Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
3. Choose Create Polygon Primitives Cylinder to create two cylinders, to make a
cross brace for the back of the target.
4. Scale, rotate, and position the cylinders to fit behind the target and into the back of
the base. Figure 8.17 shows the positions of the pieces to make up the target.
5. When you're happy with the target, group the four objects together and name the
group Ta rget .
6. Move the target about
40 units in the posi-
tive X -axis away from
the origin, and move it
up in the Y -axis so its
base is basically on the
ground plane.
7. Press Insert to move
the target's pivot point
to the bottom of the
base, right where the
cross beams connect to
it. Figure 8.18 shows the proper pivot placement.
You place the pivot point at that location because the
target will jerk up and back a little bit when the axe hits
it. This is the best point for you to rotate around to lift
the front of the base up a little to make it look like the
axe is really hitting it. Save your file as your next version
number. The scene is now ready for animation.
Figure 8.17
Positioning the
cross braces for
the target
Figure 8.18
The proper place-
ment of the target's
pivot point
Preproduction: Keyframes and Motion Study
What separates good animation from bad animation is the feeling of weight that the
audience infers from the animation. Being lifelong observers of natural physics, people
instinctively understand how nature works in motion. You see an object in motion, how
it moves, and how it affects its surroundings. From that, you can feel the essence of its
motion, with its weight making a distinct, albeit subliminal, impression on you. As it
pertains to animation, that essence is simply called weight , and its observation is called
motion study .
Unfortunately, merely knowing how something should look while moving isn't all
you need to animate it properly. Giving the axe believable weight is your primary job
as an animator. You need to make the audience feel as if that CG axe is really moving.
Modeling, texturing, and lighting are small parts of it, but motion can make or break the
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