ANIMATICODE
HUMANOID PROCEDURAL ANIMATIONS
ROLES
SOLO PROJECT
PROJECT INFORMATION
Genre: Procedural Animation, Character Controller
Team: Solo
Duration: 3 months
Engine: Unity
Platform: Windows
Tools: Unity, IK Rig, Animation Layers, Blend Tree
FEATURES
This technical project is a prototype to replicate procedural animations on humanoid models to create a responsive character using a combination of inverse kinematics and multiple animation layers.
• Implement multi-aim constraints to the chest and head to look at targets of interest
• Two-bone IK to the arms for procedural hand gestures
• Ground detection using raycast for proper foot placement on uneven grounds
• Script animation layers to blend weights between animation data and IK rig
• Implement 2D blend trees to smoothen transitions between animation clips
• Implement Unity’s mecanim humanoid rigs to streamline the animation retargeting process
• Implement avatar masks to support a wider range of blending capabilities
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
As characters are an essential aspect of designing immersive experiences, the objective was to create a responsive humanoid character that reacts appropriately to its surroundings. Using a systemic approach, I experimented with IK rigs and animation retargeting to allow characters to have proper foot placement on uneven grounds and react to environmental changes at runtime.
TECHNICAL PROCESS
With multiple features such as multi-aim constraints, two-bone IK, and raycast for ground detection working independently from each other, I apply behavioral rules to constraint the relevant joints and use animation layers to blend/override existing animation data to create procedural character animations and actions at runtime.
