Learning Targets: - Locating and using the timeline
- Moving the ball and setting Keys
- Independently repeating and modifying movements
- Create a play blast video
- Evaluate the speed, direction and flow of ball as it moves
- Moving the ball and setting Keys
- Independently repeating and modifying movements
- Create a play blast video
- Evaluate the speed, direction and flow of ball as it moves
creating movement
Creating Movement within your piece of a space of time
Rolling the Ball Concepts of what you need to start to get animating
Tools and Basic Knowledge
Rolling the Ball Concepts of what you need to start to get animating
Tools and Basic Knowledge
First Set Maya to Animation Mode
The Timeline
Indicates time and the number of frames you will use and on the right you have the player
1. Right click on the player and you can change how the animation plays>playback looping>...
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2. You can choose your frame number here
..and set your shot length here. Change that to 100 for this task!
3. Also change the frame length to 48 just to the left of the shot length
You can also change where the frame begins by changing the numbers on the left side of this gray bar. Another trick is to left click on the grey bar and move it around
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setting keys
Mathematically records a specific value in space as well as a specific point in time.
Describe and control the essential movements of a shot
Describe and control the essential movements of a shot
1. When you hit HOT KEY 'S' it will save the positioning of your object in the channel box as well as the frame on your timeline.
Another way : right click in the channel box on one of the axis and hit key selected and this will only select one. 2. Change the frame to 24 by click on the frame of typing it in the right side To Set Keys automatically you can and save each movement you do more quickly left click the key symbol so that it's red. You'll need to select a frame where you want it to be saved but now every time you move the object, it was save automatically
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3. Use the 'W' move tool and drag object along the Z axis towards you. After his the 'S' HOT KEY again
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Animation Principle: timing
The number of frames in a movement that defines the time a movement takes.
1. To slow down you object you need to right click on the frame where the animation has finished and copy and then left click on a frame and right click, paste to where you'd like it to finish, for example 48. See how little red marks appear every time something happens in your timeline
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2. Now left click back where you have the previous end and right click > delete
You can also cut and paste saving you from going back to delete Another trick is to hold down the middle mouse button and drag to another frame then hit HOT KEY 'S' |
TIMING: Changing the # of frames between keys = changing the speed of movement
3. Need it to finish back at the start? Middle click on frame 1 (where you started) drag it to the end of your time line, or where you want it to finish, hit 'S' and you should have made a loop.
4. To select groups of frames, hold down SHIFT and MIDDLE MOUSE BUTTON and drag over your select frames. You can then move these by LEFT CLICK in the middle of the selected frames and dragging them. Make sure your selection uses the key frame marker
4. To select groups of frames, hold down SHIFT and MIDDLE MOUSE BUTTON and drag over your select frames. You can then move these by LEFT CLICK in the middle of the selected frames and dragging them. Make sure your selection uses the key frame marker
Make sure your selection uses the key frame marker as a guide of where to stop and start. This was you'll change speed more naturally.
A great way to save time and duplicate a movement, is to copy and paste a selection of key frames. Remember you can increase your shot length at any time.
A great way to save time and duplicate a movement, is to copy and paste a selection of key frames. Remember you can increase your shot length at any time.
Play back
The brain converts a still image into a moving image when 24 frames a second are played and this is what most films are shot in as well as other moving picture projects.
1. There's a couple of ways to see how your playback looks. Check your preferences box by clicking on the button next to the key in the bottom right corner. When you look close it looks like a running man.
With a very simple object you can have a faster FPS (frames per second) but with a more complex object you may risk losing some frames as the computer will not cope with the speed.
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2. In preferences, check time slider > playback speed > Real time [24 fps] > save
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Play Blasts
You should never judge the sped of your movement by how in plays in Maya, it's really not accurate. You need to create PLAY BLASTS. It's not a render, but a screen capture of what's going on inside your file.
1. Check your settings First. Window >playblast> click on the setting box
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2. You'll need time slider selected and view only.
Export to quicktime (qt) Quality - 70 is fine Display Size - custom 480x360 Scale - 1 Frame padding - 4 Select remove temp file and save to file Now select a folder on your computer where you want the playblast to be. REMEMBER - BE ORGANIZED WITH YOU FILES!! Click Playblast and you have Quicktime start up and show your how your animation really looks!!
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Learning Target: - Use Graph Editor to add a roll to the ball
- Change the speed of the movement
- Analyze the result and make change or adjustment where necessary
- Change the speed of the movement
- Analyze the result and make change or adjustment where necessary
maya tools: Graph Editor
The graph editor combine mathematical equations of where the object is in space (also seen in the channel box) with where the object is within time (timeline).
You've made the ball move, now you're going to make it roll!!
1. To set and edit keys further you can use the graph editor.
window > animation editor > graph editor
You've made the ball move, now you're going to make it roll!!
1. To set and edit keys further you can use the graph editor.
window > animation editor > graph editor
3. Make this a little more interesting by setting more keys. Start by increasing your shot length to 96 and your frame length to 96.
4. Still on frame 24, Add 360 of rotation in the channel box to rotate x the right click > key all Rotate x 360 Rotate z 0 8. You may not see the rotation of your ball when you hit play, so hit shading >wire frame on shaded. You can check all your rotations go in the correct direction
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You can also click on the left tool bar towards the bottom on the button that looks like a graph.
Go modify > freeze transformation This will reset all your numbers to zero in the Channel box (zeroing out) 2. Go ahead and set a key on 1 's' and move the object along the x axis then set another key on '24'. When you click on the different translate axis you should see how the graphs calculate the movement
5. Then repeat, click on frame '48' move along the Z axis, 's' and change the rotation in the channel box translate Z to -360 > right click > key all.
Rotate x 360 Rotate z -360 TIP: Use the rotation move tool (HOT KEY 'E') rotate in the direction you want to go and you can see the numbers in the channel box change 6. Repeat again, click on frame 72, move back in the opposite direction up the X axis, 'S' check the rotation is still at -360 > right click > key all. Rotate x 0 Rotate z -360 7. Finally. Copy and paste frame 1 onto the last frame 96 and channel bar > rotate 360 Z Axis > key all Rotate x 0 rotate y 360 TIP : Hold down alt and slide along your time line to see the object move at any speed you chose.
It should look like this
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Going back to your graph editor...
See how it looks now!! Spaghetti!!
Fill your workspace with the graph editor by dragging the top up
See how it looks now!! Spaghetti!!
Fill your workspace with the graph editor by dragging the top up
You can focus on the main area the same way as the main interface, by pressing HOT KEY 'f'. In fact try using all your control key to navigate the graph editor the same way as you would normally.
Making part of the animation faster
As an example we're going to making the first part of the animation faster by 8 frames. And the last part slower
As an example we're going to making the first part of the animation faster by 8 frames. And the last part slower
1. Lower your graph editor so you can see it and your object easily. Make sure you have the entire object selected.
4. Now you need to extend the end so your ball ends back in the same spot to create a loop.
Select the last two points (which moved from 96 to 88 in the last movement). Hold SHIFT left click over one of the point and holding down, move to the right. |
2. Hold down SHIFT and Use your left mouse button to select over the points from frame 24 onwards.
3. HOT KEY 'w' is the move tool. Select a point on frame 24 (the first movement). Hold SHIFT and left click holding down for the question mark to appear. Keep holding everything down and slide to the left over frame 16. Everything on the right of this should move
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Final Point to make with moving in Graph Editor
You can move an entire movement within the virtual space if you need.
You can move an entire movement within the virtual space if you need.
1. Start by having your ball roll between frame 1 and 24 and have you graph editor open
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2. By click on the individual translate buttons in the graph editor you can move a separate movement.
For example: click translate Y, high light the points and drag the with SHIFT left or right I can move where in space it is. Hit play to test |
Animation Principle: Spacing
Learning Target: - Apply Slow-ins and Slow-Outs to your balls movement
- Analyze the correct amount that should be applied
- Analyze the correct amount that should be applied
SPACING: (slow in's and slow out's)
The way an animator chooses to transition between two keys
In-betweens = Successive frames of animation created between keys
TIMING: the number of FRAMES between keys
TRANSITION: The WAY an animator chooses to move between two key
The way an animator chooses to transition between two keys
In-betweens = Successive frames of animation created between keys
TIMING: the number of FRAMES between keys
TRANSITION: The WAY an animator chooses to move between two key
Watch from 23:30 to 27:00
Here you have a ball rolling very mechanically. See how in the graph editor. The translation Z graph is very straight. The speed is constant giving a mechanical/unnatural feel. The blue lines represent where the ball is at each frame. Notice how they're spaced equally. There's no slow in or slow outs.
In most cases you'll want your rolling ball to look natural or organic. You can change this by modifying tangent types of the curve. This button in the plateau tangents.
TANGENT TYPES: Define how you define and edit in-betweens in the graph editor.
In changing this your graph will become curved and you'll have a slow in's and out's. The green marks demonstrate the frame times. Notice how they are closer together at the beginning and the end.
You can further edit these lines by selecting the points. 'w' move tool and click on either the yellow or pink points. Have a go!
To insert more keys into your axis line...
Select the line, hold down 'i' (insert) with LEFT CLICK then middle mouse > insert key. A red vertical line will appear and then let go |
IN Animation Preferences (bottom right next to the key. It's the little running man) Go to animation. Check your Tangent settings are set to spline. Save
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Final Thought - - - - - - - - PLAY!!! PLay!!! PLay!!!
ANIMATION EXERCISE: The goal this week is to get comfortable setting and editing keys by rolling a sphere primitive in a single axis.
EXERCISE: Create a sphere primitive and have it roll in one axis across the ground plane, around in a square shape. Get comfortable setting and editing keys!
• One character: Create a sphere primitive.
• Orthographic view: animate in a side orthographic view only (keep it simple!).
• Schedule: Uploaded one day prior to your next session.
• Submit both the Maya file and movie file:
• Create a .ZIP archive that contains both files:
• Name the Maya file “YourNickName_roll.ma”.
• Name the playblast file “YourNickName_roll.mov”
EXERCISE: Create a sphere primitive and have it roll in one axis across the ground plane, around in a square shape. Get comfortable setting and editing keys!
• One character: Create a sphere primitive.
• Orthographic view: animate in a side orthographic view only (keep it simple!).
• Schedule: Uploaded one day prior to your next session.
• Submit both the Maya file and movie file:
• Create a .ZIP archive that contains both files:
• Name the Maya file “YourNickName_roll.ma”.
• Name the playblast file “YourNickName_roll.mov”