Refine the orca's rotation

Up to this point you have been directed to only animate position, and so the orca’s rotation may be unrealistic. To correct that, we’ll remove the automatically created rotation keys, and then add new ones.

This section focuses on refining the animation. There are no exact steps to follow to create a perfect result. You'll need to use your judgement and some experimentation to achieve a result that you're happy with.

Delete the current rotation keys

1. Select the orca, and then select the dope sheet ().

2. Select and delete all the rotation keys except the first column. Ensure that you select the circles in the Rotation row before you press the delete key.

The rotation keys to delete (select to expand)

Add new rotation keys

It can often be useful to have rotation keys at different points on the timeline to the position keys. In the case of the orca animation, we can add one rotation key before the turn, and another after the turn. The ENGAGE application will then fill the gap between them with a smooth rotation.

1. Start at the beginning of the animation and scrub the playhead through the dopesheet.

2. Identify the first section where the orca seems to move unnaturally. Specifically, drifting sideways.

3. Move the playhead slightly back from that point to where the turn will begin.

4. Select the create key icon ().
5. When you create a new key, it includes position, rotation, and scale. You only need the rotation. Delete the newly created position keys from that point in the timeline.

6. Move the playhead forward to where the end of the turn should be.

7. Rotate the orca to align with the new direction of travel. Select the create key icon ().
8. Delete the newly created position keys from that point in the timeline.