LogInChalermphol Wattanawongtrakool shows how to start on your first animation loop.
Running in 3D space may seem like an easy task, but it's full of details you need to keep in mind if you want to create a believable animation. Chalermphol Wattanawongtrakool, senior animator at Sony Pictures Imageworks, is ready to help you with your basic run cycle: he made a short video that shows the things you should work on, including body positions and movement amplitudes.
For example, you can see how the model's feet move in a kidney-like shape, and the torso twists to the opposite side of the pelvis. Together, this creates a realistic running motion that will make your character art stand out.
Chalermphol Wattanawongtrakool
"Keep it as simple as possible because the work behind this loop is way more complicated than it looks. We will learn a lot from this body mechanics, either it will cause you a headache at some point. There is always a lot of work awaiting when you have to make this simple cycle look believable yet appealing. The layering animation workflow will be helpful when you encounter many challenges in this exercise."
Wattanawongtrakool also recommends finding many references and analyzing "how each part of the body works and how it is connected to the others."
If you want more of his wisdom, visit him on LinkedIn.
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