Animate a Jump with "Monty"

 

In this Locomotion and Mechanics tutorial we show how to animate a jump with a simple character, using the marvellous "Monty" rig, free for download at HighEnd3D.com.  The idea is to get a basic jump working, that feels fluid and believable, with weight and balance. You can read more about the Monty rig and how to use it here.

How to Animate a Jump

To get started, watch the Theory Video below:

Animating a Jump

"Monty" jump thumbnails

The "Monty" jump is similar to the Lamp Hop that students tackle as part of the initial Locomotion and Mechanics tutorials.  

Start off with an anticipation, then lift the character off the ground, and then land again. 

Monty Rig

This tutorial uses the "Monty" rig, free for download at HighEnd3D.com. You can read more about the Monty rig and how to use it here.

Make Monty Feel Heavy

Monty jump animation

The trick is to give Monty a sense of weight, so that the landing feels heavy, with gravity acting on the character. 

As with everything we do in 3D animation, the actual character rigs have no weight in and of themselves.  We must simulate weight, because (unlike, say, stop motion animation), the rigs have no actual intrinsic weight of their own. 

Jump Tutorial

You can find the jump tutorial videos below.  The password is the same as for all our video tutorials.

Jump Tutorial

You can find the "Monty" Jump Tutorial here:

Meet "Monty"

https://vimeo.com/showcase/10553059

Jump Animation

To see some examples of jumps animated by our students, check out the examples below:

Jump Animation by Rich Jeffrey

Locomotion Resources at Escape Studios

To see more about how to animate walks at Escape Studios, read the blog posts below:

• "Stewart" Walk Tutorial with Marc Stevenson
• Animating the ZigZag Walk with Alex Williams
• Learn to animate a basic walk with "Monty" by Alex Williams

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  • Animating the "ZigZag Walk" with Alex Williams

  Basic Walk Cycle Tutorial using "Ultimate Walker" with Amanda Costa
• Character Walk Tutorial with "Monty", with Alex Williams
• 100 Ways to Walk with Kevin Parry
• How to stop feet sliding in a walk cycle, with Alex Williams
• Character walks with Houman Soroushnia
• Basic Run Cycle Tutorial with Marc Stevenson
• "Monty" walk tutorial with Marc Stevenson

The Escape Studios Animation Blog offers a personal view on the art of animation and visual effects. To apply for our BA/MArt follow this link. To apply for one of our intensive 3 month animation short courses, click here.