Advanced Animation_project 2

on
Week 1 - Week 15


22 April  2026 - 21 July 2026


QIULIHUA/0365036


Design Research Dissertation / Bachelor of Design (Honours)in Creative Media

Advanced Animation

INTRODUCTION

PROJECT 2: CARTOON JUMP ANIMATION

My task is to create a smooth and realistic jump animation using the provided character model.

Fig 1.0 process

First, I imported the reference sheet for the jump animation provided by the teacher as a reference for animation production. By observing each key pose and movement change, I analyzed the character's body posture, center of gravity changes, and movement rhythm during the jump, airborne, and landing phases, laying the foundation for subsequent blocking production.


Fig 1.1 reference



I used blocking to establish the key poses for the jump, including anticipation, take-off, airborne, landing, and recovery, first confirming the overall timing, character position, and center of gravity.

Next, I adjusted the character's Root Control and Pelvis (hip) controllers to generate natural upward momentum during take-off. By bending the knees as the preparatory movement, straightening the legs during take-off, and bending the knees again upon landing to absorb impact, I made the entire jump more realistically aligned with human movement.


Fig 1.3 process

                        
Fig 1.4 graphic adjustment

I further optimized the character's detailed movements, including arm swings, head following, weight transfer, and recovery movements after landing, making the movements between different parts more coordinated. After multiple previews and adjustments, the rhythm of the entire jump animation is smoother, and the character's weight and movement are more natural and realistic.


Based on the teacher's feedback, I further optimized the Graph Editor curves for the Jump animation. I adjusted the Z Location keyframe curve to a diagonal line, making the character's vertical jump and landing speed changes more natural and enhancing the smoothness of the movement. Simultaneously, I deleted and readjusted the Y Location keyframe curves, except for the transition phase, to create a smooth curve, retaining only the motion changes during the transition phase. This adjustment makes the character more stable when moving forward and backward, avoiding unnecessary speed fluctuations and making the overall jump animation more consistent with realistic human motion.

Fig 1.5 graphic adjustment


Fig 1.6 graphic adjustment



Project 2 - Jump Animation:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10E5EcSXGGUKiG-qKdYx7DRstR1uSfEnL/view?usp=drive_link
FEEDBACK

WEEK 12:

General Feedback:I need to change 

Specific Feedback: 

  • Based on the teacher's suggestions, the Z-Location animation curve was adjusted, changing the keyframe tangents to linear lines to make the character's up-and-down movement during jumps more natural and avoid abrupt speed changes.
  • The Y-Location animation curve was modified; except for the transition phase between takeoff and landing, unnecessary tangent controls were removed from other keyframes, and a Bezier curve was used to make the character's forward and backward movement smoother and improve the overall continuity of the animation.
  • The keyframe curves in the Graph Editor were optimized to improve the rhythm and trajectory of the character's jump, making the takeoff, flight, and landing more consistent with realistic motion.

REFLECTION 

Through this Jump Animation exercise, I have a deeper understanding of the production process of character jumping movements. Starting from importing the action frame reference pictures provided by the teacher, I learned how to analyze each key posture, body center of gravity and movement rhythm, and apply these contents to the character animation. The process of making Blocking allowed me to first confirm the overall movement and timing, and then gradually improve the details, making the entire production process more organized.

After receiving feedback from teachers, I further realized the importance of Graph Editor to animation quality. The teacher suggested adjusting the key frame curve of Z Location to a diagonal line to make the character's up and down movement speed more stable; at the same time, optimizing the key frames of Y Location except for the transition stage and deleting unnecessary control points to make the motion curve more natural. These modifications made me understand that animation is not just about placing key frames, but also requires controlling speed changes and action rhythm through curve editing to make the character's movement more realistic and smooth.

In the process of constantly modifying and previewing animations, I also better understood the human body mechanics in jumping movements, such as the accumulation of energy before taking off, the change of center of gravity when taking off, and the buffering movement after landing. These details will directly affect the realism and expressiveness of the animation.

Overall, this exercise allowed me to improve my Blender animation production capabilities, and also allowed me to learn to continuously optimize my works based on the teacher's feedback. In the future, I will pay more attention to the details of movements, curve adjustments, and the weight of the characters, hoping to create more natural and convincing character animations.


















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