This week, we received feedback exclusively through SyncSketch, as we had an AI workshop instead of a regular session.
For the spline locomotion, Marianna pointed out several areas that still need refinement. She noted that the scapulas are working better, which suggests some improvement from previous iterations. However, there are still issues with the paws not properly sticking to the ground, so they appear to “jump” instead. This may be related to the roll attribute or inconsistencies in the animation curves. In certain frames, such as frame 5, the lion appears to be standing on its tiptoes rather than having full contact with the ground.
She also highlighted some popping in the “knees” around frames 21 and 47, likely due to their position being too far back, and suggested bringing them slightly forward. Additionally, she recommended introducing more rotation in the back during the steps and adding a subtle left-to-right oscillation to improve the overall fluidity of the walk cycle. From the front view, she observed noticeable popping in the front legs between frames 29 and 31, caused by abrupt rotation changes. Overall, this feedback helped me identify specific technical issues in the animation, particularly related to weight, contact, and smooth transitions, which I will need to address in the next iteration.
As for the new shot, I think it’s better to revisit the heavy object project since it’s been a while, and I feel confident and strong again to do it and complete it with the best of my abilities. After it cools down, I will divide the work accordingly to avoid getting overwhelmed again. To avoid getting overwhelmed again, I divided the work over the next few weeks. This week, I completed half of the animation in blocking/spline properly. I’ll work on the other half and make sure everything works. The last two weeks will be final polishing.
Here is the first half: