Friday, January 14, 2011

Week 1, Jan 14, 2010: Game Cycles -- Treadmill Walks!


You're going to get lots of practice setting up game cycles. First cycle on the agenda: Walks. You've done 'off the coin' walks. Now it's time for a whole new level of picky. Treadmills.  You are about to become very involved with your Graph Editor. If that scares you, it's time to learn to love this indispensable tool.

Walk Reference:

Week 1: 12 Principles of Animation

The Twelve Basic Principles of Animation first recorded by Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas in their 1981 book The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation.

I highly recommend reading the lengthy and beautifully illustrated chapter on the Principles of Animation, see "The Illusion of Life" Chapter 3, from p 47.

Here's a brief overview of the 12 Principles:

Week 1, continued -- Bouncing Balls!

Animating a Bouncing Ball is nearly always the first animation assignment given to both 2D and 3D animation students.  This deceptively simple exercise can teach you a lot about the nuts and bolts of animation tools, but more importantly how to give believable weight and appealing timing to your animation.
Strobe photos are fantastic for showing the beautifully symmetrical parabolic arcs followed by everything that leaves the Earth... except a rocket.

Basket Ball