In this tutorial, veteran animator and Animation Mentor instructor Anthony Wong explains how to understand and animate overlap using pendulum motion, then shows how to apply the same ideas to a more complex figure‑eight motion in Maya.
Meet Anthony Wong
Anthony Wong has been a professional animator since 1991. Anthony started as a character layout artist on The Simpsons and animated on some of Disney’s classics like Hercules, Mulan, and Tarzan. As a 3D character animator at Pixar he has worked on Inside out 2, Cars, Ratatouille, Toy Story 3 and many others. Anthony mentors students in Animation Basics, the first 3D Character Animation Course at Animation Mentor.
Drag and Follow Through
Anthony defines overlap as two key components: drag and follow through.
- Drag happens when the base of a chain moves and the joints are forced to follow, lagging behind.
- Follow through happens when the base slows or stops and the chain continues on its own momentum.
There is always a transition period where the base is slowing and the first joint is catching up, and together these phases create the full overlapping motion.
Pendulum Timing and Offset
For pendulums, Anthony notes that each swing takes the same amount of time, regardless of arc size. This is the same principle behind grandfather clocks, swinging doors, and car suspensions. The timing stays consistent even as the range of motion decreases.
He then explains the relationship between the base and the joints:
- Overlap is a product of timing offsets between parts.
- You can think of a four‑joint chain as four cars leaving and arriving at slightly different times.
- The base moves first while the others initially stay aligned on one line.
- The most drag occurs when the base is moving fastest.
- Once the base slows, joints begin to catch up and return toward their original alignment.
He typically offsets joints by one or two frames each, and points out that in a basic physical model, joints never swing past the base line but remain on one side of it. Heavier chains use larger timing offsets.
Implementing a Basic Pendulum in Maya
Anthony shows a simple Maya setup where:
- The base’s translation curve (TX) is the “red line.”
- The first joint’s rotation curve lags by a couple of frames.
- Remaining joints are copies of that curve, further offset in time.
The result is a pendulum where:
- Swing timing remains even from large arcs down to smaller ones.
- Each joint reaches its peak roughly when the base passes through its fastest point.
- Joints catch up as the base slows and come to rest in sequence.
A key idea he wants students to remember is that the greatest tilt or drag happens where the base is fastest, and the peak of the swing aligns with where the base stops in that direction.
Variations and Cartoony Adjustments
Once you understand the basic physical model, you can stylize it. Anthony compares this to bouncing balls: after you grasp the standard decay of height and timing, you can bend that logic to create heavy, light, or cartoony bounces.
For pendulums and chains, variations include:
- Letting gravity or follow through overpower drag when the base moves very slowly, so the chain overtakes the base.
- Handling sudden impacts where the base stops abruptly and the chain whips past, inheriting the incoming spacing.
- Customizing loops and then connecting back into physically consistent swings.
- Holding the chain’s drag longer so it peaks closer to the end of the arc, creating a hybrid behavior between a tail and a chain.
These adjustments add personality while still respecting overall arcs and spacing.
Figure‑Eight Motion: Focus on the Base
When moving to more compact motions like a figure eight, Anthony stresses that your first priority is the base. If the base path is choppy or too slow, building good overlap on top of it will be very difficult.
He recommends:
- Getting a smooth, well‑timed figure‑eight path for the base control.
- Identifying where the base is fastest and where it changes direction.
- Marking valleys and peaks where you want the joints to show body and drag.
Placing Keys for the First Joint
Anthony demonstrates how to set up the first joint on a figure eight:
- Locate spots where the base is moving fastest, often around mid‑arc or direction changes.
- At those frames, place “body” keys for the joint that show maximum drag relative to the base.
- Find where the base stops or reverses and place the joint’s peak a few frames after the base stop to represent the follow through.
Because rotating the base also moves the joint in Maya, you must custom build these overlaps in the joint’s own curve rather than relying on automatic behavior.
Copy, Paste, and Offset
Once the first joint’s curve feels good, Anthony copies it to the remaining joints and scales or offsets to taste:
- Paste the curve to all joints to share the same general shape.
- Use value scaling to reduce swing on outer joints if needed.
- Offset each joint’s keys by a couple of frames in time to create the staggered overlap.
He uses absolute and stacked curve views in the Graph Editor to compare curves and make sure the offsets create a natural wave of motion through the chain.
Customizing and Polishing the Shape
After the initial copy and offset, Anthony refines specific moments:
- He pushes drag a bit more where the base changes direction to get stronger S‑curves.
- He uses scaling and manual key adjustments to avoid over‑swinging in some sections.
- He turns on motion trails when needed to visualize arcs and tune loop shapes.
The idea is to let the copy‑and‑offset process give you a solid starting point, then use your eye to sculpt appealing shapes and timing that fit what the base is doing.
Key Takeaways
Anthony closes by emphasizing:
- Overlap comes from timing offsets, but always in relation to a well animated base.
- The base’s speed and smoothness drive where drag and peaks should occur.
- Once valley and peak positions are chosen, you can copy, paste, and offset curves to quickly build overlapping motion, then refine it with a few polishing passes.
He encourages students to experiment with different offset amounts to find the weight and feel they want, always checking that the base motion supports the chain rather than fighting it.
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