Swansong Angel

[odintheking]

Stormy, these are Kinboat's wings. I just thought they looked better smaller (I screwed around alot with this unit). I'll have the wings limp in the default and run anims, and have them go up into "attack" pose with the fortify.

[Plotinus]

Great first unit! I'm glad you've reached the stage of completed units at last after all those previews. I'm sure this'll be the first of many.

Here are my comments:

(1) I agree that his wings are a bit stiff and unmoving. I notice also that you have no Fidget animation. Why not create one where he stretches his wings or something? It would add a bit of life.

(2) In the Fortify, and especially in the Victory, his feet slide along the ground too much. He needs to lift them so it looks like he's stepping rather than ice skating. Also, I think it would help with these animations if you lower his Hip at the end of the Fortify, so that he fights from a slightly more "crouching" stance. It only has to be a little lower, to make the legs look more natural with his feet wider apart. (His left foot wobbles during the Attack B too, which may be partly caused by having his Hip too high so that his toes can't quite reach where they are meant to be.) Have another look at how utahjazz creates the fortify/attack pose in his tutorial.

(3) Good work animating the upper body in the attack animations. I agree that his arm should straighten as he moves. He should probably move his head a bit too (he moves like he's wearing a neck brace). Also, when rotating his abdomen and chest, I would rotate his hip a little bit too. This really adds realism because it makes him move his legs. You can create even more movement by having him actually step forward as he makes the punch, but that might not be necessary here.

(4) Small point: Kinboat's Run animation has the fingers stretched out in a way that always looks odd to me. I think it looks more natural if you curl his fingers a little in the first frame, and make the rest of the frames not key frames, so they stay like that.

(5) The Run animation has been struck by the dreaded Civ3FlcEdit "extra frame". It doesn't show in Civ3FlcEdit, but if you watch it in Flicster or in the game, there's a little pause between each cycle. I don't know what causes this or why it only seems to afflict some people. It afflicts me, which is why I always use Flicster to create the animations, since it does not have this problem.

(6) I agree that the Death isn't great, although I like the alternate one you've included. It might be worth having another look at how utahjazz does the death in his tutorial, since that's a pretty good and simple generic death animation.

[19Delta]

Thanks, I'll download this unit when I get back home. My dad died back in October, and I had Stairway to Heaven played at his funeral, Led Zeppelin is kind of special to me. Thanks again.

[flamescreen]

It's a great unit.
I think that if a creator can improve on their skills, they will anyway.
I try to at least. If they can't do something, even if you request them to improve on something there's little luck in doing it.

Civ3 needs good creators anyway. Let's get them first and then we'll see what we can get from them.

[odintheking]

Thanks for your feedback, everyone. I'm currently redoing the attacks (they look alot more natural) and making the wings less "tense" in the run and default animations. As for the hip thing, I realized that with some of my other units. Unfortunately, I didn't read Utah's tutorial at the beginning, and instead of going to library>PDM, I opened up the .obj file and applied the skeleton myself, (this was how I did things in other 3d programs, I didn't realize there was another way to do it) so there are a couple of glitchy things. Namely, when I move the hips, the whole unit moves, so it's nigh impossible to get the knees bent into a natural position. I'll try, though, .

19Delta - I'm sorry to hear about your father. But I agree with you that Led Zeppelin's music is powerful; and symbolic of many aspects of life. Their music portrays emotions and feelings that music is meant to express. I would want Led Zeppelin played when I die, too, .

[Lord Malbeth]

Originally Posted by Odintheking

I would want Led Zeppelin played when I die, too, .

I want the Imperial March played at mine.

Anyway, I think this unit is really cool. I love angel units, 'cuz there is hardly any of them. Thanks.

[Plotinus]

Originally Posted by odintheking

Namely, when I move the hips, the whole unit moves, so it's nigh impossible to get the knees bent into a natural position. I'll try, though, .

Make sure you turn on Inverse Kinematics for both legs.

[odintheking]

How do you do that?

[Plotinus]

It's an option on one of the menus. Select the PDM figure, then find the option, and tick it for both legs. This has the effect of securing his feet in place, so when you move the hip his feet stay planted. You can do it for his arms too, but this is less useful: handy when he's holding a pike, or something like that, which is planted on the ground, and you want his hand holding it to stay still while he looks around or something. I used this to make my Orthodox Priest hold his staff still in the default animation.

[Grandraem]

Nice job. Excellent for a first unit. A little touching up and I'm sure your units are going to be great.

[Amadan]

For a first unit it's pretty good. Only a few tweeks (already mentioned) and your units should be unbelievable!

[odintheking]

Thank you, . I've rendered everything newly animated (sans the death, which I'm still working on. Deaths are so hard to do! And Utah's doesn't look right for some reason, )

[Goldflash]

You know, I have that shirt. Intresting Choice for a first unit. Or any unit.

[odintheking]

Thank you, Goldflash.

Ok, I'm almost done with the v2 of the unit. I want to preview the death for you guys (palette is bad, but only on the gif) Also, imagine the sound of the animation:



Is it good? If not, should I change something? Or is the whole idea bad, i.e. should I try another death.

[Partizanac]

still the wings are way up, put them down! and he looks like he slipped on something! which is not a bad thing

PS. don't give up on the unit!!!!

[Plotinus]

I think the wings should move during the death. Also, try to keep the feet in the same place, to avoid the "slipping" effect (it helps to make sure you move the hip backwards as well as down during the fall). It might also look better if you move his abdomen and chest more during the animation: perhaps have him bend forwards at the start and then back as he falls, or perhaps swivel a bit. Any kind of movement is good to avoid the "timber" effect. Also, perhaps do something a bit different with his arms. His left arm doesn't seem to move (unrealistic) - perhaps have him fling it out - and from this angle he seems to be making a Nazi salute with his right!

[odintheking]

Ok, I'll try those. And the wings are supposed to be like that, at least in the attack and death anims, because he is tense, and fighting. In the default and run, they are relaxed.

[odintheking]

Version 2, greatly improved animations. The death is now close to utah's. Enjoy!

BTW, Par, or anyone, can you make a preview, .

[Partizanac]

Looks great!

here you go!

[odintheking]

Thanks, Par, you rock!