flying butterfly animation

Flying butterfly animation - Tutorial for beginners

Written by zelal  Monday, 25 February 2008Category Autodesk Maya - Animation, Materials, textures and Modeling  

In this tutorial, we will make a simple butterfly and animate it. 

Figure 1.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 1Start Maya. Go to Side view. Select EP Curve tool. 

Figure 2.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 2Draw a profile curve for the main body of butterfly. 

Figure 3.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 3Right-click on the Curve and select Vertex mode. 

Figure 4.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 4Refine the shape by moving vertices using move tool. 

Figure 5.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 5Make sure “Surfeces” menu-set is selected (‘F4’ is shortcut for Surface menu-set). While the curve is still selected, go to Surfaces > Revolve. 

Figure 6.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 6

You will get the geometry for the main body like below.

Figure 7.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 7

Again using EP Curve tool, draw the shape for right-wing.

Figure 8.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 8

Choose Edit Curves > Open/Close Curves to close the curve.

Step 9Click Surfaces > Planar. 

Figure 10.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 10You will have a wing geometry as below. 

Figure 11.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 11To see it at smooth level -3, press ‘3’. 

Figure 12.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 12Right-click on the wing curve. Go to vertex mode and move vertices to reshape the wing as you want. 

Figure 13.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 13More tweaking and refining............ 

Figure 14.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 14For rotating (Flapping) purpose of the wings we should place the Pivot at appropriate place so that it can rotate around the proper center. So, Select the wing surface and press INSERT to Pivot editing mode and move the Pivot as shown below 

Figure 15.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 15Press INSERT again to exit the Pivot editing mode. We do not need the profile curves for body and wing anymore. So it’s a good idea to delete the History at this stage. Click Delete by Type > History 

Figure 16.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 16To get the left wing, select the right wing and choose Edit menu and click the Option box icon for Duplicate Special command. 

Figure 17.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 17In the Duplicate Special Option box, set the Scale = -1 and click Duplicate Special. 

Figure 18.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 18Move the wing to the left so it is placed in the appropriate place. 

Figure 19.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 19For making antenna, choose again the EP Curve tool and draw a curve as shown below. 

Figure 20.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 20Click on Circle icon to have a Circle in the center of the view. 

Figure 21.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 21Move the circle up as show below. Then SHIFT+Click the antenna curve. 

Figure 22.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 22Apply Surface > Extrude. 

Figure 23.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 23You will get a extruded shape for the antenna geometry. But it’s not in the proper place and also we do not want to have so thick antenna. 

Figure 24.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 24Press CTRL+A to open the Attribute Editor > extrude1 tab. 

Figure 25.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 25In the Extrude History group, select “Component Pivot” as Use Component Pivot type. Check “Fixed Path” option. Make sure other option “Use Profile Normal” is also checked. 

Figure 26.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 26Now, select the circle again and under Attribute Editor > makeNurbCircle1, set the radius = 0.1 or even lower value. 

Figure 27.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 27Again under extrude1 tab, set the Scale = 0.0 in the Extrude History parameters group. 

Figure 28.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 28Again apply Edit > Delete by Type > History. 

Figure 29.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 29While the antenna geometry is selected, apply Edit > Duplicate Special to get the left antenna as well. 

Figure 30.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 30We do not need the curves now. So, choose Window > Outliner. 

Figure 31.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 31In the Outliner, Select all the curves by CTRL+Select method and press DELETE. 

Figure 32.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 32Now there is no unnecessary curves in our scene. 

Figure 33.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 33Select the middle main body and change the name of it to “main body” in the channel box. 

Figure 34.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 34Rename the body’s other individual parts as well. 

Figure 35.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 35Click Animation Preference button at the bottom-right corner of Maya Window and choose Playback end at 100 and Animation end at 100. Click “Save”. 

Figure 36.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 36We will now make the hierarchy for the body as we want all wings and antennas to be driven with the main body. For this, select the right wing and then SHIFT+Select the main body. Press ‘P’ to make the main body as parent of the right-wing. Repeat the same for other three parts as well. 

Figure 37.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 37Now, select the main body and rotate it 90 degree around Z axis. 

Figure 38.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 38Select the left wing and choose Modify > Freeze Transformations. It will not lock the transformations, but it will neutralize the present transforms value to Zero so that we can rotate or move it starting from 0 (zero). Do the same for right wing as well. 

Figure 39.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 39Go to Frame no.1 if you are already not there. Select both the wings and in the channel box, Drag+Select all three Rotate parameters’ name. 

Figure 40.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 40Right-click and choose Key Selected. 

Figure 41.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 41Select the right wing. Click “Auto Keyframe Toggle” button. It will turn red to indicate that auto-keyframing active. Go to frame no. 5. 

Figure 42.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 42Rotate the wing -45 degree around Y axis. Now a keyframe is automatically set at frame no.5 for the right wing. 

Figure 43.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 43While you are still at frame no. 5, select the left wing. Rotate it 45 degree around Y axis. 

Figure 44.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 44Go to frame no. 10 and set the Y rotations back at 0 for both the wings. 

Figure 45.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 45Go to frame no. 15. This time, rotate the right wing 45 degree and left wing -45 degree around Y axis. 

Step 48You will see a sine wave against “Rotate Y” in the Graph Editor window. 

Figure 49.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 49Choose Curves > Post Infinity > Cycle. 

Figure 50.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 50To get the infinity graph visible apply View > Infinity. 

Figure 51.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 51Then zoom-out by ALT+Right-mouse Drag in the graph window to see the. You will see the infinite sine wave of looped animation for the right wing. 

Figure 52.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 52Repeat the last 5 steps for the left wing as well. 

Figure 53.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 53To drive the butterfly on a path create an EP Curve in the Top View like below or as you want. 

Figure 54.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 54Select the butterfly’s main body and SHIFT+Select the new path curve. Choose “Animation” menu-set (‘F2’ is the short-cut). 

Figure 55.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 55Choose Animate > Motions Paths > Attach to Motion Path. 

Figure 56.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 56Go to Perspective view and play the animation. The butterfly is moving through the path, but orientation is wrong. 

Figure 57.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 57To correct this problem, we have to edit Motion Path Attributes. Open the Attributes Editor and under “motionPath1” tab, set the Front Axis = Y and Up Axis = X in the Motion Path Attributes group. 

Figure 58.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 58Zoom-in and Play the animation. Your butterfly should now move over the path while flapping its wings. That’s all of the animation. 

Figure 59.  Click here to view larger image.

You can download the movie file of the flying butterfly animation in the following link:Movie.

Figure 46.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 46Go to frame no. 20 and set the Y rotation for both the wings back at 0 degree. 

Figure 47.  Click here to view larger image.

Step 47We have got a single-loop animation from 0 – 20 frames for both the wings. We will make this animation to be repeated all the way of the animation using Graph Editor. Select the right wing. Choose Window > Animation Editors > Graph Editor. 

Figure 48.  Click here to view larger image.

Figure 9.  Click here to view larger image.