Advanced Animation - Exercises

 

02/04/2021(Week 1)-23/04/2021(Week 4)

Alfie Koh Chen Fong (0340310)

Advanced Animation

Exercises

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INSTRUCTION

Week 1(02/04/2021)

In the first week of Advanced Animation class, we were briefed about the upcoming tasks and what kind of project we will do. Our lecturer, Mr. Safwan, showed us some animations that were done by our seniors. After that, he shared with us some experiences during his previous works. We were assigned to prepare Maya, software for the next class.

Week 2(09/04/2021)

In this class, the lecturer showed us some techniques to animate a bouncing ball in Maya by using the keyframe. Before we adjust anything, we need to select the whole object, highlight the list on the right side, right-click and lock the selected list. We were told that after we set the pattern, placement of the object, we need to click "s" to set the frame. Also, remember to only click the yellow line showing on the center of the object; we only need to adjust it for the movement. (Fig 1.01-1.02)

Fig 1.01 Yellow line on the center

Fig 1.02 Lock the selected list

After we were done setting the keyframe, go to Windows---Animation Editors---Graph Editor---Translate Y, which is to make sure the movement is smooth. Before we adjust every single point, we need to right-click the point, click weighted tangent---free tangent---break tangent to make sure the point we adjusting won't affect other points. (Fig 1.03-1.04)

Fig 1.03 Graph editors

Fig 1.04 The setting of the point

In this exercise, I tried to apply the squash and stretch on the bouncing ball to make it more lively. Below is the final outcome of exercise 1.

Bouncing ball exercise 1

We also did another bouncing ball exercise which is using the technique we learned in exercise 1. Below is the final outcome of bouncing ball 2.

Bouncing ball exercise 2

Week 3(16/04/2021)

In this week, the lecturer teaches us how to apply anticipation and overlapping in a pendulum animation. By following his tutorial, there are not many difficulties. We just need to adjust the top part for the whole object's movement and the 3 parts below are for the movement of the tail.

Fig 1.05 Top part for the whole movement

1.06 3 parts below for the tail's movement

Below is the final outcome of the pendulum exercise.

The pendulum exercise

We are also tasked to do a tail exercise. Basically nothing different compare to the pendulum exercise, we only need to adjust different parts for different movements such as squash and stretch, rotation. (Fig 1.07-1.09)

Fig 1.07 Center part for movement of the whole object

Fig 1.08 Top part for the squash and stretch

Fig 1.09 The part of the tail is for rotation

Below is the final outcome. 

The tail exercise

Week 4(23/04/2021)

This week, we need to do a floursack animation before we proceed to a human model. The lecturer said this is one of the easy ways to familiar with a human movement.

We were tasked to do 2 jump animations for the floursack. Below are the final outcomes.

Floursack jump still animation

Floursack jump forward animation

Week 5(30/04/2020) 

There is no class due to the lecturer's personal issue. However, he gives us some recordings regarding animating humans to walk and run. Two different Maya files are given which are male model and female model. We can use the model we prefer to animate. Following the recording, I manage to create the walk cycle and run cycle animation. Below are the final outcomes.

Walk cycle animation

Run cycle animation

The lecturer suggested that we can make the footstep small a bit when we animate a female character.

Week 6(07/05/2021)

In this week, we proceed to learn how to create a jump animation by using a human model. The lecturer sent us some characters' models, I tried to use these models to create the jump animation. However, I can't manage to complete it easily since the way of moving the model is slightly different compare to the model we used usually. Hence, I used back the model before and create the jump animation. Below is the final outcome.

Jump animation