March Update #01 (Patreon)

WHAT HAPPENED TO IMAGE PINUPS?

So, remember when I mentioned I planned to work on Pinups alongside animations? Well, that plan didn't quite pan out. The main reason? I hit a creative roadblock. I just couldn't seem to find any compelling ideas to develop further. It's not like I can go back to the basics either, just a simple pose with a background would feel uninspired at this point. What I really want is to push my boundaries and create something that truly challenges me. That's how I'll truly grow and learn in this endeavor.

ANIMATION RECAP

With the latest animation, "March 2024 Pinup," I decided to keep things simple by focusing solely on a thrust motion. One aspect that I'm particularly pleased with is that I learned a new method of offsetting keyframes, eliminating the need for manual adjustment. While doing it manually is perfectly fine and effective, this new method offers a faster alternative. When something speeds up the process, it's always advisable to adopt it. Time is of utmost importance when working on projects; the longer you spend on a project, the less enthusiastic you may become about it.

One challenge I encountered in this project was figuring out the dynamics of the thigh cages. I aimed for a subtle jiggle without overdoing it, while ensuring they reacted appropriately to impacts. Since I'm relatively new to working with cage physics, I didn't expect perfection, but I'm committed to mastering it going forward. Another hurdle with cage physics is needing to include empty frames at the beginning of the animation to allow the simulation to settle before the main motion begins, otherwise it can look messy. I'm still refining my workflow for this as I usually start my animation at frame 0.

Another challenge I encountered was attempting to animate realistic camera movements. In a previous version of this animation, I tried panning the camera to Pharah's face and then back down, but I struggled to make it look natural. Instead, it ended up resembling a robotic arm or something similar, so I decided to remove that part entirely. I'm excited about the opportunity to learn how to animate cameras more effectively in the future.

FLUID SIM?

I've been dabbling in FLIP Fluids on the side, but I'm not diving too deep into it just yet. I still have plenty of animation techniques to explore before tackling fluid simulations. However, I'm definitely looking forward to incorporating them into my work in the future.

WHAT'S NEXT?

In life, I'm learning to go with the flow and avoid putting too much pressure on things. Sometimes, overthinking is my biggest challenge. I plan to release my Illari model sometime this month, along with another model I've been working on. After that, most likely just more animations and experimentations.

Thank you all for your support! If you have any questions about anything, feel free to message me. I may not reply immediately, but as soon as I see your message, I'll get back to you.