Dog walk reference:

When using Maya to create a puppy walking cycle animation, it is necessary to pay attention to the following aspects, especially the coordination of the puppy’s center point and the sole of the foot, to ensure the natural flow of the animation.

Movement of the dog’s Root Joint

• Central point (Root Joint) locus: The puppy’s center of gravity (usually the Root Joint or controller of the root bone) should produce horizontal and vertical fluctuations with the footsteps. This fluctuation can simulate the up-and-down and forward movement of a puppy.
• Make sure the movement of the root bones matches the puppy’s size, rhythm, and natural gait of a quadruped.
• Gait Rhythm: Study the dog’s common gaits (walking, running) to understand the movement pattern of the center of gravity in different situations.
• When walking, the center of gravity moves less; When you run, your center of gravity fluctuates more.

Paw movement with ground contact

• Ground Sticking Principles: Make sure the sole of the foot is in natural contact with the ground. Use the reverse foot control system to easily adjust the landing, lifting, and bending of the foot.
• The transition between lifting and landing of the sole of the foot needs to be smooth, not too fast or too mechanical.
• Sliding problem: When the sole of the foot is in contact with the ground, it should be fixed on the ground without sliding. By adjusting the timeline and the movement of the root bones, the phenomenon of foot sliding can be avoided.
• Check whether the sole of the foot is sliding in the animation loop using the reference Grid or creating a ground assist object.

Quadruped gait coordination

• Gait Cycle: The gait of tetrapods is usually divided into diagonal step (for example, the left front foot and the right rear foot step at the same time) or ipsilateral step (the front and back feet of the same side step at the same time).
• Analyze the video of the dog’s real gait, observe the temporal relationship between the front and back feet, and reflect these details on the animated curve.

Movement of the spine and tail

• Spine: The dog’s spine should swing slightly with the gait when walking, increasing the flexibility of the body. The movement of the front foot will drive the front body down, and the force of the back foot will raise the back body slightly.
• Tail: The movement of the tail should reflect the puppy’s personality and state, such as gently swinging or steadily following the body rhythm, avoiding stiffness.

Loop and detail optimization

• Ensure that the state of the first and last frames is consistent (including root bone position and rotation values) for smooth transitions.

Dog walk 2D animation:

FMP proposal:

Inspiration & Research Background：

Knowing the cruelty of war caused so many people to die, not only their homes were taken away and even their cultures were invaded. At the same time, as a woman, I want the power of women to be seen.
Therefore, I aim to produce an animated short film featuring elements of traditional Chinese culture, through which I wish to convey the hope that the power of women can be witnessed and the aspiration for world peace.