AS Walk Cycle – Intros

The Brief – We have been tasked to create 3 walk cycles, a walk cycle, a run cycle and a body mechanics motion. This can be done in either 2D or 3D.

Notes from Sarah’s lecture

• Analyse 101 Dalmatian walk cycle 
• Successful walk cycles involve understand of the mechanics of an action, acute observation of life and a basic awareness of physics
• Used to add personality, age, mood, attitude
• A walk is basically a fall and a catch
• Biggest issue with walk cycles is lack of weight or reaction to gravity
• Basic walk cycle is – contact, recoil, passing, high point
• Contact is the feet touching the ground
• Recoil is the shift of weight
• Passing is where legs are passing
• High point is highest point where legs have passed
• In a walk cycle the spacing and timing between key poses is known as the tempo

 

101 Dalmatians Walk Cycles

• 1st person – slouched, slow moving, unbothered
• 2nd person – straight backed, head held high, quick shoulder movement, pride
• Child with puppy – bouncy walk, shows youth, relaxed shoulders and arms

 

Alan Becker – Animating Walk Cycles

 

• ‘A walk cycle is a looping animation of a walking character’
• It’s better to move the background than the character, so if you can animate in place 
• When animating from the from draw the up and down poses first as they are the most distinguishable 
• Adding personality can be done by timing, position and offset

 

7 Common mistakes when making a walk cycle

1. Phases – don’t let the same arm and same leg swing at the same time. Good walk animation is the leg moving forward, with the opposite arm swinging forward.
2. Simultaneous Movement – there is lag between limbs, arms and legs shouldn’t move at the exact same time.
3. If you are moving the character from A to B with a static background, do not do it in a looped movement
4. Do not under exaggerate up and down movement
5. Do not make a step and just copy and reverse it for the opposite step, looks stagnant
6. Uneven movement of supporting leg can make the character appear twitchy
7. Foot and toe movement is meant to be elastic but is often left wooden and static

 

For my Walk Cycles I am planning to use the 3D Azri rig in Maya. The reason I am going for 3D over 2D is that I don’t have as much confidence in my 2D sketching ability. I also want to practice more 3D work and this is an opportunity to use Maya more and become more comfortable with rigs.