PacktLib: Blender 2.5 Character Animation Cookbook

Blender 2.5 Character Animation Cookbook

Credits

About the Author

Acknowledgements

About the Reviewers

www.PacktPub.com

Preface

Get Rigging

Introduction

Defining good orientations for your bones

Using separate bone chains for different tasks

Customizing shapes and colors for your bones

Using corrective shape keys

Making an IK-FK switcher

Tips on weight painting your character

Rigging the Torso

Introduction

How to create a stretchy spine

Rigging the pelvis

Making your character breathe

Controlling the neck and head

Eying Animation

Introduction

How to control where your characters look at

The eyelids controllers

Controlling the pupils

Poker Face? Facial Rigging

Introduction

Adding expressions using Shape Keys

Face controls with lattices

Creating the jaw controller

Controlling your tongue

Hands Down! The Limbs Controllers

Introduction

Controlling fingers

Creating IK legs with a three-pivot foot

Stretch those limbs!

Setting up the shoulders

Cartoon bending for arms and legs

Different spaces for IK hands

Blending with the Animation Workflow

Introduction

Animating in layers

Changing between FK and IK in a shot

Grasping and throwing objects

Silhouette and mirrored rendering

Tracking animation arcs

Using video for background reference

Working with linked assets and characters

Non-linear animation

Easy to Say, Hard to Do: Mastering the Basics

Introduction

Adjusting and tracking the timing

Spacing: favoring and easing poses

Anticipating an action

Using squash and stretch

Breaking the symmetry

Shake That Body: The Mechanics of Body Movement

Introduction

Animating a tennis serve

Heavy metal

Glory for your team: kicking the ball

Run, Forrest! (in cycles)

Spicing it Up: Animation Refinement

Introduction

It's time for secondary actions

Hold, but not still: using moving holds

Animating characters with appendages

Like clay: refining with the AniSculpt technique

Drama King: Acting in Animation

Introduction

In the blink of an eye

Walking with style

Talking heads (and bodies)

Planning Your Animation

Planning Your Animation

Planning Your Animation

Planning Your Animation

Planning Your Animation