AuthorTopic: Main character walk animation  (Read 9657 times)

Offline BatElite

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Main character walk animation

on: June 26, 2015, 03:10:27 pm


Like a lot of poeple here, I have been making a game for a bit. Now I've made a start to the main character's walking animation. It's my first walk animation as far as I can remember. I've only animated the legs so far.
Before I add animation to the rest, is there much wrong with what I have right now or the character in general? The whole thing doesn't seem to read well below the knees.
I can see some (possible) problems already:

-The right hip may be too far from the center of the body.
-The arms aren't of equal length.
-The character appears to be too dark against light backgrounds like those of this site. Some details are pretty much lost.
-Neither foot is touching the ground on frame 9.

Here is a sprite sheet of the various parts drawn on top of each other, from bottom to top. the upper row is a mockup of how it should look.


Any thoughts?
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Offline hapiel

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Re: Main character walk animation

Reply #1 on: June 27, 2015, 10:44:19 am
It is a bit fast for a walk! Why do you give the main character a walk and not a run?

Offline BatElite

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Re: Main character walk animation

Reply #2 on: June 29, 2015, 12:03:56 pm
It is a bit fast for a walk! Why do you give the main character a walk and not a run?

I never noticed it was too fast, but a run seems like it'd fit better. I'll try to mock up a running animation soon.

-EDIT:





I Frankensteined the walk into a run. I'm aware one foot barely moves at one extreme for a frame, as well as the jittery shading on the front leg.
Unless there is something horribly wrong with this, I'll get to animating the arms and whatnot next time.

I just noticed that it still looks like a walk, moslty because the torso isn't moving. oh well.
« Last Edit: June 29, 2015, 08:11:24 pm by BatElite »
Quote from: Cure
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Offline hapiel

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Re: Main character walk animation

Reply #3 on: June 30, 2015, 09:37:16 am
The big difference between running and walking animation is:
In walking there is always at least one foot in contact, sometimes even two. In running, there is no contact most of the time.

Your non-contact frames are very short, so it looks like he is like speedwalking, which makes him look funny...

Also, his highest point is now on the passing point. Usually it is reverse, a high up while in mid air (opposite of walking animation) and lowest on the passing point. Legs are only stretched while pushing off and landing, not while passing in the middle.

Offline BatElite

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Re: Main character walk animation

Reply #4 on: July 09, 2015, 09:09:29 pm
This isn't dead yet.



Still haven't done anything with the arms, since I've only worked to fix things according to hapiel's latest advice. I procrastinated a bit and a new Terraria update didn't speed things up either.
It thus still looks weird but I think the legs are all right for now.
I just noticed that all the .gifs I uploaded are going faster than they should. Am I doing something wrong with them?
Quote from: Cure
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Offline BatElite

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Re: Main character walk animation

Reply #5 on: August 23, 2015, 09:11:47 pm


Finally managed to animate the torso and arms. I've evidently been very productive last month.

All I need to animate now is the tail, and unless the are any problems with what I have now I'm happy with this.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Update:



Not happy with the tail yet, but I'm not sure what exactly is wrong. I do need to fix the space between its legs.

Here's the part sheet so far:

« Last Edit: August 29, 2015, 02:33:09 pm by BatElite »
Quote from: Cure
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Offline NaCl

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Re: Main character walk animation

Reply #6 on: September 01, 2015, 03:57:04 am
The problem I see is that you're focusing on the motion of each individual part, the legs, arms, tail, head, and torso. But you're not thinking of the thing as a whole. So while all of those look pretty good, there is a bit of a problem when you see them all together. They don't seem to effect one another. He bobs up and down a little bit, but it doesn't feel like his weight is impacting the ground, his leg never bends to accept the weight of the rest of his body. His torso turns back and forth a little bit, but it doesn't seem to affect where the pivot point of the shoulder is. Another thing, usually when we run we are falling forward and then catching ourselves. So we lean forward. Your guy has a very vertical posture. Overall, I think you're very close to having something that looks really good. Just needs a little more holistic thought.

The approach that has paid off best for me, and the one I have seen used to the greatest effect, is to get a very rough shape animated as a whole. Then, go back and add the details and refinements to it after.

Offline BatElite

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Re: Main character walk animation

Reply #7 on: September 21, 2015, 07:21:22 pm


Updated the thing a bit. I'm assuming that advice at the end is for future animations, and not this one.

Added more bob and changed the left shoulder. The right shoulder now looks weird in comparison and the tail is still meh.

Quote from: Cure
Well you tried your best.

Offline BatElite

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Re: Main character walk animation

Reply #8 on: September 26, 2015, 02:54:59 pm
It's great colection, how can you find it in large numbers. I think it definitely takes time a little longer.

I don't think I understand.



I think this is done. Is there anything I'm still missing?
Quote from: Cure
Well you tried your best.

Offline HarveyDentMustDie

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Re: Main character walk animation

Reply #9 on: September 28, 2015, 04:02:36 pm
Problem you have here is that arms and legs have different length in different frames (even in same frame both legs or arms don't have same length), which can pass some time but not when it's too obvious. So you should pay attention to that.

Angle of whole animation is very strange, it's not side run, or front run (toward the screen) it something in between. Like he is running at 25-30 deg angle from x axis. I'm not sure if you did this intentionally or not but it looks a bit confusing.

Also to give this animation more motion I would animate those ears, and make him blink or something like that, cause head is too stiff currently.

And good thing to check position of character body is to compare opposite frames, like 1 and 5, 2 and 6 etc.