Unit 65 : 3D Animation

1. Anticipation
Anticipation is when a character over exaggerates an action to show obviously what the character is about to do, the action may not be shown but the lead up to is what the animator focus' on.
This is shown well in Blur Studios animated short "A Gentlemen's Duel" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGbI3Y1OWuQ) between the times of 5:08 and 5:23 the two characters are ready to finish each other pushing lots of buttons and flicking lots of switches to build up to the big fight this is anticipation

2. Squash and Stretch
Squash and Stretch is a principle that makes objects look more like realistic and appear like they move like a real object and that they contact and interact physically with an object so the object will change mass distribution just like in real life a good example of this particular principle is in the introduction to short films that PIXAR animation studios use (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OridnuWe36Q) The I is jumped on and it bends and gets squashed with each jump.


3. Overlapping action
Overlapping action is when before an animation in one part of the model stops another begins keeping a constant animation and movement of the character, for example a human walk cycle, as your right foot hits the floor your left arm swings up and vice versa this is all overlapping action which is common in all living things, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFF2HTVJ6UM&NR=1)


4. Follow-Through
Follow through is when an action has a repercussion after the main animation happens such as a leg coming down after kicking a ball or someone throwing a ball the arm will act like a real arm and follow the ball like in real life .A good example of what i mean is (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkuAeBpSWhc)


5. Staging
Staging is used to communicate a point of focus to the audience through actions and camera angles, Directors and animators use it to show the audience what they should be looking at and to also tell the plot and keep the story flowing with no confusing bits in it.

6. Straight-ahead action and pose to pose
Straight-ahead action and pose to pose, this principle is a way of animating pose to pose consists of drawing moment defining poses that carry out big emotions and then filling in the gaps at a later point, much like a storyboard. However Straight-ahead action is when an animator details every frame individually in 3D most programs will calculate the movements for you but to get a better realistic action scene animators will use Straight-ahead action.

Looking good so far Joe, though it looks like there are some dodgy polygons

Good shape but it looks like you've got some inside-out polygons there.

Try optimizing the scene, then select all your mesh and do functions->align normals.
Also it looks as if the skirt should be longer and cover her upper leg, right now it doesn't look very skirt-ish.

Also, you might wanna turn off the specular, and change the phong to have no limit to remove the hard edges and the shine.

The dress is too high up and curves way too much.

This is looking great, Joe. The legs are especially nice, very realistic. But, as mentioned by the others, some of your polygons are looking a bit iffy. Try out Declans advice for bonus points and fun times. Cool work, I'm looking forward to seeing more in the future, brosef.

I would like to see sketchs of ideas also is looking good, I think the shape is going well so far just need more screen shots.

Kimmy (JH) wrote:

I would like to see sketchs of ideas also is looking good, I think the shape is going well so far just need more screen shots.

Sketches are something you need, bring them in, there is a scanner in college on my desk atm, can use that.

Apart from the problem with the polygons it's looking good. The shape works well, you can clearly see what it's intended to be when it's finished.

I don't know enough cinema to know how to sort out polygon stuff butif that was fixed this would go from really good model to an awesome model

Am I the only one paying attention to the major boobage?
It's looking really good man, the only problem being, as everyone else has said, the polygons. However, I'm betting you've probably sorted that out by now. Maybe upload a more upto date model so we have more to critique?

Cool workings so far though.

You defo have got a female body shape forming

the body is starting to look good however you need to fix that topology stalin

would like to see a head on your model also i would like to see how ur bon structure is coming along

Just noticed you don't have any sketches up. I think that's a shame since it's always cool to see how your character from its humble beginings, it gives a real idea what you're trying to acheive.

These are my walk cycle poses

Spoiler: