Due Dates:
Part 1: The beginning of class on Tuesday on Sept 9
Part 2: The beginning of class on Tuesday on Sept 16
Understand the following:
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Both are available in the Lab 2 folder on cs-render. |
Newer version: Ball and Legs rig (.ma) |
Work Location: Work on cs-render in the folder IDS352Fa14/Lab2/MayaProjects/your_name. If you prefer to work on you own computer, please transfer your Maya project over to this folder by the due date.
Maya Project: Create a new Maya project and copy over the "Ball and Legs" Maya file (and also the male rig if you choose to start with it), placing the file(s) into your scenes folder. You are to turn in the walk cycles using the "Ball and Legs" rig, however, if you find it difficult to do the tutorial with a different rig than the one used in the tutorial, you can start with the male rig file. Before beginning the tutorial below, open up your rig and explore all of the controls so that you are familiar with all of the controls.
Reference: Study the reference material for walks listed in the Reference section above.
Digital-Tutors: Do the tutorial Creating Walk Cycles in Maya which uses the pose-to-pose approach of animating. Only focus on the legs and hips. If you started with the male rig file, you will need to repeat the walk cycle with the "Ball and Legs" (The repetition is actually good practice).
Playblast: Generate at least 2 playblasts - one using the side camera and the other using the perspective camera.
Variation (optional): Please put most of your effort into getting your first walk cycle to be as good as possible. Follow the slow and careful approach demonstrated in class to repeatedly and methodically study, critique, and correct your animation. Much of the corrective work will need to be done in the graph editor. Do a variation, only if you feel you have done all you can on the first cycle. The variation should display a different style, personality, or emotional state. Use your first walk cycle as a starting point. Use reference video (e.g. see Endless on cs-render) or a video of a friend or yourself. Also refer to Animator's Survival Kit. Please be ready to show the reference video in class when we do the critique.
Deliverables: By the beginning of class on Sept 16, place your animations on cs-render in the folder IDS352Fa14/Lab2/FinalAnimations/your_name. Please name them in a way that makes it clear what is what. Include the word "part1" in the name.
Also, zip together your animations and your Maya scene file and place the zipped file on WISE under the assignment Lab 2 part 1. If WISE complains because your file is too large, you can zip the files into two smaller zip files, e.g. the animation files in one zipped file and the scene in another zipped file.
Variation: In this part of the lab, animate a run cycle or a variation of the walk cycle that is distinctly different from what was done in Part 1. Folow the same methodical and careful approach. Be sure to include the translation part so that your character is not walking/running in place.
Reference: Study the reference material for walk variations and runs listed in the Reference section above. If you do a run cycle, you can also look at the Digital Tutors Run Cycle tutorial from 2013.
Deliverables: By the beginning of class on Sept 16, place your animations on cs-render in the folder IDS352Fa14/Lab2/FinalAnimations/your_name. Include playblasts from the side view and from a perspective view. Please name it in a way that makes it clear what it is. Include the word "part2" in the name. Also place it (and the scene file) on WISE under the assignment Lab 2 part 2.
