Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
in creating timing in the Graph Editor, and showed you how to add anticipation, follow-
through, and secondary motion to your scene. You then learned how to adjust animation
using motion trails and how to animate the axe throw using path animation. You went on
to learn how to replace a proxy object that is already animated with a different finished
model and how to transfer the animation. Going back to the locomotive from Chapter 4,
you began to set up the scene for rigging in the next chapter by setting proper pivots and
hierarchy. Finally, you used a catapult to animate with deformers and further your expe-
rience in the Graph Editor.
Animating a complex system, such as a catapult or a locomotive, involves creating lay-
ers of animation based on facets of the mechanics of the system's movement. With the
catapult, you tackled the individual parts separately and then worked to unify the anima-
tions. You'll use rigging concepts in the next chapter to automate some of that process for
the locomotive.
The same is true of the Bouncing_Ball and Axe_Throwing exercises. The different
needs of the animation were addressed one by one, starting with the gross animation and
ending with finishing touches to add weight. Finally, the art of timing brought the entire
effort into a cohesive whole.
Even when animation is already applied, it's simple to change
how
the animation is
accomplished, as you did with path animation, or even to replace the animated object
entirely.
Animation is the art of observation, interpretation, and implementation. Learning to
see how things move, deciphering why they move as they do, and then applying all that to
your Maya scene is what animation is all about.
