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Black Dahlia Animation Journey

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Updated turn around. Started on details. I've been updating this thread every day with content since I started it; I think for now on, each day I will give an update of any changes and post only significant updates.

Thank you!
 
S-HK.gif
WIP.
Possible S. HK. Not an overhead; meant to be a hard/soft knockdown. Meant to be a counter to C. LK footsies. Dahlia is meant to be a trickster in battle. Also AA. Might change animation to look like/be less of AA. Animation needs lots of work. I can imagine doing this to super when predicting a low footsy. No hurt box on gun.
 
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Dahlia's got at least two pictures in Peacock's ending, I didn't see those mentioned but I may have missed it.

Espresso said:
View attachment 2917
WIP.
Possible S. HK.
If you're gonna animate stuff for a fighting game, make sure there's a hit frame in there. That one hasn't really got a frame I'd pick out as the hit (it has frames before and after it) and there are lots of smears on everything...
 
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Mike_Z said:
Dahlia's got at least two pictures in Peacock's ending, I didn't see those mentioned but I may have missed it.


If you're gonna animate stuff for a fighting game, make sure there's a hit frame in there. That one hasn't really got a frame I'd pick out as the hit (it has frames before and after it) and there are lots of smears on everything...

Two!? Snaps. I only know this one:
http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130130083436/skullgirls/images/2/2c/Black_dahlia.jpg

Will add that frame. Will cut back on smears and use them mainly to emphasize hit frame. I play on 10% slow mode and do attacks to try to get the idea of smear amount used.

Thank you for the input!
 
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@PKStoopKid
First I want to say I really shouldn't be defining the character based off what I think the character should be, but since I am doing this for fun, I don't see why not.
The reason not an overhead is because I don't think Dahlia is meant to have such a strong high low game. Not only this but Parasoul is arguably the 2nd best zoner in the game and she has a standing overhead. I believe if Dahlia were added today, she'd be the 2nd best zoner in the game having trap setups -- being unique within the cast, having moves and setups that have minimum overlap with the rest of the cast. Therefore I don't think she needs a chainable ground overhead to add to her amazing moveset.


@MysteriousJ even though I want to be able to buy the art compendium, I don't think I deserve special treatment. If anything, LZ might consider what I'm doing as a dis-service, attempting to define who their character is without any feedback from them. Also this 3rd Strike animation page is godlike!
 
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PKStoopKid said:
Edit: nice idea for S.HK but why wouldn't it be an overhead?
It's not an overhead because it starts from the ground and kicks up, not the other way around.

If there is a hit frame it looks like the best point would be one that has the move hitting high (think connecting with someone's upper torso or chin)
 
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MysteriousJ said:
If memory serves, Mariel said 3rd strike was her reference for skullgirls animation
Really, I think 3rd Strike should be the reference for all fighting game animation, followed closely by Garou, and then old episodes of Popeye.

However, if you want to learn how to animate a Rubber Chicken using a mocapped GI Joe, apparently NRS is your best bet!
 
S-HK-Updated-Slower.gif

Okay I updated it. Still requires a ton of work (including one more frame right before hit frame) but seeing as the other one was a lot worse I just wanted to put a new one up fast before going to sleep.

EDIT: Removed 'trash'
 
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I don't know what "trash" you're talking about. I think even the previous one looked pretty good!

The only critique I got right now is that is that this move has crazy long startup.
 
MysteriousJ said:
I don't know what "trash" you're talking about. I think even the previous one looked pretty good!

The only critique I got right now is that is that this move has crazy long startup.
Generally from what I read about cerecopter, Mike will remove unneeded frames and extend frame length when they start adding the attacks to the game before adding the hurtboxes (I think? Maybe during same process Idk). But yeah, I think in game it would look more like this:

S-HK-Faster-2.gif
 
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Looking good but I gotta ask - will she have a shoe switchblade jutting out during the flip? I mean, it could be the difference between a kick to the face and a deadly stab (not deadly in-game but you get the idea).
 
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Espresso said:
First I want to say I really shouldn't be defining the character based off what I think the character should be, but since I am doing this for fun, I don't see why not.
Try to keep this in mind at all times. This is your animation thing. The Annie thread got completely overwhelmed with people discussing and deciding what they felt was most correct.

Nothing y'all make in any of these animation threads a hope of actually being added to the game, so try to have some fun with it and keep going with it how you choose. I, and many other people, will probably continue to give critique here and there, but you don't have to take all of that on board. Keep and discard any advice you want.

EDIT: Speaking of, in that back handspring animation, one thing that really bugs me about it is how it looks like Dahlia just spins on her shoulder with no effort. Two points to think about:

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First, unless she is seriously strong in the shoulders (which is totally possible, given it's mechanical), she'd be more likely start this motion by using her massive leg strength to kick off the ground. Even when trained gymnasts do this they primarily use their legs. This would help with the spin and add more power to the kick.

Visually this would have a slight bending of her knees to build up spring, then her legs would straighten to give that sharp jump from the ground. Also, on that spin overhead, extending her leg out would add a sharper jolt to the kick as she adds the rotation of her hips to the rotation of her knee.

EDIT2: Woops, I was looking at the updated, faster animation which removed virtually all of the build up. Since you clearly know about adding lead in frames to show she's building up the spring, the main issue with the jump is that her legs don't really change position once she starts the flip. It's like she bends down to store energy, then just starts rotating without actually using that energy.

tumbling2.jpg


This isn't the exact same move, but it still applies somewhat. See the way the legs straighten out? To deliver a kick, this straightening would be even more pronounced, unless she was hitting them with her knees.

-------------------------

Second, if you want to avoid the knee bending/straightening action, her shoulder should probably still do some flexing to really show that it's the the thing making Dahlia spin. You'll often see gymnasts do these sorts of back handsprings, but without using their legs they're often slow, graceful movements. Adding a flex to the shoulder will show that she's really putting an Oomph into the movement.
 
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Cellsai said:
Try to keep this in mind at all times. This is your animation thing...
Thanks a ton for the feedback! Yeah, I've tried to make that point clear that this is for fun. When MikeZ posted in response my first fear was "cease and desist". I'm no professional animator or artist. These are my first two animations since I was 14(read 10 years). I use to draw/paint (not anime, mainly expressionism, life drawing, surrealism) and always wanted to be an artist so I wanted to do something again that let me enjoy the process again. I love the time-sink and I'm learning a lot. So far I've worked on it everyday since the first day I've started (Seinfeld method) and it makes me feel good. I've enjoyed all the valid criticism and input.
 
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Maybe a shotgun kick... Like jack from tekken have the shotgun punches
 
Reflection: Holy god; The LZ animation/art team are just amazing and really saying "this is who the character is" with each attack/keyframes. I'd really like to do my best doing this moving forward and reviewing the current concept art for Dahlia.
 
Cellsai said:
Also, random aside, to really push the fact that Dahlia's legs are mechanical, maybe she could even jump with rocket boosters to give the kick some serious power.
I don't know, her whole thing is being an old-lady themed assassin. I don't see her having tech like peacock.
 
Cool stuff you got there. I can imagine her having a similar play style to Anonym from Akatsuki Blitzkampf. Good luck with your endeavors ^^
 
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Decided to take a new approach of how I animated this one so far. This is still early, but I decided to draw up the main frames first and be more detailed. This is the S. MP. Based of concept art for B. Dahlia. I also scrapped a S. LP animation because I felt it overlapped with other attacks planned.

What's nice about this attack? She steps back at beginning allowing for her to counter poke or for the movement to be cancelled into a special/super at some range (like S.HK Filia). It is multi-hit making playing off a hit easy. It is balanced by not having insane range for chains and I imagine easily countered by aerial options.

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Small update. Added 2 Frames. Goal is hit frame will be frame 5 (not including idle frame). Seems all S.MP are around this. Idk about you but there is something satisfying about watching Filia take a chainsaw to the knee. Excited to animate the chainsaw part *evil grin*.
S-MP-Small-Update.gif
 
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Another update. Need to add a frame still to start up. Also on the actual moving of the tread need to add a little bit of those smears like on Big Banks J.LK (and move body/head).

Looking at first two animations. Pretty bad. Getting better. Woot. Going to add detail to this one once done with animation to make it more complete (which I am pretty terrible at if you can't tell).
S-MP-Update.gif
 
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IM LOVING BLACK DALHIA! I was really scared when i found out about the real black dalhia, damn, thats fucked up, but back to SKULLGIRLS Dalhia, i really loved the idea of the perfume granades hahaha loving the animations, someone should pay you!
 
Espresso said:
View attachment 2917
WIP.
Possible S. HK. Not an overhead; meant to be a hard/soft knockdown. Meant to be a counter to C. LK footsies. Dahlia is meant to be a trickster in battle. Also AA. Might change animation to look like/be less of AA. Animation needs lots of work. I can imagine doing this to super when predicting a low footsy. No hurt box on gun.

I know nothing about animation, but just from looking at it, her momentum doesn't seem to come from anywhere. You might want to look at 'bicycle kicks' in soccer as a reference for how people propel themselves in that direction.


(also you're kind of the best for doing these)
 
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