4- Legged walk cycle guide

All done!

4- legged walk guide from 3 angles!

Though the front and back alternate on their own as a normal person with two legs would walk, I had to think how i could simplify co-ordinating the front and back feet together with this motion. Plenty of research in books and live reference later, this should work with most general walk cycles.

Note that i am using horse movement, for animals like dogs and big cats, look up their structures and note the difference in the front legs then apply this technique.

My anatomy in animation video may be helpful for this- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpvjkpuu5QA

Need reference from live animals? http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=6F0A629072D3326A

Music: Starfox Adventures - Snowhorn ride

http://darkmanethewerewolf.deviantart.com/

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• four
• legged
• horse
• griffin
• hippogryph
• Walk
• cycle
• animation
• Guide
• tutorial

[nowaythatsme]

This is awesome.. But I don't think the front legs are supposed to bend backwards are they?

[DarkmaneTheWerewolf]

@nowaythatsme

As i say in the description, i use a horse-like movement.

This expresses the importance of researching the animal you want to apply this method to.

[StainedFeathers]

Actually, 4-legged animals dont always step in that pattern- it's better to pay attention to an animals gait pattern instead of go by a "basic" pattern as you have suggested. The pattern they step in is highly dependant on the structure AND length of the legs. A horses (shorter legged unguligrade) walking gait is a different pattern than dog's (shorter legged digitigrade) which are both different from a giraffe (long legged unguligrade) and maned wolf (long legged digitigrade).

[DarkmaneTheWerewolf]

@StainedFeathers

Thats what my high-speed reference videos are for =p. For most 4 legged animals like this, the gait is different as you say (Giraffe and zebra examples in my high-speed reference for comparison as well as dogs in another video) and the key frames would have to be modified depending on the animal. But the order in which their legs step is always the same because thats the most efficient for these types of animals. I always stress that prior research is important.

[OkamiFool]

omg is that StarFox adventures music i hear? :D

great tutorial, this should help me alot :)

[sugarhigh1236]

Thumbs up if SplashKittyArtist sent you here!

[elementwolf100]

errrrrr............is that a horse?

[SplashWolfArtist101]

ok so the creepy thing is..... the thing at the front of the body were the head should go....is moving and it looks like the poor dog i headless!! well he hi you can see that, i just meant that you should have finished it but no coloring it in and all but at least have it have a head!!! :(

[SplashWolfArtist101]

@WebkinzTimberWolf101 hey ya that is how i got here!! :)

[WebkinzTimberWolf101]

you helped SplashkittyArtist get the 4 legged walk cycle right on one of her videos!!!

[EpisFaceFilms]

That was scary because it didn't have legss.....

[TheReignofSilence]

Hi! I love your animations and your guides are really helpful, so I have a question, what would a hexapodal walk or run be like? Not like a bug, but more like those creatures from Avatar. How they walk the front legs move the same together, but I think it would be more realistic if they didn't move exactly the same. More like one or two steps difference. Sorry to bug you, just wondering how you think a hexapod walk would look like. Thanks :)

[cheetahstarofoakclan]

@OkamiFool You like StarFox Adventures AND Okami?!!?!?!?! *awesome face*

[cheetahstarofoakclan]

STAR FOX ADVENTURES!!!!!!!!!! AHH!! YEAH! SO HAPPY!!!! Riding a SnowHorn. :D

[webkinzwolf104]

i though it was some type of cat but then when you put it together it looks like a horse

[IceArtz]

Awesome. This really helps a lot! Thank you so much for making this!