The Structured Method Of 3D Animation: Human Run Cycle

Create a dynamic and realistic human run cycle animation using a step-by-step, highly structured process.

What you'll learn

Create a run cycle FAST in a few clearly defined steps

Create a realistic humanoid run cycle in a highly structured manner

Learn to use the dope sheet and the graph editor to make excellent run cycles in Maya

Create run cycles using Maya

Time the run cycle of a human

Plan and design a humanoid run cycle in a highly structured manner

Learn the complexity involved in the multi-axial movement of a realistic humanoid run cycle

Learn how to design the run cycle such that it can be easily edited using curves

Requirements

Basic experience having used Maya animation software

Desire to learn to create run cycles in a highly structured method

Description

Welcome to a structured method of animating a realistic human run cycle.This structured method can be applied to create any humanoid run cycle, with a similar rig.Hello there,In this course, you will develop the skills to animate a dynamic humanoid run using a clear, structured method designed to strengthen both artistic sensibility and technical execution. The focus is on building a run cycle through a disciplined, layered workflow that mirrors the way professional animators approach complex motion.The process begins with establishing a strong and balanced base pose. From there, you will construct the sequence by adding nine key poses that define a natural, believable run cycle. Each stage is designed to emphasize clarity, precision, and control, ensuring that the animation develops with purpose rather than guesswork.By the conclusion of the course, you will have produced a polished run cycle that demonstrates rhythm, strength, and personality—qualities that elevate an animation from functional to expressive. Beyond the poses themselves, you will learn to refine movement through curve editing, achieving smoother transitions and more nuanced motion. You will also practice effective use of the dope sheet to manage timing and maintain clarity across the workflow.This structured approach will enhance both confidence and efficiency, sharpening your understanding of timing, spacing, posing, and anatomy in motion—core skills that underpin professional-quality animation. Most importantly, this method is versatile and can be applied to creating any humanoid run cycle using similar rigs.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Introduction to the course

Section 2: Prep work - Downloading and prepping the humanoid rig

Lecture 2 Download & prep the Silver Cyborg Maya Rig

Lecture 3 Reference the rig into an empty Maya scene

Lecture 4 Prep the rig to make it more powerful looking, and easier to work with

Section 3: Prep work - Setting up the Maya scene file for your animation

Lecture 5 Preparing the Maya scene layout for character animation

Lecture 6 Set up a ground surface for your character to run over

Lecture 7 Bring in the run cycle reference chart into your Maya scene

Lecture 8 A note on setting up versions of Maya files

Section 4: Set up "Studio Library" tool to manage animation poses

Lecture 9 Set up Studio Library on your computer

Lecture 10 Set up the tool fully - create a Mirror Table in the tool customized for the rig

Section 5: Creating the Primary Running Pose!

Lecture 11 Overview

Lecture 12 Do the Hips and Legs first

Lecture 13 And now the Spine

Lecture 14 Next, the Neck and Head areas

Lecture 15 Now we move on to the Arms

Lecture 16 Great! Let's review the Primary Running Pose we have created

Section 6: Creating the 3 CONTACT poses

Lecture 17 Creating the 2 CONTACT RIGHT poses

Lecture 18 Creating the 1 CONTACT LEFT pose

Lecture 19 Current State of the Run cycle: 3 CONTACT poses

Section 7: Timing, Stride Length, & Infinity Curves

Lecture 20 Defining the timing of the run cycle

Lecture 21 Defining the stride length of the run cycle

Lecture 22 Now lets set all the curves in the scene to infinity!

Lecture 23 Always keep improving the poses! Some udpates to the poses

Lecture 24 Current State of the Run Cycle: Stride Length & Infinity Curves set

Section 8: The Timing Chart

Lecture 25 Review of the Timing Chart

Section 9: DOWN, UP and FLIGHT poses

Lecture 26 Down poses

Lecture 27 Up poses - An overview

Lecture 28 Up poses - Hip & Legs

Lecture 29 Up poses - the other leg

Lecture 30 Up poses - Cleanup the graphs

Lecture 31 Flight poses - An overview

Lecture 32 Flight poses - creating it

Lecture 33 Current State of the Run Cycle: Down Up & Flight Poses

Section 10: Hip Thrusts & Shifts

Lecture 34 Hip Thrusts - an overview

Lecture 35 Hip Thrusts - creating it

Lecture 36 Hip Lateral Shifts- an overview

Lecture 37 Hip Lateral Shifts - creating it

Lecture 38 Current State of the Run Cycle: Hip thrusts & Lateral Shifts

Section 11: Firming up the legs

Lecture 39 Legs firming up - an overview

Lecture 40 Legs firming up - doing the work

Lecture 41 Legs firming up - the knees

Lecture 42 Current State of the Run Cycle: Legs firmed up

Section 12: Two critical twists of the spine

Lecture 43 Twisting the spine - an overview

Lecture 44 Twisting the spine - creating them

Lecture 45 Current State of the Run Cycle: 2 critical spine twists added

Section 13: Extreme poses for the arms

Lecture 46 Arm Extreme poses - an overview

Lecture 47 Arm Extreme poses - At the Up- Right pose

Lecture 48 Arm Extreme poses - Using Studio Library tool to create the Up - Left pose

Lecture 49 Arm Extreme poses - checking the results

Lecture 50 Current State of the Run Cycle: Arm extreme poses created

Section 14: Squash & Stretch the spine

Lecture 51 Squash & Align at the Up poses

Lecture 52 Pushing the poses to amplify the squash

Lecture 53 Current State of the Run Cycle: Spine squashed & stretched

Section 15: General improvements - Hip, Spine, Legs

Lecture 54 Improving the hips

Lecture 55 Improving the spine

Lecture 56 Improving the legs

Section 16: Detailing the arm poses for accuracy in a realistic run cycle

Lecture 57 Detailing the arms - part 1

Lecture 58 Detailing the arms - part 2

Lecture 59 Current State of the Run Cycle: Arms Detailed- View From Side

Lecture 60 Current State of the Run Cycle: Arms Detailed - Front view

Section 17: Neck & Feet

Lecture 61 Squash- Stretch on the neck

Lecture 62 Foot slaps

Lecture 63 Current State of the Run Cycle: Neck & Feet done - Side view

Lecture 64 Current State of the Run Cycle: Neck & Feet done - Front view

Section 18: Splining!

Lecture 65 Splining - an overview

Lecture 66 Doing splining

Lecture 67 Viewing the results after splining

Lecture 68 Current State of the Run Cycle: Splined - Side view

Lecture 69 Current State of the Run Cycle: Splined - Front view

Section 19: Rendering a playblast - the process

Lecture 70 Setting up a playblast style rendering

Section 20: RENDERED Cyborg Run Cycle

Lecture 71 Silver Cyborg Run Cycle - Side view

Lecture 72 Silver Cyborg Run Cycle - Front view

Lecture 73 Silver Cyborg Run Cycle - Back view

Lecture 74 Silver Cyborg Run Cycle - Top view -a

Lecture 75 Silver Cyborg Run Cycle - Top view - b

Lecture 76 Silver Cyborg Run Cycle - Three quarters view - a

Lecture 77 Silver Cyborg Run Cycle - Three quarters view - b

Beginner to intermediate level character animation students,Animators who want to develop new skills in creating complex run cycles,Animators interested in realistic humanoid motions,Animators keen on upskilling their portfolios