After Effects: Walk and Run Cycles

Walk Cycle

In this lesson we looked at making walk cycles in After Effects using 8 different images of a man walking in 8 different steps. Below is a walk sheet to show the different actions to create the walk cycle:

I used the 8 different images and imported them into After Effects and created a new composition, setting the duration of the animation to 1 second. Each image lasts for 3 frames with the composition being 24 frames per second. Every 3rd frame i added a new walking image behind the other, adding keyframes along the way to animate the walk cycle. 

I learnt how to animate a character to walk by combining the 8 different images together in After Effects. I now know how i would be able to animate using drawn images. Doing this animation made me learn how to use keyframes properly and understand them. 

Run Cycle

Below is the run sheet to show the stages of the run cycle:

Again, i used the 8 different images

I used the 8 different images and imported them into After Effects and created a new composition, setting the duration of the animation to 1 second. Each image lasts for 3 frames with the composition being 24 frames per second. Every 3rd frame i added a new running image behind the other, adding keyframes along the way to animate the run cycle. 

Walk Bits Cycle

This was to create a walking man in a different way by creating the character into bits. 

The image was created in Adobe Illustrator to begin with and then I imported this file as a composition into After Effects I then added the walk composition I had created in the other walk animations. The file was shown with the different sections of the man in which i linked all the objects in the hierarchy to the body so that they will all be linked as one piece. I then moved the anchor points in each object to the joint of the body piece, for the arm it would go to the elbow and wrist. This was so i was able to rotate them.

I then selected the body layer and clicked 'P' for Position and on every 3rd frame i would key the body for the up and down position.
I then selected all the layers and clicked 'R' for Rotation in which i rotated every piece in the walking position every 3rd frame.

I learnt different ways to animate a character in the walking cycle. One way of using stages of drawings and another using different body pieces to move into different walking positions. I liked the walk bits animation more than the other because i think it's more accurate with its movements and more simple. It also shows a way of moving a character in any different position you like instead of having to repeatedly draw out the character.