Temp Animation (Blocking Plus)

Inbetween Blocking, where you can show your animation to an audience, and they know exactly whats going on. But, its not Final. This is where you want to fine tune and add in detail of foot placements.

• Placing additional foot poses 2 frames before and after foot contact / foot lift off.
• Later you can adjust the timing of the in between poses.
• In between Feet 
• 2 frames before contact pose (barely touching)
• This is where the toes are just touching the ground.
• Create a nice contrast between before floor and flat on floor.
• Example - touching with the toes then rolling onto flat foot. 
• 2 frames after contact pose (weight smash)
• This is where you want the foot to have it take on weight.
• Have the foot go into the ground, then later you will counter it with the toes.
• This gives an illusion of wight
• Create a lift off pose if you have not already done so, (little weight)
• Angle the the foot 45 degrees down and have the toes clip through the ground. The will fix this issue during toe pass.
• The heal will be reversed, going forward.
• 2 frames before lift off (free off weight)
•  The foot will be flat on the ground, and weight will be off of that foot. So do not need to have in in the ground.
• The heal will be back in an angle then flip forward reverse during lift off 
• 2 frames after lift off (no weight)
• The foot is continuing to rotate inward.
• The claw will be the pivot point of the roll off.
•  Building it in the clavicles
• 2 frames before contact pose
• clavicle is just reaching forward
• 2 frames after contact
• the clavicle will start to move up while the chest is moving down.
•  2 frames before lift off
• the clavicle goes back down
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•  Back feet follow the same principles, but is also easier then the front feet. Don't have to do a complicated roll off, like the front feet.
• Set keys 2 frames before planted and after
• So 2 frames after plant, the heal continues to go down.
• The have the foot go into the ground like the front feet.
• Refineing the Pelvis, Chest and Head.
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Workflow - Quad Blocking out shot

This is from my lecture on week 3 - Advance Walking

1. Gathering reference close as possible
1. Copy poses all the way through.
2. Add in little body machanics.
3. Alter your poses to do what the scene requires.
4. Pay extra attention to clavicle and scapula.
5. Build your compilation, in the sequence you want your animation.
2. Start Blocking
1. Lay in poses.
1. Create a pose, every time the animal lands with its front feet.
2. Create a walking chart that shows the foot placement from top view.
3.  Use the chart to figure out where all the legs are at when front foot is planted.
4. Do not put in to much details on the feet.
5. Pose out clavicles to get a better shape, use rotation.
6. Move Body controller to move the body.
7. Remember chest leads the body, use rotation Y on both chest and pelvis
2. Double Poses, fix timing.
1. Double your poses to figure out timing
2. Rough out head animations, for it to lead the look at.
3. Add in one level of body mechanics.
1.  Rough out the chest
1. Rotate the Y into the step.
2. During passing,  transition body up then rotate the chest towards the leg that is being lifted.
3. Rotate the chest slightly up, when foot contacted the ground.
4. Transition the chest left and right, which ever side of the foot contacts, transition into the contacted foot.
4.  Leg Poses
1. Since you moved all the basic body parts.
2. Go back and view all legs

Workflow - Quad Walk Cycle

Goal is to make a vanilla walk cycle with no personality, and walk on the treadmill.

1. Position and Rotate character forward and tilting down.
2. Set up your feet placements.
1. Set up your time frame to be around 30 frames.
2. f1 and f30 place all your legs extend forward.
3. f15 place all your legs back.
4. in-between 15 and 30, lift legs off the ground and rotate al legs forward.
3. Offset the left legs to be extended on f15.
4. Watch the pattern and know that the back legs plant the foot where ever front legs plant foot.
5. Fix Front view
1. Bring the front legs closer in. They step beneath their body.
2. And know that front foot placements are close, and have them move out during passing pose then brought in.
3. Rotate the foot placement pointed slightly outward during planted.
4. Add Wicked rotation inward during the roll. Mid Stride   (Like a Lion).
5. Do the same as the back legs, but not as far in.
6. Frame before contact pose on the front feet, have it rotate upwards (Like a Lion).
7. Hips and chest.
1. Back hips move just like the human. Rotates into the foot placement.
2. Exaggerate the hips to go up and down.
3. Rotate the chest into the foot placement in top view.
4. Translate down during contact, then back up during mid stride.
5. Front view
1. When the leg is up in mid stride, rotate the chest down.
8. Shoulders (translation)
1. When the front leg is extended out, translate the shoulder forward.
2. Then translate back and up, no so much, when the leg is going backwards.
3. Right before the the leg lifts, the shoulder will lead that action by going forwards and up.
4. Then back down for the extended reach.
5. Offset the shoulders to continue to move after the chest is done rotation, in front view.
9. Head
1. The head will slightly bounce down after the front foot comes down takes a step on contact. 3 Frame Dip then drag it back up.
10. Refine the legs -  Foot Paws
1. Rotate the foot into the ground so that the feet can prep for a peal off. 
2. Counter rotate the paws up, off the ground.
3. Foot Control channels.
1. Leg Twist - twist the elbow out during mid stride when leg is up.
2. This is to really refine the legs.
11.  Toes
1. Spread the toes out when the foot touches the ground and applies wieght.
2. Revers spread when foot goes up.
3. Refine each toe during polish stage.
4. During the foot roll off, its alright to have the toes to go into the ground.
5. The toes zip under pretty fast.
6. The foot roll off happens fast.
12.  Head 
1. Roll the head left and right in front view. Have drag/ and follow through from the chest.
13.  Tail
1. Is used to balance and communication.
2. For walk cycle, its best to just have it lead and follow.
3. Tail is simple drag and follow through.
4. Its best to start with the base of the tail, and have it aligned with the butt in top view.
5. Add up and down in side view, drag and follow through with the butt.
6. Do the same down the chain of the tail.
14.  Scapula
1. Add extra value to have it follow with the clavicle.
15. Polish the toes to have a better peal of by animating each to individually.