Walk Cycles in After Effects (Step by step)

Walk cycles made easy. After effects makes creating a walk cycle more of a science than an art. Anybody can create a great looking walk cycle using these steps.
Once you master the basics of a walk cycle you can begin to develop the eye for the art of a walk cycle. Also, do you actually read these descriptions? if you do comment "holla" below. Thanks!
Like the music? I use soundstripe for all my music. It's affordable, and they have a really great library. You can view all the music at this link. If you like what you hear, consider trying them out! soundstripe.grsm.io/Keyframet...
I hope this was helpful! If it was, hit the like button, that helps my video promoted by youtube to other people looking to learn After Effects. If you're not already subscribed, make sure you subscribe before you leave my channel! I try to publish new tutorials every week.
You can see what my current projects are on my Instagram: / keyfram.ed
You can visit my personal website: www.keyframeacademy.com/
View some of my short After effects tutorials here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=smNBK...

[@TaufikLukman]

WOW... most straight to the point tutorial ever!!!

[@Missemscie]

It was very helpful that you zoomed in to show the functions! I wished you had a keyframe tutorial for beginners.

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Great suggestion! Lets talk about this on Insta

[@NessmaKhattab]

thank you for this quick and to the point tutorial

[@allyncia]

Man, I'm super excited to do this. I wish the background was there when you started getting doing the foot because it was kinda black on black... but anyway, you got my heart! I'm excited to do this and thank you for sharing your magic!!! Alrighty, jumping in this way and then, I'll mess with the duik. Yours looks plenty good!

[@lucasarnack2610]

Man, you just nailed with your tutorial ! Muito obrigado

[@richochet]

You smashed it. The simplicity was fantastic.

[@Jesus2030King]

One of the most underrated channel on KZbin

[@leyla9376]

To the ones saying the video is too fast, try slowing the playback speed from: SETTINGS / PLAYBACK SPEED - 0,75 worked well for me :D

[@gaston.]

yes, very helpful.. fast and to the point.. thanks!

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

No thank you for watching!

[@nadiia_banit]

thanks! its really simple!

[@somniatic]

I appreciate this tutorial because I needed a refresher. I had to slowdown playback which makes the presenter sound drunk 😂 still, glad for the information, especially the shortcut keys . Will also check out limber lite (because I’m poor) to play a little more later

[@GustavoPulidoJ]

You save my life bro!, Thanks for this one!

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

No problem!

[@CrazyYashi]

Awesome tutorial ❤️

[@navithavijith7263]

omg you did it simply !!! but i am still under shock :D how did you do that!!

[@kristinamoriakinaite9554]

Thank you for a great tutorial!

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

You're very welcome!

[@ammarqureshi3600]

Super awesome and simple ❤

[@elementalsonic8526]

Nailed it!

[@jontsrathod]

Really awesome, after long time new trick seen, thank you🙏

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Welcome 😊

[@bishalkc7170]

Just what i was looking for.. thank u buddy❤️❤️

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Most welcome 😊

[@alexandreoliveira1875]

POrra, normalmente eu não comento em vídeo, mas mandou muito bem nesse, tanto no humor quanto no conteúdo! TOP

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Obrigado!

[@vosough4227]

exactly what I wanted THANKS!

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Glad it could help. Hopefully it wasn't too fast!

[@FredPacheco]

It's great. Thank you!

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Thank you too!

[@tariqalexanderwaheed476]

Great 🎉 Thanks 😎😃👍🏽

[@AAAAAAA]

Nice thanks

[@buttercookies20002]

Love You 😘 Thank you

[@safameghaouri7614]

Thank you

[@ghulammujtaba5491]

Perfectly explained mate!

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Glad you liked it

[@LeonardoCossio]

awesome

[@mynetwork3699]

Very Help full

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Thank you!

[@lavaplaster]

Helpful!

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Thanks for watching!

[@darwin3615]

subbed :)

[@mdoliullah8320]

very nice

[@kawaiirana3778]

thank you so much

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

You're welcome!

[@df1938]

holla! Nice tutorial - thanks

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Hey, thanks!

[@artemtsenev]

NIce and Simple, thanks

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Glad you like it!

[@akbarergashov9634]

thank you

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

You're welcome

[@EcarDK]

Thx for the video. I love it. It was a little to fast for me

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Sorry about that

[@designmecreatives]

Great work

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Thanks

[@rokons]

Wonderful Bro

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Thanks

[@animatinglinc]

Hi there, love your videos. awesome and helpful... I have a query though... I'm trying to animate a back view walk cycle for a client, which technique would you recommend

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Do you mean the character is facing away from the audience?

[@animatinglinc]

@@TheKeyframeAcademy yup.

[@felipeurbanetto534]

tks bro

[@dgreeky]

guess Ill have to watch this some other time... im familiar with everything except that scene in 0:14 ... do you have a tenurial for that?

[@edwardsolaire5672]

Holla!!

[@maxsmolny1098]

tks a lot

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

You are welcome

[@wiesolos]

Lol this guy feeling so pro because he is so familiar with these particular softwares, so everything must be accelerated to the extreme to demonstrate his ability, guess.

[@ankhbaatar7234]

great

[@PouyanArephpoor]

Thank you. Very useful tutorial

[@zephyretta]

But how do you stop the feet from sliding

[@unconsciousarts6933]

SO SMART

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Thanks

[@ossamasamy1569]

i have a question if you can help me please ... i am working on a template called kyle worker style ... an after effects template .. one of the poses the character is moving from left to right but it is not travelling from one side to another it 's just like walking in place .. can you help me please ..how to make him move from one side of the screen to the other ??

[@squid9601]

This is a really really great tutorial but after coming back to it 1000 times, I noticed something that is off. When he starts animating the body going up and down, it is actually supposed to be the opposite of what he does. The body moves down first and then reaches the peak height in the middle of the cycle, then back down. Still amazing tutorial and will continue to come back to it

[@squid9601]

And one more thing to add to this comment - the feet position movement CANNOT be bezier otherwise good luck getting the feet to anchor to the ground when the character is moving across

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

What I demonstrated in this video is correct. I think you may be misunderstanding my directions, and I don't blame you, this video is really fast paced. I need to do an update and slow it down. What you're describing though, is what I am doing. Thats why we start with the 3 "down" keyframes and then add 2 "up" keyframes in the middle of the down keyframes. A full "cycle" is essentially two steps. One step with the right leg, and one with left. What you're describing is only "half" of the cycle. "Down -> up ->Down"...But a full cycle is "Down -> up ->Down->up ->Down" So the body should bob up and down twice for each step taken. Then I offset the body keyframes 1-2 frames because the lowest point of the body is actually supposed to happen slightly after the foot taking the step makes contact with the ground. Walking is essentially catching yourself from falling while moving forward, so when your foot initially hits the ground the momentum of the body falling doesn't immediately get redirected back up but is delayed a bit. Hope that makes sense.

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Also in regards to moving a character, you're right. It is extremely hard to create a looped walk cycle like this and animated it move horizontal and getting the feet to plant. But I have a totally different method for that.

[@johnacerra9752]

How do you get the rubber hose plug in? Or whatever you used? Is it free? I had no idea you could add these to make your animation easier. Thanks!

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

There is rubberhose: gumroad.com/a/128328819/DXCTF I also commonly use Limber: aescripts.com/limber/?aff=84

[@johnacerra9752]

@@TheKeyframeAcademy Thank you very much

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

@@johnacerra9752 No problem! Glad I could help!

[@rbdesignguy]

can you precompose this all and change its position? i.e. change move your walking person anywhere in your comp?

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

yes

[@erfumali]

Got lost in the arm part... should I keyframe position for arm swing or just use FK?

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

FK if you're using something like DUIK or Limber. If you're using rubberhose or Deekay tool, you can keyframe the position of the wrist to move back and forth in an Arcing motion. Or something you can parent the wrist to the shoulder and then animate the rotation of the shoulder. Or, you can just create a shape layer for the upper arm, a shape layer for the lower part of the arm. Parent the lower part of the arm to the upper part of the arm, and then animate the rotation of the upper and lower like you would with FK.

[@panjimaulanai8343]

how to make character animation walk from A to B with background position fix, tell me pleasee....

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Have everything parented to your body layer, and move that from A to B

[@demondin]

4:55 he was gonna say "crap" lol...

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

😎 I don't know what you're talking about...

[@rahmatinado8594]

kwkwk.. learnig while Laughing

[@yukixuezhuwu4608]

how did you do the shadows?

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

cc slant FTW

[@declouxa]

you make this look easy ! ITS NOT , LOL :P Im savy in AE and your techniques are SEXY AF. cant wait to follow this later . xo

[@motion8476]

Can i get ur projects files? I will use Just practice

[@nicolastrottier2738]

Why prepare the position of the body with a "LoopIn()"? I only know the looping method with "LoopOut()". Where/how does this "come in handy" later? THX!

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

I'm using the loopin expression because I am shifting the body animation down 1-2 frames to offset it from the legs. If I were to use the loopout expression, that resulting "loop" wouldn't account from the two frames in the beginning. It's the same reason I use the loopin for the second leg as well, because I am shifting the entire animation to start halfway through my workspace. If I were to use the loopout, I'd have to shift my keyframes in the other direction, so that the middle of my leg animation would be on frame 1...I don't like doing that though because then if I want to change any keyframes in that first half of the animation, i can't because those keyframes are off the timeline.

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Was that helpful or did I just confuse you more?

[@amparofontanet720]

Nicolas Trottier Hi! This was very helpful. Im still a bit confused about the loopin. Do you loopin all keyframed layers or only those that you offset to start a few frames after the beginning of the animation? I would think that the layers that are not offset would have to be loopOut, no? Thank you!!!!

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Amparo Fontanet basically if you’re shifting your animations forward in time (from the first frame) you want to use loopin. If you’re shifting your key frames backward in time, ( which means you wouldnt be able to see the first keyframe because it would be shifted off the the timeline) you want you use loopout. Maybe I’ll make a video to explain this better.

[@amparofontanet720]

@@TheKeyframeAcademy Thank you very much for replying so fast :) I have this problem: I want to use a comp of a walking cycle within another comp and loop the walking cycle comp. I'm doing the time remap and adding loopOut(); to the walking cycle comp but then the layers that have loopin in the walking cycle don't loop properly. Hope I'm explaining correctly...

[@wenremarkable4261]

how to make the shadow following the character?

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Precomp, apply a fill affect, change that to whatever color you want the shadow to be. Then use cc slant, uncheck "stretch' and then play with the slant amount and boom you got a shadow.

[@siong9547]

When you copy and paste the back foot and move them from 1'', when it loops the foot isnt on the original place as you only set 2'' helpppppppp

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

add a loopIn(expression) to all the properties of the duplicated foot, then shift the keyframes down.

[@laurenanderson4620]

My second foot is not looping back, it just jumps back to where the first foot is. I don't know what I did wrong. I thought I followed the tutorial word for word, but now I don't know.

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

What loop expression are you using?

[@spyreltd]

Agree the second foot’s keyframes cut off outside of the work area? It’s so fast I can’t pause it to work out what you do to slide the second foot back

[@mangekyou45rinnegan]

My second foot isn't looping back too. I followed every single step. Did you managed to fix it?

[@syrinebennay2312]

thank you, but how can i download free robber horse in after effects ? pleease answer my question

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Rubberhose is not free, sorry.

[@noonecomics]

I usually go 1.5x ...on this one I had to go 0.25...great tutorial tho´

[@bhaganiasaab5027]

Plz tell us how to use one walk cycle again and again so that we can save our time plzz sir

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Go watch my video on looping

[@bhaganiasaab5027]

@@TheKeyframeAcademy no bro i mean how to use one walk cycle in many videos is it possible???

[@grvmhz4797]

1:24 I laughed soo hard that i farted

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Check your pants

[@dublinphotoart]

Why not just loop a precomp of one cycle instead of applying loops to several layers? 🤔

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

I do both actually. But inside the precomp, instead of going through the work of animating both the front and back legs, or front or back arms, I just animate one, and copy it, and then offset the keyframes, and then apply loopIn or Out to the offset keyframes. If not I have to shift around keyframes or completely redo everything on the second limb. So looping in this case is less work IMO.

[@AbangSyaft]

F the beginners tutorial let's go! *20 videos later* Where's that beginners tutorial?!

[@davidsargsyan5979]

hand doesnt follow the arm when using FK it just rotates in place

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

if you're using Limber, you have create an FK controller, and parent the hand to that instead. Or I think there is a IK match FK button.

[@davidsargsyan5979]

Thanks. I just added another joint and parented my hand to that

[@Lima_does_stuff]

"then you create a keyframe" ok how do I create a dam keyframe?

[@xaero7262]

how can i animate the legs without limber ?

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

you need some kind of IK rigging tool. Rubberhose is another option, or DUIK is a free option.

[@xaero7262]

@@TheKeyframeAcademy Thanks for replying so quickly I'll try it 🙂

[@tubagusisnaeni8074]

how to stop after walking?

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

no more keyframes

[@viniciusadrn]

You should show what u doing so ppl can understand what are you doing.

[@TheUninterestingLifeOfNy]

She is

[@mynetwork3699]

but how I animate character like hindi story

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

I don't know what that is?

[@zephyretta]

lol

[@bunkersketches1238]

Alright. I'm completely losing my mind on something. Every time I create a new limb, the anchor point always pops to the right of it rather than on the bone end of the limb. I can't find anyone who's brought up this problem yet, and I'm throwing a hail mary that you see this comment. How do you get the anchor points to align properly with your limbs when you create a new limb?

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

What are you using to create your limb?

[@bunkersketches1238]

@@TheKeyframeAcademy Limber. This happens right after I press the button to create a new limb.

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

@@bunkersketches1238 Hmm, are you talking about the anchor point of the Limb layer itself? or the hip/ankle controller layers?

[@bunkersketches1238]

@@TheKeyframeAcademy The hip/ankle controller layers.

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

@@bunkersketches1238 What happens when you try to reposition the anchor point with the pan behind tool?

[@oussamaboufous6182]

this tutorial was sow fast

[@user83037]

a little too fast

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Sorry!

[@rawaz6189]

what are you saing ??? your so fast do this !!!

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Slow down the playback my brotha

[@METESOYDAN]

.

[@dickyramadhan593]

you are so fast

[@afafsamo591]

tooooooo fastt

[@Saracay23]

way too fast

[@mehaisports336]

too fast

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Sowee

[@mehaisports336]

@@TheKeyframeAcademy it's ok bro still educational keep it up

[@imandalaei5641]

it was terrible you said too fast to no one cant understand

[@PiongTV]

it was not helpful because im idiot

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

No don't say that!

[@franzkafka2020]

Though i have lots of basic knowledge of AE, i cant get those stuff which are so fast Im gonna unsubscribe the channel and dislike this

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Sorry to see you go!

[@sohaibmirza8260]

This is bullcrap

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Why?

[@danielpena86]

way too fast. You are not explaining this to experts. But people with middle knowledge of this. 0 out of 10

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

...sorry...

[@jackassajax4418]

Guess I'm not the only one who failed to understand this, he is right though this wasn't for a beginner

[@mm-sf6qx]

.