Now we’re getting into the swing of things, it’s time for the pendulum.
This is quite a tricky concept on multiple levels. On one level because you’re dealing with the movement of many joints at once. On the other, because you’ve got a weight at the end of a chain, that you have to control using multiple joints. If it’s going over your head it’s ok. It’s something that comes with experience (which you’ll gain this week by doing it).
So right off the bat, if you’re having trouble. Again here is a simple blocking method. Also again, this is neither the best, nor does it leave you with a finished result as is. But it’s here for anyone that might be having trouble. To get something working quickly, so as to spend more time tweaking and learning the finer points.
Sometimes you need to check the spacing of a certain body part or piece of geometry, independant of other factors. This is a simple method of tracking the motion of the ball at the tip of the pendulum on a singular axis for clarity.
A few videos here.
The length of the pendulum affects the speed it swings at. But a pendulum will always swing with the same timing, even though the distance gets shorter.
Here is a pretty example of this.
Putting the prettiness aside:
Finally remember to keep it simple. Doing lots of loop de loops etc is cool, and a challenge. But try using that time to polish up the shot with a simple move instead.
