Pixelation
Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: Meta|Fox on January 04, 2007, 09:29:29 am
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/Dead_Tree/FixedWalk.gif)(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/Dead_Tree/FixedWalkslow.gif)
Update:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/Dead_Tree/FixedWalk2.gif)(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/Dead_Tree/FixedWalkSlow2.gif)
11 colours including background colour (and now not running backwards)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/Dead_Tree/2theworkguy.gif)
the progression
Done as a demo character walk for some unpaid pixelage.
C+C would be welcome, though preferably not in the form of edits.
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It looks good but he's moving too fast. I can't really tell what's going on with his legs and feet at that speed.
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Fixed
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hmmm...
It's fast for sure... but you're making mistakes too...
the most obvious one being is that it's playing backwards :S
(http://pete.ptoing.net/Walk1_reversed.gif)
Then - Try moving the head turn opposite to the shoulders and adding a bit of up and down movement on the two extreme frames (as the legs extend the body drops, or inversely as the legs close (to the crossover point) the body becomes taller)
Like this - (http://pete.ptoing.net/Walk1_reversed_head_opposite.gif)
It adds more dynamic movement
The thing that you're doing that you really should avoid though is taking the same profile and filling in the center bit differently... it's the profile (or silohette) that the brain reads not the detail within - have a look at this... it's your anim with all the color removed... is it four frames? or two?
(http://pete.ptoing.net/Walk1_reversed_head_opposite_silhoette.gif)
You need to look at the masses of the legs too - do the animation first as a series of construction lines, work with balls and cubes to find the masses, get the weights working then build up from there... look into your tweens - understand how pendulums work (for swinging limbs) figure out the timing... buy the book I mention in my sig.
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/Dead_Tree/FixedWalk2.gif)(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/Dead_Tree/FixedWalkSlow2.gif) Fixed?
I worked at everything but the silohette problem. (which i dont really know how to tackel
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here's the pendulum in action- note the ARC it creates...
(http://pete.ptoing.net/2%20frame%20Extremes.gif) 2 frames or the extremes
(http://pete.ptoing.net/4%20frame%20Tweens.gif) define the tweens upping the frame count to 4
(http://pete.ptoing.net/8%20frames%20EASE.gif) introduce the timing for the weighting of the orb by adding 4 additional ease in and out frames as it goes into the extremes.
These illustrate the basic principles of pendulums, you can extrapolate this concept and now apply it to limbs.
(http://pete.ptoing.net/LEGS/2_frame_extremes.gif) Extremes
(http://pete.ptoing.net/LEGS/4_frame_crossover_1%20leg.gif) Define the Crossover (I'm using a technique here called 'breaking joints' where (in this case) the knee is subtly overextended - this priniciple is used to great effect in a lot of cartoon animation usually a great deal more pronounced - it's a way of adding 'snap' and hidden movement in a short amount of time)
(http://pete.ptoing.net/LEGS/8_frame_Tweens_layout_fillin_1%20leg.gif) This illustrates the tweening process the purple dotted lines show the leg positions before and after (a crude form of 'onion skinning') - this allows you to pick a point (between the two) to place your next plotted position for you knees, ankles/heel, hip, and foot position - once you've decided those you can then fillin the lines. This is where understanding the pendulum, arcs, and weights come into play.
(http://pete.ptoing.net/LEGS/8_frame_Tweens_layout_fillin_1%20leg_with%20mass.gif)then you start applying form and mass starting with the calf muscles and bottom
(http://pete.ptoing.net/LEGS/8_frame_Tweens_layout_fillin_1%20leg_with%20form.gif) then fill in the lines...
You can do the smae with arms too... just remember to work in opposites, (arm back, leg forward)
Admittedly, this process is very technical in application - and to be honest as you get better you don't need to do all these steps, you will just DO... as it's all in your head... but in order to run you have to learn to walk (pun intended) - regardless of the style of what your end piece looks like these prinicples still apply... and there by no means fixed - all of them can be bent and manipulated to suit your own needs - in fact I'd openly encourage you to find your own method. This works for me in some cases... not all - but like I said the understanding is there regardless.
Finally I thought I'd throw this in to illustrate strectch and squash...
(http://pete.ptoing.net/4%20frame%20bounce%20-%20no%20stretch%20or%20squash.gif)
Squash on impact - Stretch on release
(http://pete.ptoing.net/4%20frame%20bounce%20-%20with%20stretch%20and%20squash.gif)
The same sequence with added frames (tweens) adds weight with the ease in and out at the top of the sequence
(http://pete.ptoing.net/4%20frame%20bounce%20-%20with%20stretch%20and%20squash%20and%20anticipation.gif)
The slightly modified sequence with secondary motion and slightly different timing... incorporating secondary motion (on the tail) and additional stretch, and aniticipation (again on the tail [it delays for 1 frame before pinginig up])
(http://pete.ptoing.net/4%20frame%20bounce%20-%20with%20stretch%20and%20squash%20and%20anticipation%20and%20secondary%20movement.gif)
Enjoy...
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/Dead_Tree/FixedWalk2.gif)(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/Dead_Tree/FixedWalkSlow2.gif) Fixed?
I worked at everything but the silohette problem. (which i dont really know how to tackel
getting there buddy... as for silohettes it comes down to the choice of angle you choose to create the character in... have a looks at a great deal of animated walk loops from professional games... for the most part they're done in a slightly skewed (what I'd call) 3/4view (stricly speaking it's not 3/4 it's just something I've got accustomed to saying... the reason for this is that the rear leg and arm, don't occupy the same space on their cyclic loop as the foreground arm and leg... plus I always find them more asthetically pleasing as you get to see more of the character...
just out of interest - you're pallettes all over the place on a frame by frame basis... you should really consolidate the pallette so that you're only using 1 pallette across all four frames... (this should reduce the file size - which might be important if it's for a demo) - just thouhg tI'd mention it...
;)
keep it up
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wow, great help there baccaman *applause*
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you're welcome... I've been working on an anim tute but I've failed to complete it... and I'm off travlling in a week or so - so I thought I'd post what I can where I can... this seemed a perfect opportunity to do so... I hope it helps some of you out...
:)
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baccaman, awesome help there dude ;)
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Its looking good there but i think the way you shaded the face when it changes angle is backwards, that is, it should be darkest
when angled closest to you.
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Wow, thats quite a post there baccaman I can see my self coming back to this quite abit in the future
for the moment I'm going to leave this piece as it is. though I am attempting a new walk animation on a new sprite. I'll post it if i get it to look right.
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haha baccaman I've got that animation book, it's awesome :P