Spend a little time planning your footstep animation with pencil and paper first. This will make the task of setting up footsteps much easier. Answering the questions below can help orient your planning.
Planning for Footstep Placement
- How are the footsteps going to be positioned in viewports? Draw a sketch of their positions.
- What is the sequence of the footsteps? This will determine the footstep numbers.
Footsteps always begin with the number 0. Number them in your diagram if you can.
- Is each footstep a left or right footstep?
Planning for Footstep Timing
- What is the support relationship between left and right footsteps? In other words, does the timing of the footsteps resemble a walk, run or jump pattern? A character doing a foxtrot or waltz, for example, is actually moving with “walk” timing – the character shifts weight from one foot to the other.
- How long, in frames, should each footstep be? How long are the biped's airborne periods?
- Are there any periods of time where the biped is standing on two feet for a while?