Timing Walk Cycle with Forward Motion to Path Length

Greg Smith · Post by **Greg Smith** » 14 Sep 2006, 20:56

Is there a straightforward way to set up a walk cycle, (in the form of an animated brush), with forward movement using the keyframer, such that the feet neither slip nor slide, or is the whole thing done in a trial and error fashion?

Thanks,

Greg Smith

Post by **TVPaint** » 15 Sep 2006, 14:40

Hi Greg,
As far as i understand your question, there is no functionality that allow you to perfectly adjust 2 planes in motion automatically.
I think that some users there who are pro animators could give you some nice advises regarding what you are looking for nevertheless.

Greg Smith · Post by **Greg Smith** » 15 Sep 2006, 16:58

Giving the experiment a few more tries, I realized that not much time is saved by using a path to chart the course of a walk cycle, and, the results are inferior to just stamping the brush, (aligning the stationary foot of each stamp), frame by frame. This way, you get absolute solidity of step. Really very fast and rewarding.

Thanks,

Greg Smith

ZigOtto · Post by **ZigOtto** » 15 Sep 2006, 20:51

that's a good point, Greg, and I often do the same way (frame by frame),
specially when feet's contact spacings aren't regular enough from one drawing to the other...

"Trial and error" method isn't so bad although ... ;
otherwise, it's mathematical :
a full cycle distance (on ground) D = 2x 1 step ,
suppose your step = 220 pixels long, so D = 2x 240 = 480 pixels,
suppose your walk cycle's made with 16 drawings, in 2's,
if your cycle is animated "on place", you should displace it at :
d = 480/16 = 30 pixels, for passing from one drawing to the next,
Now in KeyFramer (source = custom brush) :
to cross (in > out) the video frame (720 pixels long),
your animated brush should start, say at X1 = -120, and stop (to be completely off) at X2 = 840,
so you get a path length of : Xp = X2 - X1 = 960 pixels to cover with your AnimBrush,
guess how many frames you need to achieve this crossing walk without " slip nor slide" ?
... 960/30 = 32 frames, ... 2 full cycles, or 4 steps!!!
coincidence??? sometimes mathematics are Magical!...

ps: if your project's frame-rate is 12.5 (pal) or 15 (ntsc), that's all, nothing more to do,
if your project's frame-rate is 25 (pal) or 30 (ntsc), "select all" and "duplicate = 1",
so your animlayer should be now 64 frames long, and the speed OK.

Manuel · Post by **Manuel** » 16 Sep 2006, 08:29

@zigotto : need to add that the feet must move in a regular linear timing (as you wrote "d = 480/16 = 30 pixels").
If you have to animate "a silly walk" , you get probably some sliding.

The better is to apply by hand, frame by frame.

ZigOtto · Post by **ZigOtto** » 16 Sep 2006, 16:14

Manuel wrote:@zigotto : need to add that the feet must move in a regular linear timing (as you wrote "d = 480/16 = 30 pixels").
If you have to animate "a silly walk" , you get probably some sliding.

The better is to apply by hand, frame by frame.

... mentionned (in other words) in the first lines of my previous post .

ZigOtto wrote: ... and I often do the same way (frame by frame),
specially when feet's contact spacings aren't regular enough from one drawing to the other...