Reply To: New Animation Course Coming?

Has very much changed between 2.79 and 2.8x, enough to warrant redoing the course?

The UI has changed as well as the buttons.  The process is the same, however, users get confused when you show old software that isn’t quite the same or drastically different that the current version.

I read somewhere that they’re revamping Blender’s animation system. Perhaps they’ll finally address this.

The things that they are working on this year are the new library override system (to replace the proxy system), increasing the speed of the view port playback and a basic version of an asset manager.

Knee popping is a mathematical problem.  It occurs when the IK goes too fast from straight to bent or vice versa.  You can’t change this behavior unless you can change the way mathematics works.

What’s a soft ID set-up? Is it build into one of the currently-available rigging systems already?

Soft IK is a modified IK set up (extra drivers), that doesn’t let the chain ever get straight.  This acts as a way to dampen the ‘pop’.  However, it has its own set of problems (the foot won’t ever reach the control when stretched, and it doesn’t solve the pops when going from straight to bent)

And speaking of current rigging systems… I’m assuming you’ve used them all. Which (if any) best addresses this issue?

Yes I’ve used normal IK, stretchy IK and Soft IK.  The best thing that addresses the issue is the actual animator.

I prefer Stretchy IK (even for realistic animation rigs) and then I control the knee pops by controlling the body mechanics.