4 Legged Animals (Horse)

newmatic · Post by **newmatic** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 12:46 am

Hey everyone.

I am attempting to make a horse in anime studios 8 debut and I am having trouble with the back legs in a side profile shot.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can draw it so that when the horse walks the back legs look realistic? The only why I have thought of is to draw the back legs on a separate vector layer and put them into a separate bone layer than the rest of the body. I don't like this method, however, because you cannot link the bones in the back legs to the spine bone.

I appreciate your help!

Thanks.

funksmaname · Post by **funksmaname** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 12:57 am

i dont think your actual problem is clear... there's no reason why you have to separate it into different layers and bone arrangements? can you post some example?

GCharb · Post by **GCharb** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 2:01 am

As funksmaname said, no need to put in separate bone layers, put everything in one bone layer.

You do just like the basic rigging tutorial, you place the bones when the legs are apart then use the offset bone tool to bring them together on frame one.

As for animating a horse, a good starting point is to make both front and back leg walk as a human, then you just inverse the extremes.

This is not a perfect way, but it will give you a basic horse walk with ups and downs.

Post by **Víctor Paredes** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 3:57 am

An important point is front and back legs hasn't their contacts at the same time. If front legs start the cycle with the contact, back legs will start with the down or pass position. If you manage well that difference and have the four legs moving at the same velocity, the horse will look natural.

Wiseling · Post by **Wiseling** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 6:05 am

Hey newmatic

maybe these two videos can help too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INQx-Lzs ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lborw5Op ... ideo_title

GCharb · Post by **GCharb** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 2:26 pm

Hey, those are from the Animator Survival Kit Animated, good references.

newmatic · Post by **newmatic** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 6:53 pm

Thanks for all your help. You helped me realize that I need to make each part of the body on a separate vector and then link the bone to it. I was trying to make the entire horse on the same vector.

GCharb · Post by **GCharb** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 8:21 pm

You could make the horse on the same vector, then you need to point bind the control points to the bone, I often work that way!

newmatic · Post by **newmatic** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 9:18 pm

I think I will have to play around with both. I am really new to it and just know what I know from the few youtube videos I have watched. I just have a goal to get a video done by Christmas for a family thing.

GCharb · Post by **GCharb** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 10:08 pm

I like to have as little layers as possible, then I use the magnet to move things around!

I am working on this scene right now, and though it is fairly complex, it has only 6 layers.

SvenFoster · Post by **SvenFoster** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 11:08 pm

wow Gilles, that is some pretty looking character...very Disney

Post by **Víctor Paredes** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 11:21 pm

SvenFoster wrote:wow Gilles, that is some pretty looking character...very Disney

http://images4.fanpop.com/image/polls/5 ... 5_full.jpg
It's actually Tiana, from disney's The princess and the frog. Gilles, are you experimenting with its? I'm pretty sure you can get very disney's results with AS, I would love to see it animated

PD: Sorry for the offtopic.

GCharb · Post by **GCharb** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 12:12 am

Yes this is Tiana!

After 244233256 post I decided to make a workflow based on his and some tricks of mine, so I decided to try and make a Disney quality scene.

I am animating it at the moment, and I must say that it looks real good so far.

Will try to have the workflow and animation done before the end of the week-end.

SvenFoster · Post by **SvenFoster** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 8:11 am

Ha ha at least I can spot Disney. No sure if that's because of the animations I've watched or the kids programs with subliminal messages in.

Animating something as fluid as that will be worth watching

capricorn33 · Post by **capricorn33** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 9:33 am

GCharb wrote: After 244233256 post I decided to make a workflow based on his and some tricks of mine, so I decided to try and make a Disney quality scene. /.../ Will try to have the workflow and animation done before the end of the week-end.

Can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait can't wait!!!