Animation Tests
This week our group decided to do some tests with the models that we’ve made. For my test I decided to do a very basic walk cycle.
Before I could start animating my character, I needed to rig my character. Since this was only for a test and not our actual animation, I decided to do a parent rig as they are very easy to do. I connected all related parts of the model together using the parent rig. For example, for the legs I connected the feet to the lower half of the leg, which would then be connected to the knees and so on.
I also used a NURBS circle, which would act as the main control and allow me to move the entire character.
Obviously this is a very basic method to rig a character and I will not be using this method for my actual animation.
The animation itself was very easy to do, since it was only a basic walk cycle. I adjusted the positions of the arms and legs and made them into keyframes, to get the basic motion of the cycle. I also made the character turn their head around to add some more movement for this test. I then moved the keyframes on the dope sheet to get the timings right.
There is a small problem in the animation, as it looks like the character is gliding at certain points, however this can be fixed. I also believe that it will look much better once the final model is complete, as this one does not have feet yet and so the movement isn’t perfect when the character takes a step. I will also need to add the up and down movements to show the passing point with each step.
Overall I think this test works well as it serves its purpose and gives me an idea on how well this model will look when animated. I’m happy with this test and I think that the animation will look much better when the model is finished and properly rigged.