Animation of walking with a human model

Let's create a walking animation using a model of a person. The basic operations should be remembered to some extent in other tips.

Now, load the "n175.mqo" file from the "Sample" folder and display the model.

This model file is a slightly rewritten version of the model data distributed by "Mira Studio". For details, see "Copyright .html" in the "Sample" folder.

It looks like this.

Let's create a bone. We don't create too complex bones. Since I will explain only the main points, I will simplify the fingers and other details.

First, create the bones of the fuselage. Make three strands towards the top, with the bottom of the waist (crotch) as the first parent, as shown below. In some cases, you can remove the middle bone and make two.

The line color of the model is changed in the environment settings.

Next, create the bone of the left arm as shown below.

Then, make the right arm bone, but this time use the "Duplicate" function to place it symmetrically. Of course, you can just click on the other side. In either case, make the settings so that the final symmetry is symmetrical.

First, select the bone from the center to the shoulder. You can click the tip of a bone or click a bone in the tree view to select it.

Next, make "Child Linkage" on the toolbar of the bone configuration checked.

After doing so, press the "Duplicate" button.

Then, the same bone will be created in the same place, so select the first parent of the newly created bone.

Under Properties, check "Reversed with parent as central axis" and press the X position reversal button.

I was able to create a bone that was approximately equal to the opposite arm.

Next, select the bones that will be the parent of the neck to create the neck and head bones. Three are made due to position.

From the very first parent, we will create three legs as shown on the right.

Turn the model sideways with the F1 key and drag to reposition the joints and create bones around the toes.

Originally, it would be more flexible to create one or two bones, but since it is not a high polygon, I will leave it as one.

In the same way as the arm, the other side of the leg is also duplicated. This concludes the creation of the bone. However, due to position adjustment, there is a bone that was made unavoidably, so this bone is made into a "floating bone". Bones are no longer created, so switch to "Edit Mode".

The locations are the following three places.

It is the area under the neck and from the crotch to the base of the foot. Select these and change the "Bone Type" in the bone settings to "Floating Bone".

Then, the color of the bone will change to red, which can reduce the amount of data during animation.

Next, I'll change the name of the bone, but you can change it for clarity. See sample data for names.

Next, set the symmetry setting of the bone. Arms and legs are often symmetrical in nature, so this setting makes it easier to adjust the position of bones and animate them.

Click "Bone Settings" on the left side of the window.

You should see a window like the one below.

First, select the bone you want to make symmetrical from the tree in the Properties panel. Next, select the opposite bone from the bone settings tree, check the symmetrical "X" and press the "Add" button.

This will add symmetrical bones to the list below. The opposite bone is set automatically, so the rest of the bones are set in the same way.

Symmetric bones are automatically moved to a symmetrical position relative to their parent position when moved.

Next, specify the vertex weight. In fact, even if you don't use the box, the automatic weight setting of the bone works beautifully enough.

So, if you don't want to create a vertex weight box, you can skip to the animation part. If you are creating a box, please continue.

Basically, you can place each box around the bone. Try to get to the point. The enclosing method varies depending on the amount of polygons in the model, so please try various things yourself.

The hips should be arranged so that they surround the "bottom of the belly" and "groin".

If you accidentally create a box with a different bone, you can associate the box with the destination bone by dragging the created box to the bone.

The belly should surround the bottom of the belly from under the chest.

The chest surrounds "above the belly", "around the middle of the shoulders" and "under the neck".

I think the shoulder should surround the entire shoulder.

The upper left arm surrounds the "lower arm of the elbow" from the "middle of the shoulder". Surrounding the elbow beyond it, rather than the middle, is a technique to smoothly move the elbow bend. (smooth vertex blending)

The lower left arm surrounds the "wrist" from "closer to the upper arm of the elbow". The wrist is also surrounded extra so that it is not strange.

The palm of the hand should be surrounded from the wrist to the tip of the hand. There are no fingertip bones, so there is nothing to pay special attention to.

In the same way, a box for the right arm is created, but if the left and right bones are symmetrical bones and the box creation panel is checked below, the opposite box will be created automatically.

You have to touch your neck a little. In modeling software, if the head and body are created with different objects, you can decide whether to apply the box to each object, but since this model is a single object, you need to transform the box well. Before creating a box, set the Z-direction division to "2" from the box creation dialog.

Then create a box around the neck. Now, switch to "Edit Mode" to transform the box.

Then press the "F1" key to turn it sideways. Since we will move the vertices of the box, we will set it to move mode.

In this state, when you drag the view, a square frame appears, so when it surrounds the vertices and faces of the box, it turns green and becomes selected.

Something like an arrow is displayed, but this is called a "manipulator", and you can move or rotate it in the specified direction by dragging it.

Use this to move the vertices of the box with a feeling that surrounds the neck as shown below. The vertices are also overlapped in the back, so drag them around the vertices to select them all together.

If you move in a strange way, please return it with "undo" and try again. Once this is done, set the number of box divisions back to 1.

The head can be enclosed whole. If you want to move your hair or something, you'll have to set it up even more finely.

Above the knee should be surrounded from the groin to below the knee. It may be better not to surround the middle of the body.

Be careful not to include the opposite foot.

Below the knee should be surrounded from above the knee to the ankle. There are not many polygons, so there is nothing to pay special attention to.

Feet should be below.

Once you have your left foot, make your right foot in the same way.

It will look like the one below in the full box display.

As for the overlapping part of the box, it blends better if it is moved away from the vertex to some extent, so it is better to adjust it by zooming in or the like.

Save the data and move on to motion editing.

Add an animation and open the Settings dialog.

Set the parameters as shown below. ・Name: Walking ・Animation time: 1200 (1.2 seconds) - Animation start and end time: 500 (ms)

This time, we will create seven keys with the first and last keys. I'll leave the rest of the frames to linear interpolation.

Also, when you move the bone, you will automatically set and update the key, so check "Auto Update" and "Auto Read" in the animation panel.

Now, make the first 0 frames pose as shown below. Proceed to the next page (edit from next).

First of all, put one arm down. Check Rotate in the toolbar, operate head-on, and drag the upper arm bone. (Do not drag the axis)

With the upper arm bone still selected, right-click and select Pose Target. Then, the opposite bone is rotated so that it is symmetrical.

Next, you will be waving your arms, but the point here is to move your "shoulders" as well. People often make you swing only your upper arms, but in fact your shoulders should also move (but not unnaturally). It may be a good idea to observe the way people move.

It is a view of the arm from the side.

Bend your legs like this.

This is the end of the 0th frame, but since automatic updates are checked, the key will be registered without permission.

Next, let's register this posture in the last 72nd frame. The reason is that the walking animation is basically looped, so the posture at the beginning and the end must be the same.

There are several ways to copy, but in this case we will use "Fixed Copy". This is a function that allows you to copy and paste only the same bones.

Press "Ctrl" and "A" on your keyboard at the same time. All bones are selected.

Then select "Persistent Copy" from the right-click menu. This will temporarily copy the postures of all currently selected bones. Then move the frame trackbar to "72".

Don't worry if your posture returns. Then select "Pinned Paste" from the right-click menu. You should take the same posture. The key is automatically renewed.

Next, let's create the "36" frame. You'll find out later why you're creating it from the middle.

After moving the trackbar, select "Reverse Overall Attitude" from the right-click menu. Bones do not have to be selected.

Then, the posture of the symmetrical bone should be reversed. This concludes the 36th frame. Simple, isn't it? In this way, setting symmetrical bones makes it easier to flip and symmetry.

Interpolated posture

Now let's create the "12" frame, so move the trackbar. As you can see when you move it, the posture between is automatically interpolated, making it easier to create the next posture.

The posture of the 12th frame should be below.

I can't see it, but I think the left arm should be almost vertical.

The posture of the 24th frame should be as below.

The lower left arm comes forward slightly.

By the way, the 48th frame is a form in which the attitude of the 12th frame is reversed, so move the trackbar to the 12th frame, select all bones, and copy fixedly.

Next, move to the 48th frame, fix paste, and reversing the entire posture.

In the same way, we will create the pose of the 60th frame based on the 24th frame. This completes the creation of all keys. Let's start playing.

As you can see when you play, it should only look like a person is waving his legs in the air.

Normally, the center of gravity of the body should be lowered when the legs are open, so try lowering the body position of the key at frames 0, 36, and 72 a little.

Check "Move" in the toolbar, select the key, and try lowering the root position a little.

Do this for three keys.

If possible, I will play it back to see if there is anything wrong, and if there is, I will correct it.

After repeated confirmation and correction, if the problem disappears, it is complete.