Friday, February 11, 2011

Week 5: Crouching Cycles (Hidden .. Squirrels?)

More cycles! Moah! ha! ha!

Now you'll need to apply your subtle overlapping action skills to a crouching idle.

Homework:

* Crouch cycle  -- idle in a crouch position. This cycle will eventually have to transition back to a regular standing idle
* Due next class

Week 5: Action analysis -- working from live action reference

After a few weeks of studying mechanics, we're digging deeper into action analysis using live action reference.

The next level of applying the Principles of Animation is the most elusive: adding personality to our characters. Staging, solid posing and appeal will come into play even more in this last 3D animation assignment for this course.

We'll be taking a couple of weeks to find, analyze and animate a short live action clip of your choice or creation.

Homework: 
  • Find a live action clip no longer than 10 seconds. Download it using 'Save Vid' or another downloading tool (see sidebar links).  Analyze it frame by frame looking for keys, breakdowns, arcs, timing, and any other noteworthy details that make the clip interesting to you.  Take notes on paper or draw over stills.
  • Begin animating the clip using the Luxo, the Ball, and any other primitives you need to sell this piece. 
  • Zero marks are given for modeling, lighting, or texturing. This is entirely an animation assignment. 
  • Start posting your work-in-progress.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Surly's New Rig -- File Referencing Updates















We have an updated rig for Surly with knee controls (pole vectors) -- located on the foot controls.

Click here to download the new Surly Rig

This is a great next chapter in the wooly world of File Referencing.

Without file referencing, every time a rig is updated, you would have to restart your animation using the new rig.  With a referenced rig, you can usually just replace your reference and keep on trucking...

But what happens when you open your animation file and something has changed that breaks your animation?


This is about to happen to YOU!! :oD