or until i want it to stop. i don't understand how to use walkmeshes. i've only found an animation with 5 steps and when i put two 5 step animations after each other the creature stops.
making a creature walk forever
Débuté par
gordonbrown82
, juil. 22 2010 08:58
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#2
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 02:32
Beerfish
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There is just a generic walk animation that will give you the walking animation but will not move the actor. Thus you can move the actor yourself with keyframes.
So you would mark a keyframe for the actor, then give him the generic walk animation and make it last as long as you want him to walk. Move along the time line a ways. Move your actor to a new position and make another keyframe. You then will have to test it out and match up where you put the 2nd keyframe along the time line to the walking speed of the animation (or speed up or slow down the animation itself.)
Does that make sense?
So you would mark a keyframe for the actor, then give him the generic walk animation and make it last as long as you want him to walk. Move along the time line a ways. Move your actor to a new position and make another keyframe. You then will have to test it out and match up where you put the 2nd keyframe along the time line to the walking speed of the animation (or speed up or slow down the animation itself.)
Does that make sense?
#3
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 03:47
gordonbrown82
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yes but it's a bit problematic to get it right. do i have to use trigonometry to get the right distance for each keyframe?
#4
Posté 23 juillet 2010 - 07:03
Beerfish
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No, put a keyframe where you want the guy to start, put a keyframe where you want the guy to end.
Drag the 2nd keyframe along the time line so that it matches up with the speed of the walking animation. You will still start at point A and end at point B but it how long it takes your guy to get there will be determined by the speed of the walking animation.
Now of course is for a straight line walk. If you wanted your guy to walk to abridge, curve around a path, avoid a tree and such you would need to put in more keyframes to readjust your guy to go where you want him to go.
Drag the 2nd keyframe along the time line so that it matches up with the speed of the walking animation. You will still start at point A and end at point B but it how long it takes your guy to get there will be determined by the speed of the walking animation.
Now of course is for a straight line walk. If you wanted your guy to walk to abridge, curve around a path, avoid a tree and such you would need to put in more keyframes to readjust your guy to go where you want him to go.
#5
Posté 24 juillet 2010 - 01:04
FergusM
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If you want to fine tune it a bit more (to match the steps), what you can do is this:
1) Set a start and end key frame.
2) Click somewhere in between on the timeline (e.g. somewhere around a step) and add a keyframe. If the actor is too far ahead at that time, drag the keyframe back a little on the timeline. If they're too far behind, drag it forward.
1) Set a start and end key frame.
2) Click somewhere in between on the timeline (e.g. somewhere around a step) and add a keyframe. If the actor is too far ahead at that time, drag the keyframe back a little on the timeline. If they're too far behind, drag it forward.
#6
Posté 03 juin 2011 - 08:42
Keeblet
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Hey all, I figured I should just bring this thread back instead of creating a new one. I can safely say that I am still a novice at creating and editing cut scenes as I have only been messing around in the TS for it around only about a week.
I was wondering if there were any easier or better methods to creating a straight walking animation that loops only the walking portion after a while.
I have tried various methods like splitting the animation so that I can manually loop the spliced section that contains the walking. I'm also pretty sure this is the same thing as start and end offset as I have cut the beginning part of 'mh.dg_f_5p' so that the character begins walking almost immediately and then ends the animation with its left heel sort of raised so that I can transition the second part of the animation. This would be where the character would continuously walk for an extended period of time but the animation isn't looped infinitely. Afterwards, the third portion of the animation would result in the character's arms, legs, and posture all coming to rest.
Additionally, I have done what others have suggested and placed a start and an end keyframe for the duration of the animation. To ensure that the character maintains a smooth transition between the two points, I have created numerous keyframes within the parameter all equidistant from each other. Because I need the character to walk in a complete straight line, I have simply moved the character between each keyframe by simply changing the 'y' value by a constant of 4.3088 as I took the displacement between the initial position and the position which I believed appropriately appeared five steps away from the initial position.
While the walk animation I have done so far looks pretty decent for the leg and feet movement, you can clearly tell that it is looping the second portion (continuous walking animation) as the arms and upper body stutters and looks unnatural between each time it is repeated. Is finding the right place to cut the animation so that all parts look fluid just trial and error? Or am I trying too hard at a process that most likely is easier than I am making it?
I was wondering if there were any easier or better methods to creating a straight walking animation that loops only the walking portion after a while.
I have tried various methods like splitting the animation so that I can manually loop the spliced section that contains the walking. I'm also pretty sure this is the same thing as start and end offset as I have cut the beginning part of 'mh.dg_f_5p' so that the character begins walking almost immediately and then ends the animation with its left heel sort of raised so that I can transition the second part of the animation. This would be where the character would continuously walk for an extended period of time but the animation isn't looped infinitely. Afterwards, the third portion of the animation would result in the character's arms, legs, and posture all coming to rest.
Additionally, I have done what others have suggested and placed a start and an end keyframe for the duration of the animation. To ensure that the character maintains a smooth transition between the two points, I have created numerous keyframes within the parameter all equidistant from each other. Because I need the character to walk in a complete straight line, I have simply moved the character between each keyframe by simply changing the 'y' value by a constant of 4.3088 as I took the displacement between the initial position and the position which I believed appropriately appeared five steps away from the initial position.
While the walk animation I have done so far looks pretty decent for the leg and feet movement, you can clearly tell that it is looping the second portion (continuous walking animation) as the arms and upper body stutters and looks unnatural between each time it is repeated. Is finding the right place to cut the animation so that all parts look fluid just trial and error? Or am I trying too hard at a process that most likely is easier than I am making it?
Modifié par Keeblet, 03 juin 2011 - 08:48 .
#7
Posté 03 juin 2011 - 09:28
Beerfish
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When you are using all of these keyframes what animation are you using? Are you using 'mov.walkf' or are you using one of the animations that you have split?
The mov.walkf animation just has the actor walking in place. You then adjust the keyframes as you have done and move the character manually as you have done. (Adjusting how far the actor goes in each keyframe to match the animation speed. Or change the the length of the animation itself to match your keyframing. There should be no real hitches in the walk when you reach the end of each animation loop. (At least there wasn't when I just tested.)
Does that make sense?
The mov.walkf animation just has the actor walking in place. You then adjust the keyframes as you have done and move the character manually as you have done. (Adjusting how far the actor goes in each keyframe to match the animation speed. Or change the the length of the animation itself to match your keyframing. There should be no real hitches in the walk when you reach the end of each animation loop. (At least there wasn't when I just tested.)
Does that make sense?
#8
Posté 04 juin 2011 - 04:53
Keeblet
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Hey Beerfish, thanks for the reply. I was using the spliced animation and realized that I actually had 'mov.walkf' sticky noted and just forgot to use or preview it 
Once I used 'mov.walkf', I was successfully able to get the character to walk (although not stop or come to a rest - not needed at least at the moment).
Here's a preview of my result thrown together quickly. I would appreciate any feedback that can be provided.
Cheers!
PS I know her feet still kind of glide and I think the only way to minimize this is to make the walk anim slightly slower.
Once I used 'mov.walkf', I was successfully able to get the character to walk (although not stop or come to a rest - not needed at least at the moment).
Here's a preview of my result thrown together quickly. I would appreciate any feedback that can be provided.
Cheers!
PS I know her feet still kind of glide and I think the only way to minimize this is to make the walk anim slightly slower.
Modifié par Keeblet, 04 juin 2011 - 06:24 .
#9
Posté 04 juin 2011 - 04:58
Beerfish
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Very very good effort. I like you use of your cameras. Yes you will just have to adjust the animation speed a bit to get it to match up with how far she is walking. (Easily done as you can select all of your animations and jut drag them slightly longer or shorter.)
You can add you desire 'start to walk animation' and your 'stop' from walking and transition those with long walk to make it reasonably smooth.
You can add you desire 'start to walk animation' and your 'stop' from walking and transition those with long walk to make it reasonably smooth.
#10
Posté 05 juin 2011 - 06:39
Keeblet
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Thank you! Yeah, the concept of matching a looping animation of the position a character walks to was a new concept to me. I always figured for some reason that the character would actually walk on a surface texture. I've been working with adjusting animation speeds recently and am continuing to practice. I really appreciate the time you take to help people like me though, I really hope you stay active and remain an invaluable asset to the modding community 
Modifié par Keeblet, 05 juin 2011 - 07:14 .
#11
Posté 05 juin 2011 - 07:32
Beerfish
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The cutscene editor essentially does not follow the same rules as in game playable areas. You can pretty well, walk or move anywhere you wish, thus you can do some funky things that you cannot do in game.
