Simon Edmondson Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 I have a figure that needs to enter a room and walk across it diagonally to a lounger. I have used walk cycles and paths before but wanted to try it 'free form'. It is straightforward enough when the direction is perpendicular to the views but how do other people do it when it curves across those axis's ? Using the 2008 rig, would it be a good idea to constrain the body Null to a path and animate the limbs around that or animate it directly, without a path, using the birds eye view option to keep track of the positional and limb placements ? regards simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve392 Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 I find doing it stright out I get a bit lost ,maybe you could place a sphere or something small in the direction you want him to go as a referance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hash Fellow robcat2075 Posted August 30, 2012 Hash Fellow Share Posted August 30, 2012 For almost all walks it's really easier to animate each step directly rather than try to make a walk cycle work. Especially true for odd walks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Edmondson Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 I find doing it stright out I get a bit lost ,maybe you could place a sphere or something small in the direction you want him to go as a referance Steve Thank you for your reply. In the past I've used Nulls to get the feet positions and checked on the direction in the top view as I was going along. The difficulty with that is keeping track of the position of the bones as the figure moves across x/z space. ( hope I got that right ! ) It's fairly straightforward when the figure and bones are flat on to the view but, if the figure and joints are moving across the view at an angle to it then, for me at least, it becomes more difficult to get the correct position. I wondered if other people might have a more developed system than me to deal with it ? regards simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markw Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 This is a good vid from Robert on doing a walk freehand in the Chor. http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?s=&am...st&p=345732 Although its a robot the principles are much the same for all bipeds. Top view is useful for seeing if your character is still on track to its destination and I use Bird's Eye a lot too to check progress. But what can also help are "temporary" cameras that are constrained to aim at and move with the model so that you can always have a perfect side, back or front view if/when you need them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Edmondson Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 But what can also help are "temporary" cameras that are constrained to aim at and move with the model so that you can always have a perfect side, back or front view if/when you need them. Mark Thank you very much for the tip about the camera's and the link to rob's vid. I shall link up the cameras tonight. regards Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Edmondson Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 Following on from Mark's suggestion about the cameras. For anyone else interested in the technique (?) I've setup a camera pointed at the front of the figure and constrained to it with an 'Orient like, and 'Translate to' constraints. added another camera with the same constraints, pointed at the side view. Will try to animate with it tomorrow. regards simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve392 Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Sounds a good idea hope you will keep us informed on your progress as I would lik,e to try it myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hash Fellow robcat2075 Posted August 31, 2012 Hash Fellow Share Posted August 31, 2012 In the objects folder your off-kilter cameras can be set to Type>Orthogonal so they have the same flat perspective as the default front/side/top views have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Edmondson Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 In the objects folder your off-kilter cameras can be set to Type>Orthogonal so they have the same flat perspective as the default front/side/top views have. Rob Thank you for that tip. I was unaware that was a possibility. Have just corrected it, having been working with the perspective option this afternoon. regards simon One irritation is that the scale of the view shifts as you switch back and forth between cameras so you have to readjust each time. .. Don't know if thats a Mac glitch or more common ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hash Fellow robcat2075 Posted August 31, 2012 Hash Fellow Share Posted August 31, 2012 One irritation is that the scale of the view shifts as you switch back and forth between cameras so you have to readjust each time. .. Don't know if thats a Mac glitch or more common ? A true camera in the Chor should always revert to a full view of whatever its frame has been pointed at when you return to it, unlike the default front/top/side views which "remembers" the zoom setting you last used it at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Edmondson Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 A true camera in the Chor should always revert to a full view of whatever its frame has been pointed at when you return to it, unlike the default front/top/side views which "remembers" the zoom setting you last used it at. Rob Just found you can set the field of view parameters with the orthogonal camera and, as you say, that has fixed the problem. Phew ! regards simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Edmondson Posted September 3, 2012 Author Share Posted September 3, 2012 Here is a wireframe of the walk. I think its going to be completely redone as the hand/arm moves are too large for what I wanted . Scene_Five.mov This is the setup in the chor Its still a work in progress I guess. regards simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hash Fellow robcat2075 Posted September 3, 2012 Hash Fellow Share Posted September 3, 2012 In my screencam vids (link in my signature) on walks there is discussion of how the foot lifts when it is being brought forward to the next step. That would help reduce the shuffling look you character has. (Those videos were specifically about a walk we were doing for TWO, where a walk action was manually repeated in the chor rather than used on a path, but the essential motions of walks will still apply) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Edmondson Posted September 3, 2012 Author Share Posted September 3, 2012 In my screencam vids (link in my signature) on walks there is discussion of how the foot lifts when it is being brought forward to the next step. That would help reduce the shuffling look you character has. (Those videos were specifically about a walk we were doing for TWO, where a walk action was manually repeated in the chor rather than used on a path, but the essential motions of walks will still apply) Robert I was just reworking the whole walk when I saw your message. I'm dLing the Tuts now. I spent a large part of Saturday afternoon at the seafront watching people walk by I was surprised by how much some people swing their arms, even when walking fairly slowly. A rather portly bloke went by, walking quite briskly for his size and his forearms were almost horizontal, with his elbows beyond the navel. The main thing that surprised me was that people seem to swing the arms around the hips, increasing their personal space, while swinging backwards and forwards. I'll try again next weekend too... regards Simon Ps Has the stuff arrived ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 Simon, those are some good observational tips re: watching people walk by! Also wanted to add, though you may know this already, you can click through all the cameras in your scene with the numpad 1 key. A big time saver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hash Fellow robcat2075 Posted September 3, 2012 Hash Fellow Share Posted September 3, 2012 Here's a screencam I did as a "dress-rehearsal" for a walk tutorial. I haven't "released" it because I decided i could do better on the essential concepts but until I get around to doing better, it may be helpful. This tut addresses making a conventional walk cycle that we put on a path, but the physical mechanics of how bodies walk and what the main poses are for animation are still valid for walks that are directly animated in the Chor BasicPoseToPoseWalkH250_Part_1.mov BasicPoseToPoseWalkH250_Part_2.mov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Edmondson Posted September 3, 2012 Author Share Posted September 3, 2012 Simon, those are some good observational tips re: watching people walk by! Also wanted to add, though you may know this already, you can click through all the cameras in your scene with the numpad 1 key. A big time saver. Gerry Thank you for the input. I've been working on the revised walk ( again ) and will try to post it later. I live in a fairly rural area and don't get a lot of footfall going past my window, so was quite focused at the seafront. The problem was it carried over as I was going around the supermarket later and forgot what I'd gone in for ! coming out with lots of other secondary stuff. I was reminded of two things, the Dancer and choreographer Merce Cunnigham habitually watched people walking to note the variety thereof and, a very shortsighted person I once knew ( she couldn't see any detail beyond about 6 feet ) told me she recognised her friends by their walk as she and they went along the street. I hope to get to that point with the characters but it might t take a while. Just remembered, one of my fave characters, the Pink Panther, used to hop every few steps... regards simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Edmondson Posted September 3, 2012 Author Share Posted September 3, 2012 Robert Thank you as ever for the videos. I will watch them later this afternoon. regards simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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