This week we continued exploring weight shifts and began working on walk cycles, which are essential for giving a character life. A major focus of this task was blocking, which helps plan and structure the animation before fully animating it. Blocking allows us to visualize key poses, timing, and weight distribution in a clear way, ensuring that the character’s movement feels balanced and believable.
Using a structured pose-based blocking approach, I planned the walk by placing key poses for the hips, legs, and overall posture. This helped me understand how weight shifts from one leg to the other, how subtle hip movements can convey personality, and how timing affects the flow of the animation. Learning to block properly also highlighted the importance of letting the rig move naturally, without forcing actions frame by frame. Initially, I misunderstood blocking, thinking it was simply placing keyframes, but with guidance from the tutor, I learned to use Maya’s tools to flatten timing and create a clear framework for the animation.
Once the blocking was done, I could start animating with a strong plan in place, focusing on follow-through, timing, and realistic weight shifts. This approach made the animation smoother, more controlled, and easier to refine. The exercise reinforced how critical proper blocking is for any complex movement, and how it lays the foundation for a polished, life-like walk cycle.
First blocking version:
(Front view)
(Side view)