Anime Studio Run Cycle

[Dropped Monocle Games]

This is my first try at a Run Cycle using Anime-studio instead of drawing frame by frame,
its only a silly like run cycle and isn't going to be used for a game (that may change)

anyway here it is, what do you think?

[Mandle]

Very fluid and physics obeying...

I especially like the way the feet flip out at the front-most point and the way the beard sways...

Nice work!

One thing:

I'm not sure if the feet are flat to the ground enough when they travel right under the center of gravity of the character. It may look like he is walking on air.

The fact that he is probably Odin may negate this comment as he may be striding through the thunder-clouds...

[Tabata]

Looks very smooth for a running cycle (just a bit too slow for running).

Is it an easy to use program?

[Darth Mandarb]

The back leg (I think it's the back one, it's kind of hard to tell) appears to kick the ground (jabs his toe into the ground) before swinging back forward (actually, now that I study it a bit more it appears they both do, the back is just a bit more pronounced).  It's very distracting!  Aside from that I think it's a decent enough run cycle.

[Dropped Monocle Games]

Sadly he is meant to be running on the ground, so I may need to play around with the feet placements, it doesn't help that I made his feet almost the same size as the legs :/
maybe a game about the god of thunder is the way to go, cloud running sounds fun!

Anime Studio is vector based but I don't like the way it handles drawing (not the way I'm used too), so I use Flash or Photoshop to make make the parts of the body up and then import them,
it takes a little bit to getting used to but I'm finding it pretty easy after watching some help videos on youtube, once you do get used to it you can have a lot of fun with it! you can give layers bones that can bend and move, and the beard swaying is done by making the bones in the beard have 'Bone dynamics'

Edit: oh yes! the back foot does indeed seem to stick into the ground, I'll try and fix that too

[Dropped Monocle Games]

Okay, I think I have fixed everything that has been pointed out
its kinda hard to see the chance as I have made him faster!


and a jump, not very high as his helmet is very heavy!


and Stabby!!

[Ghost]

Second runcycle is a definite improvement; the feet look more natural now (as in, flat when they are fully touching the ground). Well done!

[Dropped Monocle Games]

I hopes its okay to use the thread to post some more tests? I don't know if any of you remember Woo from our MAGS game
but here is a little test I did today with Anime Studio again, this time to see if I could get more detail and dynamic hair and hat (shadows are a problem)

[Ghost]

Adorable! Can I read that as a hint towards a sequel?

(I wouldn't mind her having arms though. Armed witches are just better!)

[Dropped Monocle Games]

Woo II isn't being worked on at this time, we are working on another game at the moment (hopefully you will see some of it soon) but we both really want it to happen at some point so she will get a full game!
here is an update on what she looks like now, this will be put away ready to used when a sequel to Woo happens, I'm sure you guys will be the first to know!

[Ghost]

It's really nice. The simple style goes well with the "Flash-type" idling. If anything, I think the "front" of the brim should flop down a bit more- it looks as if there is more material, and as a professional hat-wearer I must tell you: that this means more flapping.

[Dropped Monocle Games]

I have made the hats brim more flappy lol
just finished setting up the rigging for the eyes! I'm loving this software and can't wait to see what I can do with this and AGS together
[embed=560,315]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7fvvpafy98[/embed]
Let me know if I'm breaking the rules by posting here with updates, or if my posts would be better somewhere else on the site! don't want to annoy anyone with my posts

[Mandle]

Okay, I think I have fixed everything that has been pointed out
its kinda hard to see the chance as I have made him faster!


and a jump, not very high as his helmet is very heavy!


and Stabby!!

Run-cycle looks perfect to my eye now!

With the jumping one I feel the arms should swing a little higher before he leaves the ground. He is swinging his arms up to gain more momentum for the jump and at the moment it seems he lifts off before they are giving him this. I think this would make him feel more "weighty" and real to the player.

With "Stabby" his feet kind of shift around a bit towards the end. It seems he has planted his feet solidly to brace for the stab, and this might be interpreted easier if they remained rock-solid while he swings.

Awesome stuff though! I think I will be taking a serious look at this program when I get around to making a game that has a third-person view character (current project is first-person viewpoint)...

EDIT: Oh hahaha...I just realized that the line across his eye is the bottom edge of his helmet...LOL I thought it was an eyepatch which is why I thought he was Odin

[Problem]

Wonderful, your new take on Woo looks gorgeous! Now that you've presented us with this, there's no way around Woo II, it must happen one day.
Your other animations are lovely too, great style. As for the jumping animation, I agree that the arms are a little late and should swing back more, but that's nitpicking.

I must admit, I never really got the hang of 2D vector animation. It worked great for side views, but I gave up trying to create a front view walk cycle - that turned out to be a complete wobbly mess.

[Mandle]

I agree that the arms are a little late and should swing back more, but that's nitpicking.

Nitpcking is what people come here to have inflicted upon them...

And on that particular nitpicking point...

VERY good point:

The arms in the jump cycle should swing backwards behind the character at the start and then pump upwards before the feet come off the ground creating the illusion of weight and momentum in the character.