Dev:Ref/Requests/Animation2.6/Automatic Walking/Idears

Idears

Automatic mapping of walk animations based on object velocity

Automating walk cycles is an useful possibility, so they can be reused in any scene on top of the normal armature action. NLA strips make this possible to a basic extent: You can have a separate action looped over the object's armature action. However, this simply repeats the extra action at a fixed speed, without any additional logics.

The idea is having walk actions automatically adjusted based on the armature object's speed. You specify the velocity at which the armature action should play at normal speed, as well as how much to offset as velocity distances from that value. If the object is moving slower or faster, the action also loops slower or faster, making sure the feet never slide on the ground.

Additionally, speed ranges in which to activate the action would be excellent. For example, such could be used to have no influence when the character is standing, a walk animation as the character is walking slowly, but if the character starts moving too fast the walk animation is replaced by a run animation. Walk and run actions would each have different velocities at which to start blending in and replacing one another. If directional to local axes, different armature actions can be automated based on the character moving forward, backward, or strafing left and right.

A further step is being able to also assign actions to acceleration / deceleration ranges. Such can be used to automate the character bending forward if it comes to a sudden stop while running.

Overall, this would allow moving a character anywhere anytime, without having to adjust the walk cycles manually. You simply key the object's position (or use a path) and the actions representing movement automatically happen when and how they should. Such a system could take a lot of work off the animator's shoulders.

MirceaKitsune 20.12.13

Generate steps from a path

Generate foot steps from a path or curve, which can be used to visualize the walking/running sequence.

Also these could later be tweaked in the UI to change the position of the foot steps.

Generate steps from a path or curve.

Koilz 19.12.13