There already is a trail tutorial, I know, but this will be a bit different.
For one, I am sick and tired of animations with lack of trailing, but also of animations with too much trailing.
This is a simple tutorial on how to prevent this.
In this tutorial, I will explain different kinds of trailing.
List of content:
BAD Trailing
NOTE that those movements CAN be done in real life, but only with lots of muscle control, which I won't be talking about.
EXAMPLE 1
http://myfiles.darkdemon.org/15746/1276376434.piv
In this animation, it looks like there is an invisible rope tied to the end of the outer limb. It just looks stupid and fake.
EXAMPLE 2
http://myfiles.darkdemon.org/15746/1276376998.piv
In this animation, there is no trailing whatsoever. It looks really stupid and unrealistic.
Realistic Trailing
http://droidz.org/share/14460/1264281024.piv
As you can see, I made a figure indicating the movement of the outer limb. I call it the "Trail Indicator", lamely enough.
Far too many times, I've seen people making animations, where the limbs doesn't care about bones and real life joints.
In the arm, there's the elbow joint, which can only move sideways. BUT! You can only bend it in one direction, if you try and bend it the other way, it breaks.
So, animation should be like this too.
In the first couple of frames, I have animated the arm totally straight, because of the above.
When the lower part begins to slow down, the upper part keeps going, and eventually makes the arm bend. It will keep bending less and less, until the arm again is slowing down, and the joint will straighten out.
Overall, the two parts of the arm, is moving unaccordally as to eachother. When the lower part is moving fast, the upper part moves slow (not on the way up, because of what was explained before about the elbow joint).
Frame by frame explanation
1 - The arm is straight (in this case still a little bended because of the looping)
2 - The arm slowly starts accelerating, still straight.
3 - Gains more speed, still straight.
4 - Same.
5 - Same.
6 - Lower part slows down very little, whole arm starts bending.
7 - Lower part gradually slows down, upper arm keeps going.
8 - Lower part gradually slows down more and more, upper arm still keeps going.
9 - Lower part slows to a halt, upper part slows down very very little.
10 - Lower parts slowly starts moving again, upper part slows down.
11 - Lower part accelerates, upper part deccelerates.
12 - Same.
13 - Lower part slowly deccelerates, upper part slowly accelerates.
14 - Same.
15 - Same.
16 - Same.
17 - Same.
Cartoonish, Flowy Trailing
http://droidz.org/share/14460/1264327861.piv
This is quite another kind of trailing. Again, I have the Trail Indicator, but two of them this time, because of the lack of bone (see Realistic Trailing).
The whole theory is perfectly the same, but when there is no bones, it will bend in whatever direction it feels like.
Therefore, it starts bending every time it slows down.
Frame by frame explanation
1 - I started with the arm bent, lower part slowly accelerating (because of the looping), and upper arm still deccelerating.
2 - Lower arm accelerates, upper arm deccelerates.
3 - Same.
4 - Both arm parts accelerates.
5 - Same.
6 - Lower arm deccelerates, upper part accelerates.
7 - Same.
8 - Lower arm deccelerates to a stop, upper arm deccelerates.
9 - Lower arm accelerates in the other direction, upper arm deccelerates.
10 - Same.
11 - Same.
12 - Same.
13 - Both arm parts accelerates.
14 - Lower arm deccelerates, upper part accelerates.
15 - Same.
16 - Both arm parts deccelerates.
17 - Lower arm accelerates in the other direction, upper arm deccelerates.
More to be added!
For one, I am sick and tired of animations with lack of trailing, but also of animations with too much trailing.
This is a simple tutorial on how to prevent this.
In this tutorial, I will explain different kinds of trailing.
List of content:
- BAD Trailing
- Realistic Trailing
- Cartoonish, Flowy Trailing
BAD Trailing
NOTE that those movements CAN be done in real life, but only with lots of muscle control, which I won't be talking about.
EXAMPLE 1
http://myfiles.darkdemon.org/15746/1276376434.piv
In this animation, it looks like there is an invisible rope tied to the end of the outer limb. It just looks stupid and fake.
EXAMPLE 2
http://myfiles.darkdemon.org/15746/1276376998.piv
In this animation, there is no trailing whatsoever. It looks really stupid and unrealistic.
Realistic Trailing
http://droidz.org/share/14460/1264281024.piv
As you can see, I made a figure indicating the movement of the outer limb. I call it the "Trail Indicator", lamely enough.
Far too many times, I've seen people making animations, where the limbs doesn't care about bones and real life joints.
In the arm, there's the elbow joint, which can only move sideways. BUT! You can only bend it in one direction, if you try and bend it the other way, it breaks.
So, animation should be like this too.
In the first couple of frames, I have animated the arm totally straight, because of the above.
When the lower part begins to slow down, the upper part keeps going, and eventually makes the arm bend. It will keep bending less and less, until the arm again is slowing down, and the joint will straighten out.
Overall, the two parts of the arm, is moving unaccordally as to eachother. When the lower part is moving fast, the upper part moves slow (not on the way up, because of what was explained before about the elbow joint).
Frame by frame explanation
1 - The arm is straight (in this case still a little bended because of the looping)
2 - The arm slowly starts accelerating, still straight.
3 - Gains more speed, still straight.
4 - Same.
5 - Same.
6 - Lower part slows down very little, whole arm starts bending.
7 - Lower part gradually slows down, upper arm keeps going.
8 - Lower part gradually slows down more and more, upper arm still keeps going.
9 - Lower part slows to a halt, upper part slows down very very little.
10 - Lower parts slowly starts moving again, upper part slows down.
11 - Lower part accelerates, upper part deccelerates.
12 - Same.
13 - Lower part slowly deccelerates, upper part slowly accelerates.
14 - Same.
15 - Same.
16 - Same.
17 - Same.
Cartoonish, Flowy Trailing
http://droidz.org/share/14460/1264327861.piv
This is quite another kind of trailing. Again, I have the Trail Indicator, but two of them this time, because of the lack of bone (see Realistic Trailing).
The whole theory is perfectly the same, but when there is no bones, it will bend in whatever direction it feels like.
Therefore, it starts bending every time it slows down.
Frame by frame explanation
1 - I started with the arm bent, lower part slowly accelerating (because of the looping), and upper arm still deccelerating.
2 - Lower arm accelerates, upper arm deccelerates.
3 - Same.
4 - Both arm parts accelerates.
5 - Same.
6 - Lower arm deccelerates, upper part accelerates.
7 - Same.
8 - Lower arm deccelerates to a stop, upper arm deccelerates.
9 - Lower arm accelerates in the other direction, upper arm deccelerates.
10 - Same.
11 - Same.
12 - Same.
13 - Both arm parts accelerates.
14 - Lower arm deccelerates, upper part accelerates.
15 - Same.
16 - Both arm parts deccelerates.
17 - Lower arm accelerates in the other direction, upper arm deccelerates.
More to be added!
Last edited by 1337zPeV07Z101xxz on Sat Jun 12, 2010 9:12 pm, edited 7 times in total.
