February 9th progress

Today was pretty successful. I was able to take the “translate y” values from the rotoscoped PLDs (for horse_walk_04) and save them to a file via a python script. Then, using MEL commands (KeyObjFromDataFile.txt) was able to key these attributes onto four spheres acting as feet for a new creature.

I need to experiment with the physics solver and try to match an expression to the footfall pattern. I think a possible answer lies within the footfall pattern. Check out the papers where they drive a robot’s gait using footfall patterns from animals.

Huihua did say that the footfall pattern is one of the key elements that they need to derive a control system for a walker.

::NEXT STEPS::

• Create cyclic footfall pattern that closely approximates what we saw for a horse walk
  • Do this for all of the horse walk cycles and compare them.
  • Mod function and combination of sin/cos
• Rigging tutorials to understand Maya’s orientation conventions
• Implement Huihua’s expressions into an appropriate rig (biped)
• What can you do with the physics solver and IK solver with the footfall pattern data?

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