How to Cheat in Maya 2012

8

Blocking

Creating a solid foundation for your animation is probably the most important element of making a successful piece.

CREATING THE FOUNDATION of your animation, or blocking, is arguably the most important phase of animating. Since almost everything we do is affected by it, from the performance ideas we incorporate, to the appropriate technical approach, to the ease of refining and polishing, it’s a great idea to define a solid blocking workflow. We’re going to look at some common, yet very powerful, techniques to make blocking enjoyable and efficient.

This chapter is based around a short ninja animation, as the main reason to become ...