C&C on a walking animation template please? (Now with running!)

[Lukkas]

I'm doing all of the graphical work for a 2D RPG, and I've been putting together a walking animation template. Characters are roughly 32x42, and I'm using a 6 frame animation for each direction. (recoil, pass, high-point, recoil, pass, high-point)

This animation will be the basis of every character I make (though of course, some characters will have a somewhat modified stride), thus any flaws in this template will be inherent in virtually every character I make for the game, so it's very important to me that I get it right.

Any suggestions are very much welcome!


(Don't mind the green bouncing pixels in the south-walk cycle. It's just a reference for me.)

[VDX]

I like the style you have here, especially the big moves when moving downwards.

But the Up walk looks more like he's walking backwards then walking upwards. Might be because of his arms should be opposite to eachother. Try swapping them around and see how that looks.


As you see with these only, it looks like walking backwards.

Maybe exchanging the arms won't work after watching it more thoroughly.
What if you swapped the "knee lines" on the other leg?

[Lukkas]

Sorry for the late reply here, and thanks for your input VDX.

I definitely saw what you meant about the walking backwards when he goes north, but your comment about how you prefer the larger movements made me realise the animations are not really all in the same style, and I sought to fix that as well. I also felt like my animations were not fluid enough, so I've made them 8 frames per direction instead of 6.

Here's the results. Please let me know if there's anything that looks odd. I'm pretty new to animation, and the longer I stare at my own walk cycles, the more blind I become to the movement, so please help me out.







If you guys can help me get these to a satisfactory level, I'll give running a shot too! Probably going to take this cycle, and replace the high points in the animations with a more drastic, almost jumping frame. A saw this technique in use in Seiken Densetsu 3 (which my walking animations are also heavily inspired by), and I think I could pull that off.

Edit: Also, side note - I've started using Pro Motion 6. Excellent piece of software. The learning curve was terrible, but underneath the unintuitive (to me) interface lies a very beautiful beast. My only problem with it is that I cannot view more than one project at a time in it. I know there's separate tabs to switch between, but I want to actually have two images on screen at once. Anyone know a way to do this?

[VDX]

Aha, I see the issue now.

And last new upwalk is still akward, now it looks like he's doing some sort of Parade while standing still.

If you watch your Downward walk, you see that his feet are pretty much even to the ground, correct?
But his upwalk makes the feet move in an angle.
That's why it look like he's just walking with high knees in the upwalk.

[Lukkas]

I'm unsure, is the issue that the legs move up too far, or that they're too close together, or something else?

I keep playing with it, but everything I've done so far only looks worse. I'm probably going in the wrong direction with it.

Thank you loads for the critique by the way. It is extremely helpful.

Also, is there something wrong with the East walk? To me it looks like it moves faster than the other animations, but I'm unsure how to remedy it.

[Infinite Segment]

I think there are two problems with the north walking animation:
1) It doesn't look like he is putting his weight forwards, which means that to keep balanced he has to have his legs directly beneath him.
2) The foot lands in the same y coordinate (in "canvas space") as the one it rises from. If you'll look at the south walking one you'll see that the foot lands in a certain spot, then stays on the ground while going backwards (this is of course really the man going forward), and while it is still on the ground it moves several pixels up in the y coordinate (again in "canvas space"), this is of course because the ground is at an angle to us and thus move north or south entails moving "up and down" and it is not expressed in the south walking animation.

[VDX]

I'm unsure, is the issue that the legs move up too far, or that they're too close together, or something else?

I keep playing with it, but everything I've done so far only looks worse. I'm probably going in the wrong direction with it.

Thank you loads for the critique by the way. It is extremely helpful.

Also, is there something wrong with the East walk? To me it looks like it moves faster than the other animations, but I'm unsure how to remedy it.

It's just what me and Infinite said. Let me show you what we mean so you get a better idea and see what we mean.



If you watch it, this is how where his "feet" walk.
This is why it looks akward. From the southwalk he walks directly towards us, but his south walk looks like he is walking downward from a bird perspective.
You're mixing up the angle, so either follow the one you seem to want to do, if it's either Bird or Normal perspective.

And I wouldn't change the sidewalk, it looks great.

[Lukkas]

Aha, thank you for the clarification. Everything you both said makes sense now that I understand it's a matter of angle.

Here's my newest try at it. I think it's more true to the angle of the other two animations. Is it an improvement? Anything I should tweak?



Again, huge thank you for your critique. I'm far happier with my animations now, and I'm becoming much more comfortable animating in the process.

I'm probably going to give the running frames for the south animation a try now. Please let me know if there's more adjustment needed to the north walk, so I can correct it before I move onto the North run as well.

I'll probably also post my running animations in this thread as well when they are complete, if you can be bothered. You've already been very helpful.

I may also try my hand at a more feminine walk cycle. The large, bold steps of this template won't be suitable for any but the most butch and boisterous of women.

Edit: I saw the new version had the same problem as the old, just less severe. Replaced with a more current version. I've tried really hard to make the other leg actually appear to be "forward", but it's hard with such tiny ankles. Any better?

Edit2: Baah, girlfriend still says he looks like he's going backwards. I'm really lost. I'm drawing the legs from a different perspective and I'm still not getting the correct illusion. Is this version any better?

[VDX]

You know, what's the opposite of walking backwards?

Just swap the animation in reverse.

And viola, you now have the walkings in all 4 ways.
Now it's time for the nitpicking I guess?

And yeah, this template is for the more brute and rash men.
Female walkstyle will be a pain for you.

Why does women have to be so much more curvy and beautiful then men, meh.
And you're welcome, I love watching some of the pixels people do on this forum.^^

[Platypotter]

I think that your are bringing his hand too far forward as well. There is a giant skip from mid-placement to full forward. Maybe his hands shouldnt fling so far forward?