I took this sequence back to formula and reanimated it from scratch. I had been using a path constraint to animate the Squid’s forward movement, but the constraint creates a constant motion that cannot be adjusted or keyframed. The inability to change the timing and position of the squid made it necessary for higher jumps than originally intended to have the Squid airborne long enough to clear the barricades.
This time I have two different barricades and corresponding jump heights. I used a layered animation approach and keyframed the Squid’s position by hand. I think working over the lights and textures gave me an added layer or believability.
This took 19 hours to render, so I hope you enjoy the results!
Here is the latest Octoped Animation!
Here is a screenshot from today’s render:
Squid Animation Screenshot