In Week 14 of Advanced 3D Computer Animation, Professor Ting Liu continued the creature animation project and focused on locomotion studies. The objective was to select an animal, analyse its movement through reference footage, and recreate a believable walk cycle in Maya. The session reinforced the importance of observation, anatomy, weight distribution, and overlapping action when animating creatures. Ting Liu encouraged us to carefully study real animal behaviour rather than relying on assumptions about how an animal moves.
Step 1: Choosing the Reference
I chose an elephant because it is one of my favourite animals. I spent time collecting and analysing reference footage, paying close attention to how the elephant shifted its weight while walking.
Step 2: Developing the Animation
Alongside the main body movement and leg mechanics, I also focused on secondary animation. I animated the trunk moving naturally up and down during the walk cycle and added ear movement based on real elephant behaviour. I observed that elephants sometimes flap their ears gently and at other times much more rapidly to increase airflow and regulate body temperature. I incorporated these details into the animation to make the movement feel more believable.
a) Legs
b) COG
c) Tail and Trunks
d) Overlaping Actions
e) Front view
f) Perspective
Step 3: Rendering the Animation
a) Perspective
b) Left View
c) Front View
Step 4: Receiving the feedback
After submitting my animation, I received strict feedback from Marianna that:
“The trunk and ear animation are working very well and do not need major changes. You should animate the eyes as well.”
“The movement needs slightly faster timing.”
“The centre of gravity should shift more clearly from side to side.”
“The legs are bending too frequently and need stronger extension. The shoulder structure should also show more movement during locomotion.”
The feedback helped me identify areas where the animation could become more physically accurate. I realised that while the secondary motion was successful, the core body mechanics still required refinement. I planned to focus on improving weight transfer, shoulder movement, and leg extension before moving to the final polishing stage.