous mouth motion tests and it definitely looked like you could get a more obvious strained exertion expending expression

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He is suppose to be more toon than not!!!!

 

But I think one will get away with a nice mixture of both toon-erverse and universe laws:)

 

As far as the mouth huff and puff, that's probably how I'd do it, in a seperate action or

you know you can do that stuff directly in the choreography, if you select the model you can have the pose sliders pop up :)

 

Mike Fitz

www.3dartz.com

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ok i admit the hips move, but its very slight (for a track sprinter)

 

However, with this character, and how much mass is on top, i belive the hips would have to move. I did say though, that i didnt think he was going for a sprinter look.

 

Ben

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The upper mass actually wouldn't play into it as much as you would think.... I would think.

His legs are so small and hips are small to that his legs are not pushing anything out the way as he brings them up.

The only question is weather his legs are strong enough to absorb the shock of the upper body wieght coming down in the run cycle.

And sine he is quasi super hero.... my designs say he is strong enough that he would drop any further:)

But also, you guys can't see this cause I'm the only one with the model, his legs are so short, that any further down, his arse would be pretty close to the ground.

 

But I'm sure the cycle could be made with more of a drop and hip swaying and it might look just as good?

 

Mike Fitz

www.3dartz.com

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  • Hash Fellow

One element missing from this run is a truly extended leg at the end of the stride, pushing him forward. I think that's part of what gives me the sense that his legs are just keeping time below his body rather than supporting and propelling him.

 

However, it's not that you haven't communicated "Run" with this animation. No one's going to mistake it for a walk or a sneak. I just think you're missing the opportunity make him more substantial by giving him weight, inertia and momentum.

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I feel like the arm that is in the back always snaps a little too much when it changes its sway back to the front. It might be just in the character's right arm too, but it just moves too far over a couple frames making his arms swing not so smooth. Just what jumped out at me. Fun project though!

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Yeah, I put a pretty good snap in there.... communicates a touch of deliberate effort in the run.....

I think maybe with a motion blur it would look more appropriate.

 

Mike Fitz

www.3dartz.com

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