Balls... continued: Adjusting timing in 3dsMax

Click to view avi of ball before timing adjustment

I've had a few questions about the bouncing ball so here are some details that may help you.

The timing of the ball is dependent on two things: the number of frames per bounce, and the spacing of the ball's position on each frame.

The weight of the ball is conveyed by how fast and how high it bounces, as well as how quickly it seems to rebound off the floor.

Previewing Animation in 3dsMax

Well, well, well...

Click to view larger

Switching from Max 2010 to 2011, I had trouble finding "Preview" in the usual spot.
Turns out, they've moved it! Again!
It used to be in Render, then Animate, now in TOOLS... hmm..

Previewing Animation in Maya

Click to view image larger

In Maya, animation previews are called "PLAYBLASTS"
Go to:
Window > Playblast >

Or:

File Referencing for Maya

I've had a few people ask me questions about file referencing so here are some resources to help you.
Let me also point out that it is not 100% necessary at this stage. You can just open your rig and start animating. But if you do want to try referencing, one simple way is to save the rig in the same file as your animation so that it's always where you need it. If you take the file to a new location, you need to relink the references next time you open the scene.  It's an extra layer of complexity but one you'd be wise to get comfortable with as it is very standard on big productions.

Week 2: Animation Cycles a-plenty!

Creating animation that cycles -- ie, returns to its first frame -- requires a lot of patience.

This term we'll be exploring a ton of cycles you might find in any standard video game.  We're starting with a walk -- maybe the most challenging of all cycles.  There are so many kinds of walks depending on the type of character, his/her mood, the story point, the style of the game....

Big, serious character walks require a huge emphasis on weight

Tom Saville's Halo Reach Showreel

Look a little beyond all the stabbing.. you'll see some interesting walks including a complex sidestepping motion and a lot of poses that travel back to their starting pose. Watch the transitions and study the efforts to keep the characters looking heavy.

Digital Tutors Recommended Lesson: 12 Principles of Animation in 3ds Max

This is a great overview of the 12 Principles and how you can use the tools in 3ds Max to bring life to your animation.

Highly recommended!

Here's the description:

Week 2: Balls, continued...

We'll delve into the 12 Principles in more detail and spend some time on gravity.

Click here to learn more about Newton's Laws of Motion

We'll polish those bouncing balls and by the end of class you should be able to know without a doubt what different types of action will result from different types of curves in your Graph Editor (Track View - Curve Editor).

Software Switching Headache Relief from Digital Raster

Switching back and forth between software packages giving you a headache?  Well, help is here! The switching tools from Digital Raster work like a charm!

The tool I tested makes the 3dsMax UI mimic Maya. Seems to work very seamlessly. It's pricey ($70!) but there is a trial version and student pricing available. (I'll add that here if you find out what it is!)...

Click to go to digitalRaster's site.

Here's a brief blurb from their site -- Check it out!

DESN2022-A Environment Animation Course Outline

Click here for a PDF of your course outline

This outline is to be used as a general guide to the major topics and assignments for this course.

Please note that the outline is subject to change.

It's a good idea to become familiar with the rubric (marking standard) and the evaluation system.

Resources such as recommended videos or articles are listed for supplementary study.

Please let me know if you have any questions!


:o)

Tara

DESN1119-C Modeling & Animation 2 Course Outline

Click here for a PDF of your course outline
This outline is to be used as a general guide to the major topics and assignments for this course.

Please note that the outline is subject to change.

It's a good idea to become familiar with the rubric (marking standard) and the evaluation system.

Resources such as recommended videos or articles are listed for supplementary study.

Please let me know if you have any questions!


:o)

Tara