Character animations
by Aussiemandias · 06/28/2014 (9:54 am) · 12 comments
Hi guys,
If you don't know me and Felix Westin are working on a RPG set in the Wild West called "West For The Wicked". Recently I had to improve upon the default Torque3D player animation logic and this was the result.
It was somewhat tricky but it works very well. The animation is split into a few layers.
Legs: This controls the lower body and spine: walking, crouching, standing still etc.
Torso: This controls the state of the upper body: idle, gun at hip, aiming down the sights.
UpperBody: This controls ADDITIONAL animations layered ontop: holstering, reloading, recoil from shooting. Some of these are additive, but most will just override the torso animations.
I still need to add some twists to the legs and torso to remove the annoying "no diagonal movement animation" but I think it's looking pretty sharp. Thoughts?
If you don't know me and Felix Westin are working on a RPG set in the Wild West called "West For The Wicked". Recently I had to improve upon the default Torque3D player animation logic and this was the result.
It was somewhat tricky but it works very well. The animation is split into a few layers.
Legs: This controls the lower body and spine: walking, crouching, standing still etc.
Torso: This controls the state of the upper body: idle, gun at hip, aiming down the sights.
UpperBody: This controls ADDITIONAL animations layered ontop: holstering, reloading, recoil from shooting. Some of these are additive, but most will just override the torso animations.
I still need to add some twists to the legs and torso to remove the annoying "no diagonal movement animation" but I think it's looking pretty sharp. Thoughts?
About the author
#2
06/28/2014 (11:25 am)
Nice work. Not sure how to address the diagonal thing, it's not something that is checked in the input - the engine just adds both directions if you hold both buttons. Perhaps that's a place to look, though - check to see if the movement vector is 0/45/90 degrees from forward vector and catch it there. Sadly, I'm not sure where to look for this at the moment, just thinking out loud. 
#3
06/28/2014 (2:04 pm)
Looks like its coming along great, I'd add more bobbing to the torso - I think when people walk/run the head moves independently of their torso in a way. 
#4
I hope you get the rotational thing fixed. Ya'll good looks awesome!!
06/28/2014 (2:09 pm)
You and Felix Westin are doing some awesome work..I wish I had the skill level good luck!!!I hope you get the rotational thing fixed. Ya'll good looks awesome!!
#5
06/28/2014 (3:37 pm)
Looks pretty authentic, the animation as well as the scene, I wonder what shaders and postfx were added, since I think it looks better than default Torque3D, I just can spot the vignette.
#6
06/28/2014 (7:55 pm)
@Richard that's exactly what I was thinking. Compare movement to forward vector and change the position of the torso twist based on the difference! 
#7
06/29/2014 (2:39 am)
Very nice. 
#8
I believe they are using a rim lighting effect, a skin shader and a modified ambient lighting (which they have shared I'm using it in my builds and Steve is also using it in Airship Dragoon). Probably more than that, but thats the effects I could remember off the top of my head.
Edit: Also, I'm sure a lot of it is just stock T3D. Talented game developers can easily make T3D look good (just look at Ron's latest post), it doesn't necessarily need a lot of "extra features".
Anyways looks great guys! The animation system has always been sort of a mystery to me :P Haven't managed to read David Wyand's cookbook yet so I'm still unfamiliar on what T3D can/can't do there, but it sure looks great!
06/29/2014 (7:03 am)
@Duion, you can find various threads about the development of their games around the forums, and piece them together.I believe they are using a rim lighting effect, a skin shader and a modified ambient lighting (which they have shared I'm using it in my builds and Steve is also using it in Airship Dragoon). Probably more than that, but thats the effects I could remember off the top of my head.
Edit: Also, I'm sure a lot of it is just stock T3D. Talented game developers can easily make T3D look good (just look at Ron's latest post), it doesn't necessarily need a lot of "extra features".
Anyways looks great guys! The animation system has always been sort of a mystery to me :P Haven't managed to read David Wyand's cookbook yet so I'm still unfamiliar on what T3D can/can't do there, but it sure looks great!
#9
06/29/2014 (7:26 am)
This looking awesome, great work! 
#11
Thanks
06/29/2014 (11:57 am)
I seen all of the stuff but the modified ambient lighting can someone share a link to it!Thanks
Torque Owner Daniel Buckmaster
T3D Steering Committee
But otherwise, that's looking freaking awesome. Also please consider renaming to No-one Mourns The Wicked ;).