CGTalk - Automating a Walkcycle to walk a path

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ArtGoblin

02-04-2008, 05:07 PM

Hi there, have a bit of a question here. Hoping someone could help me and point me in the right direction towards solving my problem.

I have rigged an Ant model I created in 3DMAX 9, started out with making a walkcycle where it moves forward, then figured out I wanted to automate the walkcycle instead of animating every step manually, used the curve editors post-behavior to repeat my steps and every thing works like a charm, except he can only walk a straight line as it is. Now I have this Idea of creating a automation of the walk cycle and make it follow a path. In the end (if I succed) I would like to make a test animation where a dozen of ants are walking up and down a tree stump.

I tried to do a search here on the forum to check if the solution to this had allready been posted, but I didn't find it.

Here is a youtube link to a rendered animation of the ant walking straight forward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOnnmE-QDps

SideScreengrab for referance:
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t261/Artgoblin/AntRig_Screegrab_01.jpg

SchematicScreengrab for further referance:
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t261/Artgoblin/AntRig_ScreegrabSchematic_01.jpg

Any help on this would be great :)

mef

02-04-2008, 05:21 PM

If you didn't want to do too much more work, one option would be to use the path deform modifier and key the percent value in time with the steps of the ant. The only problem being that you run into the possible problem of floating footsteps if it's not timed correctly.

-Marc

ArtGoblin

02-05-2008, 05:19 PM

Thanks for the suggestion, I should mention, that I'm a complete beginner when it comes to character animation and rigging. I've never tried the Path Deformer, untill you mentioned it, tried it using a simple box, and one possible problem I noticed was that the deformation gets to much if the path has some sharp corner. I'll have to try it out with the Ant later this evening... I guess that I get problems with floating feet, I coould just jump in and fix some keys for the problem areas when needed.

But about the cycle of animation, is there any way to controll the cycle better than with an Repetitive Post Behavior on the curves? I was thinking like an expression or something in that direction, actually I don't have much experience with expressions so far, I just barely understand the concept. I'm also wondering a bit about how to rig the Ant to the path... if I'd just plug the "master" controll object of the ant to the pathdeformer, won't the feet slide if where the path bends and turns?

softocean

02-07-2008, 12:54 AM

You may want to see what Andy Murdock did with his spider rig in "lots of robots"
(for 3dsmax)
http://www.lotsofrobots.com/Web3/IndexLabFS.html

Also CSTools for cinema 4d by Chris Smith includes walk cycle expresso script
http://www.sugarfilmproduction.com

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