Hi have decided to release my Ant Rig for you all to use and have some fun with!
Only Works in Blender 2.4X Here are the rig controls:
How it works:
I have seen solutions that use heavy maths to calculate when to start the next step but for this solution I have adopted a much simplier method.
Each leg has a rest position “Master” and a “Target” Posistion. The Rest postion is Parented the to body so when I move the body the rest postion follows! The Target postion is not parented to anything so when you move the Ant is gets left behind.
This is where the python comes in, it works out the average distance the Targets are from the rest postions and when they are at 2 times the Max Distance they are moved to the rest postion. But to provent the legs from just poping back into place, I have assigned a Driver so that when the distance equals the Max Distance the leg starts moving to the Rest postion meaning by the time the leg is about to pop back the leg has just got back itself on a smoth curve!
To keep the timings correct Even legs are controled by the Odd Legs Driver and average distance, they only use the Target bones for location.
Nice work, I thought I was the only one who used the frameChanged event. Perhaps, some day, the 2.5 developers implement a “proper” frameChanged event for us 2 or 3 users?
Anyone else, chime in, have you ever used the frameChanged event…?
Thanks for the kind words guys, hope you enjoyed it!
HoverKraft:
Yea starting Python is the hardest bit, this is only my third project with Python in Blender! My advice would be to keep it simple and use the API Documentation.
Here is my first Blender Python Script called Proxy Picker, it selects any bone in pose mode that matches the name of an object Selected - the ‘_Proxy’ so you can create an easy to edit GUI for a Rig!
hello, i’m trying to make a spider in blender 2.71/72 and i try to find other ways to animate it like the blendercookie spider tutorial, but have to say that i’ve never find other advanced ant /spider rig as great as your rig, but it doesn’t work for me,the ant legs don’t move correctly. Even in C4d they have character animation module but it’s not like yours it’s more like animated horces in a carrousel.
