===[COMMITTED]=== Horse Update

[Alexandermb]

Tried to do some fixes on the front legs, head and chest (actually it was some bones) based on the references from @Sundiata

    
 

[Sundiata]

Nice...

[Imarok]

Much better

Though the head is probably too wide around the eyes.

Compare:

Also the belly of the horse should be flat and not that sharp.

[Alexandermb]

Some updates with the galop fix and some adjustments to belly/head 
Files >>Horse_new.7z<<
Screenshots with riders

Edited November 23, 2017 by Alexandermb

[Alexandermb]

Some 2d artist could make an armor look on this uv's for test if the horse could be remeshed for make it look like its wearing an armor similar to the Menu wallpaper




Uv's exported in a png

Spoiler

 

Edited November 23, 2017 by Alexandermb

[Stan`]

@Alexandermb I think Enrique added props for this purpose.  He then animated them.

 

 

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

That front skirt should just be a prop like the scale one.

[Alexandermb]

The prop point Works fine with chestband but that skirt goes from the chest to the upper neck, or it can just be new textures/props meshes or use the same style of the cape's copying the animation file ex:"file/biped/xxxxxxxx" in any case those horse with props needs some love if the horse will be updated in any alpha

[Alexandermb]

Here is an example of what i mean, both are seleucid champions but only 1 looks like a champion unit (visual speaking) the elephant has:

1. helmet > unique mesh
2. Helmet prop > unique mesh
3. Armor > unique mesh

The horse have 

1. Generic front armor
2. Generic blanket

[Alexandermb]

Update: some cleaning and blender files @stanislas69 i'll be adding crossbow cavalry animations soon for the TM cavalry included Elephant riders animation in the mod folder

Mod with files

• Horse_new.7z
  
  Blender horse file with helpers
• New_Horse.7z
  
  Rider animations with helpers
• Ridder_animations.7z

Edited December 6, 2017 by Alexandermb

[Stan`]

I'll have a look.

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

 I don't know if you've done this yet but the horses themselves should have their own variant files. Yea or Nay?

 

art/variants/quadraped

Edited December 6, 2017 by wowgetoffyourcellphone

[Alexandermb]

9 hours ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

 I don't know if you've done this yet but the horses themselves should have their own variant files. Yea or Nay?

 

art/variants/quadraped

i'll add them when everything is verified and timers are correct.

added reverse spear variant and crossbow variant

Edited December 6, 2017 by Alexandermb

[Alexandermb]

Roman Cavalry will use ready variant's for keep the disciplinary roman style.


 

Spoiler

Spartan/Mace Cavalry reverse spear variant


 

Spoiler

 

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

The angle of that guy's wrist is very unnatural. Otherwise these are looking nice.

[Alexandermb]

@wowgetoffyourcellphone fixed any other suggestion ? i got most things looking good

[Phalanx]

SO, I had someone who rides horses on my university's equestrian team review the anims.  (She is also studying Computer Graphics with me)  and she comments that the back legs of the horses in the run anim is really bizzare.  In the anim, the lower leg bends way to high up.  She suggests this video to see that.

She says the butt goes farther down when the back legs are extended forward.  Apparently it is really obvious and notable.

Just throwing that out.  I kinda noticed it as well, but what do I know about horses? 

[Stan`]

@Phalanx Thanks for sharing

Is she interested in contributing ?

[Sundiata]

@Alexandermb, I actually think what makes the back legs still look a bit bizarre are the fact that in the animation, when the hind legs are at their highest point underneath the horse, the bottom of the horse's hoofs are pointing downwards at an angle of 180°, while the bottom of the hoofs are supposed to point outwards at an angle of about 135°. Basically it needs to bend a little more (it's a little detail, but it could make the anim more natural).

Another small suggestion is to add another bone to the back half of the tail, so that the tip of the tail can whip up and down more convincingly.

@Phalanx Nice vid, but the horse's gait in that vid is canter, while the horse in Alexander's anim is galloping (faster/intenser). It makes the comparison at bit difficult, though I agree that the lower half of the back leg doesn't need to come up as high it does in the anim (it should indeed still angle a little downwards at it's highest).

ps: wasn't wowgetoffyourcellphone referring to this guy's wrist:

Spoiler

 Also, maybe:

 

You're almost there!  

 

Edited December 7, 2017 by Sundiata

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

3 hours ago, Alexandermb said:

@wowgetoffyourcellphone fixed any other suggestion ? i got most things looking good

 

I meant the idle.  I urge you to try to bend your wrist like that (you can't).

Edited December 7, 2017 by wowgetoffyourcellphone

[Alexandermb]

Testing adding some bones in every leg will keep trying until get it (Not 100% finished yet) also added the bone tail but din't seem to change something i will try removing the helper



Here's a frontal look i look carefully to avoid clipping

Edited December 8, 2017 by Alexandermb

[Phalanx]

@stanislas69 Alas, she is studying User Experience and doesn't have animation skills.  (and to be honest is very oblivious to the world of computer games.  She had no clue what Starcraft was.     She had never heard of it)

@Alexandermb I don't know if you can see it, but in your most recent gallop anim. 

The lower portion of the back legs flex really weirdly.  I found different references for a gallop this time (thanks for the heads up, @Sundiata   )  and I found what was weirding me and her out.  In your anim, particularly the right back leg, the upper leg rotates forward till it is about at the point I captured in this still, and then the lower leg suddenly rotates downward, almost like a human leg, before contacting the ground.

Apparently, for a gallop, it is more of an extending of the back leg (the butt kinda drops to allow the entire back leg it extend further) instead of a hard hinge.

This video has a great portion at :54 that shows a nice gallop, and you can kinda see what I am saying.  

Forgive me if I'm sounding too nit-picky, I am really impressed by your work!  However the new horses turn out, I'm just excited that they won't have the horrific walk anim they have now!  FLOATING HORSES!!!  

 

[Stan`]

@Phalanx Having some suggestions about the ux wouldn't be that bad

[Alexandermb]

@Phalanx thanks for sharing and don't worry i don't want to deliver a weird horse animations, i'm on the same side as you i know nothing about horses and yet after looking closer this week i had to add 4 more bones to the legs to make the walk look of a horse, the only one that doesn't fit yet to the 4 new bones is the galop animation the patterns are very helpfull so i will use that one i was using the same refence images but they were pictures only.

[Alexandermb]

btw @wowgetoffyourcellphone you were talking about made new uv layout and some other things made apart (saddle? straps?) if you have in mind new prop points tell me so i'll add them we already have this props: Crest, Front Armor, Saddle, Rider, and i added the shield point in the left leg