For our first homework assignment of the semester, we repeated an exercise that we’d completed in last semester’s ‘Animation Studio’ unit. This was the animating of three balls of differing weights – heavy (like a bowling ball), medium (like a basketball) and light (like a ping pong ball). This time, we animated the balls in 3D form, using Blender.

Each ball was dropped from an equal height and animated to each display their reactions differently. 

The heavy ball (far left) doesn’t bounce much. It doesn’t have the flexibility or lightness needed to launch itself back off the ground – it has no squash or stretch for much the same reason.

The medium ball (middle) halves its’ bounce every time it hits the ground.

The light ball (far right) bounces more, reaching almost back up to its’ original drop point. Its’ squash and stretches are far more exaggerated – though I think this particular element didn’t work as well as it should have. I intended to make a pingpong ball, and the sphere I animated is far to jiggly to look like it. This is something I will have to work on.

After this, I animated the medium ball bouncing forwards, which was a simple but effective addition made by a keyframe on the Y axis.

All animations were given quick renders.