Learn to Animate a Quadruped Run Cycle in Maya for Games

Understand how to effectively setup and animate a 4-legged animal!

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In this course, we will be animating a quadruped run cycle for a video game from scratch. We will start by setting up the reference plane for the in-game speed, followed by blocking all the main poses with appealing shapes that can be read from any angle of view. From there, we will start to work with the timing to make those poses fit on the correct frames, and progressive. We will then add in-betweens as we continue to adjust the timing. It is going to be a progressive refining process, and we will be moving around a lot between the animation controllers as we refine the motion. We will also work with some variation in speed, dynamic arcs, follow through, and how to correct address the feeling of weight for the character. During this final polish stages, we will begin working on the core of the body, and edit that as we begin to edit and tweak the motion of the secondary elements. To wrap things up, we will be covering a quick trick to make the animation look more organic by using animation layers on certain parts of the character.


Your Instructor


Thiago Vidotto
Thiago Vidotto

Thiago is a freelance character artist an animator currently located in Paris, France. He graduated from the University of Sao Paulo with a degree in Architect and Urban Planning, and also attended Animation Mentor. He has worked on various projects in recent years including some with Brain Corps Entertainment, Ossian studios, Swordtales, and the Dota2 Workshop.


Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.

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