From BlenderWiki
[edit] Introduction
[edit] What
This principle is about motion paths. In nature most motion describes curved, arced trajectories in space, not straight ones, which are more characteristic of mechanical movement.
Examples:
- Plants, from leaves, like blades of grass to bamboo and branches attached to large trunks to whole trees, sway in the wind or when pushed or pulled. Having one end attached to the plant or the ground, they arc.
- Articulated creatures like us vertebrates move our parts in arced paths, too, since joints are made to rotate.
- objects thrown in the air fall in parabolic trajectories when gravity is the only relevant force acting on them.
- counter-example: pistons are mechanical devices that move straight up and down inside cylinders.
[edit] Why
Using properly arced paths results in more life-like motion. Viewers notice something strange about an animated head turn that follows a straigh horizontal line, even if they are not aware that a real head will dip or raise slightly when turning.
To bend, straighten or rotate our arms, the joints at the shoulder, elbow and wrist must rotate. Similarly with the legs, not to mention how our spines move.
The reasons come from Physics (living in curved space-time) and the resulting way that most natural things are constituted. A pendulum serves as a simple illustration of arced (in this case circular) motion caused by one end of the moving part being connected firmly to a base and the other free to move. That can be related to body articulations and, in plants, to stems and branches.
[edit] How
As other principles, arced paths should be understood and remembered when animating objects or posing articulated characters.
For whole objects a basic, qualitative (non technical) understanding of motion trajectories: free falls, thrown objects, etc. should be enough for simple applications, specially because the software can take care of it using its simulation capabilities (soft and rigid body Physics).
Articulated characters: beautiful arcs can be used in broader movement of arms and legs, but for smaller ones, less is more, subtlety is king. Arced paths should be used for everything, from arms and legs to head turns and eye movement.
Arcs are also present in lines of action for the poses themselves, as discussed in another principle of animation, Staging.
[edit] Physics
[edit] Story Development
[edit] Notes
[edit] The 10 second club
In the story development section we suggest to start with the shortest animations possible. The 10 second club is a famous monthly competition on character animation, a good chance to practice and to learn and have fun watching works from other animators.
Summer of documentation 2006 -- Willian 07:20, 5 July 2006 (CEST)
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