FrameBaker

Marmot Recipes

Today I'm working on the "FrameBaker".  It's a tool we're using to put the characters and animations into the game.

You can see here a work-in-progress of the "Pink Marmot".  It's just one of the many characters you'll be able to unlock in the game as you progress.

FrameBaker

The FrameBaker starts with all the individual elements that make up the animation.

This is the Primary Animation, and makes the biggest emotional impact for the player.

You can see the familiar Squash and Stretch in the last four frames on the right.


Next we add in the Procedural Animation.  I'm using a technique called Inverse Kinematics to keep the arm locked onto the handlebars and the shoulder.

In a video game, it's the procedural animation which links the character to their environment.

In the screenshot, you can see the green tick marks which show the anchors and pivots for the inverse kinematics solver.




Lastly we mix in the Secondary Animation.  This is the spinning beany or the waving antenna.  It creates the believability and makes the character seem real without affecting their overall movement.



    ...and that's how you bake a Pink Marmot.