[shahar2k]

a question, to all who would answer: is there anywhere where I can obtain reference for animation? (short of videtaping people running and the like? things like stock AVIs or something which I can use to learn the motion of humans?

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"Avoid needless embarrassment. Practice the correct pronunciation of your deity's name in the privacy of your own room before chanting it in public. Flash cards are often helpful." --The Evil Cultist's Hand Guide

[Kenzo Tanaka]

That would be Muybridge.

Check out http://www.reelfx.com/muybridge/

[shahar2k]

yah I think it was, the horse bet was one of the very first examples of moving pictures ever made, he had strings connected to each camera, and as the horse broke the string the camera went off... that way he got the horse running in place.... (I know that story from an encyclopedia I've read somewhere) now all I have to do is find his book... heh animating in milkshape... it's a giant angry bitch-job
(heh just checked the site, Thanks kenzo, exactly what I needed!)

[This message has been edited by shahar2k (edited October 01, 2000).]

[AliasMoze]

Video reference is often helpful. I also own a digital camera that I use to snap off pictures or sequences. If learning human movement is your goal, I high suggest doing some quick gesture drawings from life. That is, do some really quick gestures of people in the park or zoo or theme park. There's really no better way to learn. There are things you'll pick up from life that you won't see in videotape or pictures. Again, though, video can be good reference.

[ThE_JacO]

animating over a reference is called rotoscoping, and honestly it's not exactly the first step in a learning process.
Usually it's better starting with cartoon where the tricks are anticipation (i don't know if it's the right english translation, i hope so ) that's the "charge" in opposite sense that preceeds a movement, mass/weight (it's linked to timing and to balance), and timing (where a few books with walk , run, skiphop , jump etc. cycles will keep you busy for quite a bit ).
Reproducing the human movement realistically and rotoscoping means having to do with a lot less anticipation and slightly less regular timings, it also requires an infinity of minor subtle "finesses" to make realistical something we are used to see everyday.

Definitively start with cartoon before moving to rotoscoping/realistic
for the books search on amazon.com, reader's reviews will help u to filter out the crap and get 4 or 5 decent books, maybe some of em won't be accademical bjous but the more reference cycles and drawings the better (when u start)

enjoy

EDIT: mhhh i noticed right now i got terribly OT (i was fooled from some replies .

For reference material u should try for the various encyclopedia on CD-rom under the voices dynamics, muscles, sport etc.
Also medical/sport training videos have a lot of kickass run cycles.
last but not least newton press pubblished a book about muscle stress (sorry i lost the book so i can't really remember the title or give u the PN) that contained a CD-rom with a total of like 150 videos of ppl running, jumping, landing, walking, lifting weights etc. all with a counterpart where they showed the bones and muscle masses animation.
most precious CD i have got my hands on during the animation course

[This message has been edited by ThE_JacO (edited October 02, 2000).]

[shahar2k]

well the real reason why I asked this question is cus I'm animating my ever-boasted 3D model of the "Scud" charecter, and I'm having truble getting the movement right, this is for Half life/Q3 so thanks for the rotoscoping, I don't really plan on animating in 2D too much of a pain (I shouldn't say that next to my friend since he's a full on Disney Fan and an amazing artist as well...) anyways, I just need a bit of guidance, and time with my dad's camcorder/videocapture combo I guess... thanks for all the help! god I love this forum

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"Avoid needless embarrassment. Practice the correct pronunciation of your deity's name in the privacy of your own room before chanting it in public. Flash cards are often helpful." --The Evil Cultist's Hand Guide

[AliasMoze]

I would have to disagree about the cartooning. The problem with modern animation is the overuse of anticipation, squash-and-stretch, and the like.

Using reference is not necessarily rotoscoping. 2D and 3D character animators use reference all the time, be it life or video. If the animation is a duplicate of the reference video, then you can call it roto. But if you are curious about particular movements or poses or timing, then why not observe how it works in the real world.