Refining the animation - Sneak walk
In one of my previous titles ‘Animation progress status and observed issues’ I have identified and discussed about the apparent issues
found in each of the animation sets. In the last blog post I have addressed the
problems found in the leisure walk animation - so naturally I will now discuss
about the changes I’ve made to the sneak walk animation as part of the
iterative (refinement) process.
But first, I’ll briefly list the identified issues:
·
Excessive movement of the pelvis during certain
frames
·
Excessive hands movement
·
Lack of any secondary action
Here is an old render of the sneak walk before making any
changes to it:
Starting with the pelvis movement, as anybody could have
certainly noticed during the 5th and 6th steps the pelvis
(hips area) of the model rotates up and down in an unnatural fashion, asynchronous
to the movement of the thighs. As a result, I have now reduced the movement to
more acceptable (and anatomically viable) levels. Now, the pelvis only moves as
much as necessary to favour the relative displacement of the legs during the
action.
Onto the hands movement, as it can be seen in the video
above the hands were moving in a wave-like pattern being extremely distracting
and pretty much defeating the whole purpose of treading carefully – sneaking. I
have since edited the specific poses and removed the waving motion that could be
previously seen. Moreover, I have made it so that at one point the right arm takes
the lead and the left one is used for balance, making it look more interesting
to the eye and also more realistic.
For the secondary action I have added a finger stretching
action at the beginning of the walk when alarmed, the character suddenly stops
and begins sneaking. I have taken into account the fact that any secondary
action should not distract the viewer from the main action, as pointed in my ‘The 12 principles of animation’ blog post. Consequently, the finger stretching
action is rather sudden and I believe it suits well to the initial alarmed
state of the character, when the movement comes to a full stop. It does not however distract the viewer under
any circumstance; if anything, it adds to the credibility of the animation.
Slight finger movements can be also seen during various frames for the duration
of the sneak.
The final result of the sneak walk can be seen in the video
render below:
3D Animation: What #D Product Animation Can Do For You
ReplyDeleteThe animation market is big- it was worth over $254 billion dollars in 2017. It has, however, become evident that the rise was but the beginning. This is generally due to the fact that animation has made its presence felt in the area of marketing.
9 Reasons Your 3D Animation Is Not What It Could Be
3D animation has been synonymous with the entertainment industry for the greater part of its history. This is simply because animation has kept us interested in movie theatres for the longest time. In the recent past, however, 3D animation is increasingly being used to show off products.
So how effective is 3D product animation?
Well, to be honest, it WORTH A LOT MORE THAN THAT!
Just take a look at brand names like Gillette and Apple. Look at the Gillette ads and you will realize that a simple animation transformed a lowly shave into an adventure. Now consider at the extent of trust the marketing technique garners for the brand. As its competitors utilize conventional marketing, Gillette infuses some 3D adventure to set itself apart. The quality of the animation is deemed reflective of the brand's quality. Use 3D product animation and join the ever growing list of businesses that are dominating their niches.
When 3d animation is utilized as a marketing tool, three major benefits are realized:
1.Prototyping Made Simple: Prototypes are very expensive. To be fair, they do get the job done but, what if there was a more affordable alternative? Well, now there is. With a 3D product animation, you can- inexpensively- make a model of your product and utilize it to gauge the market. That is to say, you have the necessary feedback from the market without suffering the cost of a prototype.
2.First Impressions Matter Most: Products are rarely entertaining to look at. Imagine Gillette adverts without the entertaining 3D aspect. How boring would that have been?
3D product animation takes an ordinary looking product and transforms it into an adventure of epic proportions. Every product is amazing in a virtual world- especially after a few special effects. When done correctly, animation will endear your brand to the relevant niche.
The iPhone X used this strategy perfectly. The marketing campaign was mainly centered on3D models. The primary brands of the world- think Huawei, Microsoft, and Samsung- all make use of 3D product animations. Now you know why they take over their respective niches.
3.Money Talks: 3D product animation helps save money. Apart from advertising, the 3D model can also be used to determine glitches in an unfinished product. Designers have a feel of the product before it's physically prototyped- and make all the proper changes.
Animation is easily the most cost-effective marketing method there is. Just take a look at how well-known Virtual Reality (V.R) and 3D modelling are- no one can get enough of 3D.
Simply speaking, animation technologies will bring good tidings to your product. You can give it glamor, appeal, and mystique. The animation process also makes the brand feel contemporary and worthy of a place in the modern market. Bad first impression has been the doom of many products.
Don't be part of that statistic. Spice things up. Turn your advertisement into a 3D tale featuring your product as the stylish and irresistible hero. Everybody loves those, or don't you?