Learn to Animate a Quadruped Run Cycle in Maya for Games

Learn to create a realistic quadruped run cycle for your video game characters in this comprehensive animation course! This hands-on training takes you from the initial setup to a polished, dynamic animation.

We'll begin by establishing a reference plane to define your character's in-game speed. Then, you'll master the art of blocking the key poses using strong, readable shapes, ensuring your animation looks great from any angle.

Next, we'll dive into timing – precisely placing poses on the correct frames to achieve a believable pace. You'll learn to add in-betweens to smooth out the motion and refine the overall flow. Expect a progressive refining process, constantly adjusting and tweaking the animation controllers to achieve the desired result.

This course goes beyond the basics, covering crucial elements like speed variation, dynamic arcs, and follow-through to add realism and impact. You'll also learn how to effectively convey character weight and grounding.

During the final polish, we'll focus on refining the core body and meticulously editing the secondary elements to enhance the animation's believability. Finally, discover a quick and effective trick using animation layers to add a touch of organic movement to specific parts of your character.

(Students - please find the source files for this lesson in Section 1 / Lecture 1 downloads.)

About the Instructor:

Thiago is an experienced freelance character artist and animator based in Paris, France. He brings a unique perspective to animation, having graduated from the University of Sao Paulo with a degree in Architecture and Urban Planning, and further honed his skills at Animation Mentor. Thiago has contributed to a variety of projects, including work with Brain Corps Entertainment, Ossian Studios, Swordtales, and the Dota2 Workshop. He's passionate about helping aspiring animators create compelling and lifelike character animations.