Can you slow the walk down or increase the frame rate?
I only ask, because [to me] the walk cycle looks too fast and jerky, smoother would be better.
Yup I see the little jerk in there too. I tried to FBF then tween it but I guess my limitations with Animate caused something to go wrong. IT is 24 FPS.
I think I removed 2 frames jus to see how it looked, and forgot to add them back.
I saved a couple versions so maybe I can go back to where I just had him posed out and try it again.
No reason for the swf export, just seemed right.
Update: I just tried to export to FLV and when I try to view it, it says movie not loaded. Awe well guess it will have to wait for later.
Thanks for your feedback guys.
Ok I gave it another try. Thinking of making a multiplane in the bg if I could ever get past this walkcycle part.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiUbGYTKJCk
Feedback appreciated.
what frame rate are you using?
I still see some wierd artifacts sometimes.
Overall the legs are fine except for that (it is certainly a very fast walk, more like a power walk) but the arms look awkward in their position. If you want to swing the arms that much you have to get some elbow bend.
I’m using 24 fps, I know the arms need work. That should not be a big deal, but changing the speed is apparently impossible.
I tried adding another KF and it looks in slow motion.
yeah the speed really can’t be changed in a complex animation. I think a walk should be slower obviously. You need to plan it out when you start.
Does anybody else sometimes see artifacts in the legs when watching the video or is just me?
Yeah what do you mean by artifacts?
I dont know in flash I had walkcycles down to a science, but I guess I have to find what works here. This is good, cause eventually I will get it right and learn something.
like the previous frame still looks like it is partly there on the later frame (when it clearly it shouldn’t be and you haven’t designed it that way).
Ok Raider, I tried it again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSFdU-A68f8
I think this one is better. Not sure if it is to fast ( I honestly could not tell it was until I put this one up and compared it to the other one. )
I went back to basics, almost exactly the way I use to do it in flash, minus the editing individual frames where the tweens broke the parts apart.
I think I need to add more height to him the character when he is at his highest point. Right now he has almost a feminine walk but that’s ok getting the timing or pacing down and stopping the jerkiness is the priority.
One thing you may want to play with is the contact of the feet to the ground. The heel makes contact first and the rest of the foot (the ball of the foot) makes contact a bit later. Make this a stop-motion tween, that is really quick. It will be too quick to actually be “seen” but not to quick to be “felt” – This is the part of the walk where the weight of the body is transferred completely to the contact foot. By having some parts moving faster than others, you get a better rhythm and a bit more room to customize the walk to fit the character.
Hope that was clear. Good start for a walk cycle.
Good tip thanks. I am still a little confused about stop-motion tween and just motion tween in Animate. What is the difference? How do you when to use either of the 2?
Did you think the walk was to fast?
Wow I just did what you told me and you are right, you dont see it cause it’s to fast but you can feel it. Thanks
Regular motion Tween is like a ballet. Stop-motion Tween is like doing the “Robot” dance, or like Nightmare b4 Xmas or Coraline.
In the User’s Guide look up tweens and such. Try doing a walk cycle using just stop-motion tweens. You’ll have to make more keyframes and really be aware of timing, as Stop-Motion is like a light switch, it’s on then it’s turned off. Meaning that instead of an motion tween where the motion is interpolated from one key to the next, stop-motion will “hold” the position until the next keyframe, where it’ll change abruptly.
For “Joe Average” the walk cycle is okay. I feel that walk cycles should express the character’s personality. Once you have the cycle done, make a copy and have the character do a sad walk. Then an sneaky walk… and so on. How would the character walk with a broken arm? Would the other arm swing more or less to compensate?
Although common wisdom has it that something has to be on screen for 6 frames (@24fps), when it comes to motion, you can go to fewer frames for “impact.” Some of Tex Avery’s ‘takes’ were just rapid-fire and the extremes were held for just a few frames before settling down. Watching some of the old Warner Bros. cartoons in slow-mo (thank-you Tivo and DVRs!) or frame by frame can be a real illuminating experience.
I’ll shut up now. ;D
Glad I was able to help out.
Using my DVR to dissect some of the good cartoons of yesterday is something I am known for. However, as much as I have admired the work and studied it, I have learnt nothing. Timing and pacing has always kicked my arse. I have to find my SurvivalKit DVDs.
So set motion keyframe, and Stop-motion KF are 2 different type of tweens? That explains a few things.
Thanks again, I am off to try to get Anitmate 2 going.
Added some details to the feet and hands. The hands need another KF in thre somewhere.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhV5GCVGzz0
I like that walk much better. It feels much more like a walk.
The hands now look a bit wierd moving so much. I think they need to move a little less and you replace it with a little more elbow bend.
Thanks, the hands dont worry me at all that should be a piece of cake. Overall the main goal was to animate something in Animate. Finally, (atleast for a moment) we are talking about animating and not how to use Animate.
I was able to go in and make modifications according to what you suggested. That would have been impossible just a week ago.
Also, I just installed Animate2 and I gots to play with it.
Thanks for the help Raider. I am going over the Multiplane chapter, (since you didnt make yours :
I am going to one in the BG. Maybe a street or something.
I am going to make it, but there are too many people around the house cause of easter. As soon as easter finishes (Probably wednesday) I will do the multiplane.
I was just kidding BTW, but am looking foward to it. Thanks and happy easter.
I knew you didn’t mean it seriously, but I just wanted to point out i was committed to finishing up the scene (although it will be finished in animate 2 now).
I also might do a IK video of a chain. I really liked AP’s example in his video about a chain but didn’t go through making it. I am going to make it and see how long it takes me.
Now you’re talking! I think you can show us alot of stuff about puppet animation and setup that he did not cover cause you have more experience doing it.
Remember he is a FBF animator and had to learn the puppet thing just to show us how to do it. That would make this a good month of animation, Animate is released, AP made some tuts, TheRaider makes some Tuts.
I tried the morphing today and ended up with a flash like animation. Stuff was all over the place. First try though, and like everything else must stay persistent.