Ginger Can Walk...

Gingerbread Man Walk

    ...He just looks a bit goofy doing it.  Hey, give him a break, he is made out of cookie dough.   This is my second attempt in two days to get the animated gingerbread man to walk.  The yesterdays GBM was a bit more stilted due to only having 1 'bone' in each arm and 2 in the leg.  I added more bones this morning to the Ginger this morning, but he still is a bit wobbly in some of the frames.  Check out that head action...   Frame 5 is pretty wacked. The arms look better, but he still needs some work.  Given that he is going to be much smaller in the game, I don't really have to worry about it this week.
    The goal for the week was to get an animated figure to march into the line of fire from one of the towers and take damage.  In order to do this, I needed an animated figure.  Ginger, one of my first 3D models, was good enough to apply for the job.  I rigged some lighting, added the bones, and moved him around through 8 frames of animation.  It was a good learning experience and I feel it will go much faster in the future.    I got him walking in the game, but need to give him some direction now.  He just jogs in place today.  Kind of like above.   He never stops.  He is a machine.  I am jealous of his workout discipline.
   So the last few things to get working this week are:

1.  Have Ginger walk from designated points on the path until he gets to the end of the line.  
2. Fix the tower firing range circle to match the isometric map.  I had the a basic circle, like it was a 2D game, but a friend spotted that right away.  (Thanks Jaime.)
3. Make the tower fire when the walker (Ginger) comes into the firing range circle.
4. Show the tower firing animation and a particle strike from the tower to the walker (Sorry Ginger)
5. Make the walker show the effects of the hits, either by dying or taking hits.  Frame 5 looks like he already told a shot to the head, so this may be easier than I thought.  (Really sorry, Ginger).

   Aaannd it is Thursday.  I am a bit behind, but think this still can be done in the next 24-48 hours.  Luckily, I am really having fun with this so I won't mind the extra time this weekend to catch up.  I just have to find out if the family is also cool with Dad disappearing into his cave at odd times.  Ah heck, basketball season is almost over and I need an extra hobby.