Derek Jenson - 3d Artist
  • 3d Blog
    • Resume
    • Endorsements
    • Contact Form
  • Visualization
    • Reading Nook
    • Mountain Cabin
    • Urban Apartment
    • Skylight Foyer
    • Jersey Diner
  • Video Game
    • Independence
    • Numbershire
    • Appaloosa
    • Tony Hawk Shred
    • Tony Hawk Ride
    • Army of Two 40th Day
    • Tomb Raider Underworld
    • Tomb Raider Anniversary
    • Wardevil
    • Half-Life 2
    • Desert Fighters
  • Commercial
    • Sprinter
    • Money Tree
    • Motorola
    • Ontario Infra
    • Touareg
    • Gamer
    • TerreStar
    • Phantom
    • DNA

Syncing Multiple Object Animations with States

11/4/2012

 
As with  syncing props to animated objects, syncing 2 (or more) animated objects presents a similar challenge. But in the previous post, the problem was a little easier. Basically a character moves to a registration point and an event is triggered. The event calls synced animations on multiple objects and the objects interact. Pretty simple.

However, syncing becomes difficult when two complex animated objects with layers of blends & animations need to interact in unison. To avoid making a programmer write spaghetti code & painting oneself into an art production corner, it's better to abstract the interaction with the use of states. In Unity, a state tree can drive a network of animations; simple to complex. Two (or more) objects can share the same state tree and unique animations can be called per object via overrides. So two dissimilar objects can interact together as they transition from state to state. Very slick. Below are some simple examples of how states keep animated objects glued together.
Side Note: To abstract art production a little further, an "object" can be only a hierarchy for transforms. Meshes properties can be attached as needed. Below you can see how the bike is a bunch of mesh parts attached to a 'naked' hierarchy of bones, making it's components & paint upgrade-able.

Comments are closed.

    Derek Jenson Blog

    email@derekjenson.com
    (541) 221-3419
    Resume
    Endorsements
    Contact Form

    My website serves  to archive experiments, document projects, share techniques, and motivate further exploration & artistry  in 3d space.

    Archives

    June 2020
    December 2018
    November 2018
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    July 2014
    June 2014
    March 2014
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    August 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    July 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010

    Categories

    All
    Animation
    Baking
    Compositor
    Hair
    Ice
    Lighting
    Modeling
    Realtime
    Rendering
    Rigging
    Surfacing
    Welding

email@derekjenson.com
(541) 221-3419