Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
The outer part of the foot consists of five metatarsals connected to the three
cuneiforms and the cuboid. The metatarsals are in turn joined to the bones
at the extremities of the foot—the structure that makes up the toes, the
phalanges.
Human Animation
The human body is a remarkable piece of engineering capable of undertaking
some extreme movements and dynamic possibilities. A person with a healthy
body will possess a fair degree of stamina and considerable strength and will
have a capacity to demonstrate a high degree of dexterity as well as being
capable of using and manipulating tools to undertake the most delicate of
actions or exert quite substantial forces.
As we have seen, the human figure comprises a series of articulated joints
powered by strong muscles forming strong levers that are capable of
flexing, pivoting, stretching, and compressing, all achieved by the use of
the musculoskeletal structure. Muscles provide the power and the skeleton
provides the framework of bones that act as supports and levers that enable
actions requiring strength, sustained effort, and extreme dexterity, giving the
human body the capacity for moving at high speed and with high levels of
maneuverability.
When at rest the human body is designed to be well balanced and energy
efficient in maintaining its stability. This is a condition that is shared by all
living creatures capable of independent locomotion. Nature has seen fit to
design them all to be as energy efficient as possible. The design for economic
energy consumption while our bodies are at rest or in motion is also
something that is in-built in all animals. Providing a full range of movements
necessary for the animal and its particular needs while running, flying, or
swimming is done in the most energy-efficient manner possible. If we are to
gain a full appreciation of the figure and its various modes of locomotion and
gaits, we must consider the figure both at rest and in action and the way in
which both of these states work together to create an animated dynamic.
Stillness, or more accurately a figure at rest, should be our starting point from
which we consider one of the major factors in all animal movement: balance.
Let's first take a look at the orientation of a figure standing at rest and by
doing that establish a center of gravity. The center of gravity is a shifting point
within a body, around which all parts balance each other—if not exactly, then
sufficiently to create stability.
To understand the direction in which a figure moves, we should start by
establishing the separate planes along which the figure is oriented and the
