Below are some frames of a cat animation for my upcoming game, Bad Timing.
Critique is welcome, but I'm particulary interested in suggestions to make the cat look more angry (last 4 frames). I have tried to curl her back, raise her hairs, make the eyes smaller, etc.
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/bt-cat.gif)
UPDATE BELOW:
This is the new version:
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/BT_newcat.gif)
Comments are welcome.
I also have a question: The cat doesn't move once it's got it's back in the air. How can I make it move more? I've tried moving it's head, but it looked like she was barking or something.
Another UPDATE (Feb. 5, 2004)
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/BT_catwalk.gif) <-OLD and NEW -> (http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/bt-cat-run.gif)
My new walkcycle for the cat I was working on a few months back. What do you think?
--Erwin
The cat looks more suspicious than angry. Cats usually wave their tails, show their teeth and claws and er.. make some kind of sound when they are angry. Trust me, I have a cat. yes
Yes, in the first frame the cat is supposed to look suspicious. The last 4 frames are the angry/pissed cat.
--Erwin
The cat almost looks like the ones in Day of the Tentacle, which is a good thing.
I think the cat will look angrier if you put his head down lower and show his fangs or his tongue.. I also like how you have the ears pulled back, but maybe they should be back even further.
looks good..
i think it looks like the cat in sam&max.. ;D
Sweet kitty no more...
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/kittynomore.gif)
I fiddled with it a bit.. I must say, great drawing Erwin.. I love the original pose.
Hope you don't mind..
BIG EYES! BIG EYES!
w00t!!
um...yes...more slopy eyelids on the angry one.
Great edit, GhostGR. I hope you don't mind I stole your ears ;)
Anyway, I've whipped up a quick animation.
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/bt-hiss-anim.gif)
I'll probably remove the moving mouth, because it looks like the cat's talking and she's only supposed to hiss.
I also changed the hairs around her mouth. I prefer these with the old lines, but I'm not sure if I will keep them moving (waving) in the animation.
What do you guys think?
--Erwin
Looks pretty good, but the hair on the side of the head waving up and down is waving just a tad too much. It looks like an insect's legs/arms swinging around.
If the cat's hissing, I think it should raise it's upper lip, show more teeth, and maybe a bit of gums, like this:
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/angryCatg.gif)
i looked at the pose, and it doesn't sit right with me, so to speak. cats don't wag their tails when they're hissing. Tail is straight. Sometimes the cat will hiss with the tail down, or sometimes up. Depending on the mood. Can I ask where the cat is and the situation that's making him hiss? The tail could be straight up and big and fuzzy if it's frightened and hissing at something to try and keep it away (such as a dog). If the tail is arched down (or depending on the art style you may just want it straight out) then the cat is just plain angry or something. But to best provide you with tips on the cat's animation, let me know in more specifics.
Duzz is right about the teeth..
Correct me if I'm wrong...but,
when cats are being submissive they narrow their eyes.
When they are angry or frightened they open them very wide and their pupils dilate.
(this is why cats tend to like people that don't like them, and hate people that love them. For humans, the use of the eyes is the opposite)
Although, it does work with a cartoon cat. Guess it depends how "realistic" you want it to be.
later,
-junc
Cute :D
Here's my suggestion, how to make this cat really pissed off:
(http://maniac.adventuredevelopers.com/kitty1.jpg)
Nice work Erwin (and Igor) - there's one little thingy that stands out: real angry cats flatten their ears. Yours are all perky and up... ;D
What Miez said (though Igor's looks like they are) the ears should be back.
As I have lots of experience pissin' off cats I did this really quickly (and I mean REALLY quickly)
(http://www.twin-design.com/random/erwin_madcat.gif)
* angled the eyes to look mad
* pinned the ears back
* put hackels up (like Igor's pic)
* straightened mouth a little
Like I said, this was done quickly just to give some thoughts ...
Hope it helped.
]).]v[.
I think Igor's picture is the most realistic. The pose is perfect.. Though I like the teeth in Duzz's picture.
yes yes. agree with ben, i do.
notice the cat is VERY tense. not a relaxed muscle in his body. that is how a cat should hiss!
A lot of good advice: thanks guys!
It's for a comic-style game and I often forget to exaggerate my characters and character animation. I'm not aiming for a realistic pose for the cat: I want it to make it as mean as possible. Igor's example shows what I had in mind (thanks Igor!). I'll upload an updated version soon.
Thanks again! ;)
--Erwin
I've added a new animation, see first post.
--Erwin
MUCH better. ;D
...and here's a walk animation I whipped up very quickly.
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/BT_catwalk.gif)
It needs lots of tweaking.
--Erwin
The main thing to keep in mind about cats is that they walk stiff legged.
I also think they move both their front and hind leg on the same side forward when they walk (as opposed to opposite sides).
EDIT: After looking at my cat at home, I confirmed this. Cats walk this way, but run and stalk the other. (Which explains the reference animation.)
I've used this as a reference:
(http://www.lam.mus.ca.us/cats/catwalk/catwalk.gif)
I've done some work to finish (and hopefully improve) the walking animation, which I will post later.
--Erwin
That's a great reference you have. I think that cat is stalking something, though... Notice how little its head moves and how its hind legs look ready to pounce.
Don't listen to him Erwin!
He thought "they move both their front and hind leg on the same side forward when they walk".
Just how did you make Apprentice look so good anyway? :)
Hey Erwin, animation looks great! I don't think you need to animate it much after it's in hissing possition... just add some hissing sound and i think the effect will be great.
Looking forward to improved walking animation :)
There is one thing that is strange about the cat. If you look at the hissing animation and the normal stand and compair them with the side walking you see the difference. On the side walking there are som kind of weird fur at the sides while on the hissing veiw there are no side fur. How come it is like that? ???
I've started working on this cat again. I didn't quite like it's walkcycle so I changed it.
Here is the result:
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/bt-cat-run.gif)
What do you guys think?
--Erwin
There seems to be a frame missing ...
Right before his back legs come all the way up it seems to skip a little.
Other than that this is cool!
He looks scared.
~ d
very awesome erwin, so much of an improvement, and i agree with Darth who posted RIGHT when i did that I wish there was 1 more frame
Nice animation, though it looks more to a horse than a cat walking. O well... it's a wacky game, so that shouldn't matter that much!
Quote from: Minimi on Thu 05/02/2004 23:12:33
Nice animation, though it looks more to a horse than a cat walking. O well... it's a wacky game, so that shouldn't matter that much!
Great animation Erwin! and it doesn't look like a horse. I live with cats, they run like that when they're really excited (usually about food and/or birds). ;D
Aargh... i really need to get me a cat again! I miss my cat that died on cat-aids :'( Ok... it just looked a tiny little ietsiepietsie on a horse ;) Is that better? :P
i love that! looks like the on in sam&max (good thing) if there's anything wrong i think it's that the legs are too far apart on the hissing one. if you look at Igor's drawing they are togather not in a V shape
Erwin, I like the new cat image. His energetic bounding comes accross nicely. It's much more interesting than the standard walking animation.
Minimi, I had never heard of cat aids before until very recently. My mother-in-law's kitten died of it and, apparently, it is quite common. :(
Thanks for the comments :D
I also noticed that there's one frame missing, as pointed out, but I won't do anything about it for now simply because you won't even notice it during the game.
And Miez, the cat's indeed excited about something. I'm glad the animation shows that.
I'll start working on some idle animation first, like blinking eyes and sweeping tail.
Thanks again :D
--Erwin
Don't listen to them, erwin it doesn't look anything like a horse!
Ok maybe a teeny weeny bit....