Dog 3D animation both front and side view feedback

The center of gravity and the timing of the steps in the dog walking animation are the core of the animation. I have thought about the problems in walking animation and summarized the knowledge points:

Movement of the Center of Mass
Center of gravity position:
It is usually located just below the puppy’s chest (between the front hind legs, slightly forward). The movement of the Root Joint reflects this physical location.
In a quadruped gait, the center of gravity rises and falls slightly with the foot, but usually less than in a biped.
Gait rhythm:
When the front foot lands, the center of gravity sinks slightly.
When the back foot pushes off the ground, the center of gravity is slightly raised.
Center of gravity moving law:
When a puppy walks, its center of gravity will shift slightly from side to side in the X-axis (horizontal) direction as its body weight shifts.
When the left back foot and the right front foot hit the ground at the same time, the center of gravity will lean toward the line between the two feet; And vice versa.
Adjustment method:
The X-axis curve of the root bone is synchronized with the rhythm of the footsteps, forming an “S” shaped periodic swing, reflecting the left-right shift of the center of gravity.
The swing amplitude should be adjusted according to the size of the puppy, and the smaller dog’s swing is more subtle.

The four-legged gait of a puppy usually falls into the following common patterns:
Walk: A diagonal step with a 1-2-3-4 rhythm (e.g., left front, right back → right front, left back).
Trot: Diagonal step acceleration, front and back feet are almost synchronized, the rhythm is 1-2 (e.g., left front and right back → right front and left back).
Gallop: The front and back feet are synchronized in groups, and the rhythm is 1-1 (such as back foot → front foot).

Timing adjustment:
Make sure each foot lifts, swings, and lands evenly. It is recommended to look at the animation timeline, and the keyframes for each foot should be spaced at regular gait intervals (for example, in a 24-frame gait cycle, the starting points for all four feet should be spaced 6 frames apart).

Lift the foot length: lift the foot to reflect the lightness of the feet, especially the front foot, there should be a slightly delayed swing action to avoid too fast.
Swing trajectory: The movement trajectory of the foot should be an “arc”, simulating the natural movement of the dog to lift the foot. Avoid stiffness resulting from straight motion.

Alternating length of front and back feet:
When the puppy walks on all four legs, the ratio of grounding time to lifting time of each foot is about 2:1. In other words, the soles of the feet spend more time on the ground than in the air, reflecting a sense of stability.

FMP hair design: Reference – 2D – 3D outcome

Based on the reference pictures, hair styles and hair accessories conforming to the scene and traditional Chinese style were designed for the three different scenes respectively, and modeling was carried out and applied to the character models.
In addition, due to the disarray of characters during the war, no additional hair accessories were made