Animation Concepts 103 - Character Walk Cycles

So how do you make a character look like she’s walking? Well, Siobhan Twomey shows you how! In this course, she breaks down the mechanics of walking into its component parts and then, “step-by-step” put’s them all together to create the illusion of ambulatory motion.

First up is a study of what happens when you take a step… the physics of bipedal motion. You learn different types of walking variations and how to manipulate your characters physical characteristics to enhance the authenticity of each variation. You also learn how to create realistic overlap and secondary action.

Finally, you see the importance of backgrounds and sound to push the walking illusion closer to reality. So whether youre creating animations for games, features or fun, by the time you complete this course your characters will be ready to run, ramble, promenade and wander through their virtual worlds!

Table of Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Software for this Course
3. Using the Files
4. What Happens When You Take a Step
5. The Key Frames
6. Taking the Next Step
7. Principles at Work in a Walk Cycle
8. Overlap & Secondary Action
9. Key Frames of a Front Walk
10. Types of Walks
11. Animating a Run
12. Cycling a Walk
13. Working with Symbols
14. Creating Key Poses
15. Inbetweens
16. Adding Adjustments
17. Adding a Background & Sound
18. Conclusion