Monty goes for a stroll |
There are four video tutorials of just under ten minutes, showing step by step how to animate a walk cycle, animating the walk "on the spot" on a treadmill, then adding a forward translation on the World Control to have Monty move through his environment.
The videos are recorded in Autodesk Maya, and are aimed at animation beginners.
Monty
The tutorial videos use the marvellous "Monty" rig, free for download, and which you can read about here.
Animate a Walk with "Monty"
The tutorial explains how to animate a basic walk cycle. You can find the links below. The password is the same as for all our videos.
Monty Walk Pt 1
Monty Walk Pt 3
Monty Walk Pt 4
Ways to Animate a Walk - which is best?
One of the most common questions student animators ask when they tackle their first walk cycle is this: is it better to animate the walk cycle "on the spot", as if on an imaginary treadmill, or is it better to animate the character physically walking across the screen, taking two steps?
Choose Your Method
Both methods of creating a cycle are effective approaches to the problem of character walks, and at Escape Studios we teach both methods. Both, however, have their advantages and disadvantages.
Watch this five minute video here to understand the difference between the two approaches, and decide for yourself which one suits you best.
One of the first challenges for junior animators learning their craft is to learn the art of locomotion, specifically how to animate a walk cycle, and later a character or personality walk. What makes a walk happy, or sad? Angry, or fearful? Masculine, or feminine?
One of the most common questions student animators ask when they tackle their first walk cycle is this: is it better to animate the walk cycle "on the spot", as if on an imaginary treadmill, or is it better to animate the character physically walking across the screen, taking two steps?
Choose Your Method
Walk Cycle from "The Animator's Survival Kit" |
Watch this five minute video here to understand the difference between the two approaches, and decide for yourself which one suits you best.
Walks and Character Walks
"Journey of Life" by Robin Herrmann |
Animators must learn to observe how humans act and move, and be able to replicate that character and personality in their motion.
Locomotion Resources
There are many resources on walks (and locomotion generally) at Animation Apprentice.
- How to Animate a Basic Walk with "Monty"
- Animate a Lamp Hopping with Pixo Jr
- Animate a Run Cycle with "Heavy"
- Animate a Jump with Monty
- Animate a Military Walk with Monty
- Animate a Run Cycle with Monty
- Animate a Masculine Walk with Monty
- Animate an Angry Walk with Monty
- Animate a Sad Walk with Monty
- Animate a Basic Walk with Heavy
- Animate a Double Bounce Walk with Monty
- Character Walks with the Bio Motion Walker
- How to Fix a Floaty Walk Cycle
- How to stop feet sliding in a walk cycle
- Why animators need treadmills for walk cycles
- Why Walk Cycles Need Sine Waves
- Animating the "ZigZag Walk" on "The Thief & The Cobbler"
- Two Ways to Animate a Walk Cycle - Which is Best?
- Character Walks by Alexander Savchenko
- Why Animators Should Always Take Two Steps
- Character Walk reference by Houman Sorooshnia
- 100 Ways to Walk by Kevin Parry
- How to Fix Knee Pops in a Walk Cycle
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