Preview

1. Creating Basic Walk Animation

Step 1

Open 3ds Max.
Open the file which was saved in the last part of the tutorial. 

Step 2

With all dummies selected, turn on Auto Key button
and click on Set Key button. It creates initial key frame on the first frame for all dummies.

Step 3

Press Alt-W on
the keyboard to jump in the side view.

Step 4

Select the left leg
dummy and go to the twentieth frame on the timeline. Move the dummy ahead
and place it exactly after the right leg as shown in the following image. 

It
creates a key frame on the twentieth frame on the timeline. 

Step 5

With the head dummy
selected, go to twentieth frame on the timeline and move it ahead and
place it exactly in the middle of the both legs as shown in the following
image. 

Step 6

With the right leg dummy
selected, go to the twentieth frame on the timeline and click on the Set
Key button to add a key frame on the twentieth frame.

Step 7

With the right leg dummy
selected, go to the fortieth frame on the timeline and move the dummy
ahead and place it exactly after the left leg as shown in the following image. 

It
creates a key frame on the fortieth frame on the timeline. 

Step 8

With the head dummy
selected, go to fortieth frame on the timeline and move it ahead and
place it exactly in the middle of the both legs as shown in the following
image.

Step 9

Once again select the
left leg dummy and go to the fortieth frame on the timeline. 

With the
left leg dummy selected, click on the Set Key button to add a key frame
on the fortieth frame.

Step 10

With the left leg dummy
selected, go to the sixtieth frame on the timeline and move the dummy
ahead and place it exactly after the left leg as shown in the following image. 

It
creates a key frame on the sixtieth frame on the timeline.

Step 11

With the head dummy
selected, go to sixtieth frame on the timeline and move it ahead and
place it exactly in the middle of the both legs as shown in the following
image.

Step 12

With the right leg dummy
selected, go to the sixtieth frame on the timeline and click on the Set
Key button to add a key frame on the sixtieth frame.

Step 13

With the right leg dummy
selected, go to the eightieth frame on the timeline and move the dummy
ahead and place it exactly after the left leg as shown in the following image. 

It creates a key frame on the eightieth frame on the timeline.

Step 14

With the head dummy
selected, go to eightieth frame on the timeline and move it ahead and
place it exactly in the middle of the both legs as shown in the following
image.

Step 15

Once again select the
left leg dummy and go to the eightieth frame on the timeline. With the
left leg dummy selected, click on the Set Key button to add a key frame
on the eightieth frame.

Step 16

With the left leg dummy
selected, go to the hundreth frame on the timeline and move the dummy
ahead and place it exactly after the left leg as shown in the following image. 

It creates a key frame on the hundreth frame on the timeline.

Step 17

With the head dummy
selected, go to hundreth frame on the timeline and move it ahead and
place it exactly in the middle of the both legs as shown in the following
image.

Step 18

With the right leg dummy
selected, go to the hundreth frame on the timeline and click on the Set
Key button to add a key frame on the hundreth frame.

Step 19

With the right leg dummy
selected, go to the 120^th frame on the timeline and move the dummy
ahead and place it exactly after the left leg as shown in the following image. 

It creates a key frame on the 120^th frame on the timeline.

Step 20

With the head dummy
selected, go to 120^th frame on the timeline and move it ahead and
place it exactly in the middle of the both legs as shown in the following
image.

Following the same way, keep
creating animation till your desired frame on the timeline.

2. Refining Walk Animation

Step 1

With the left leg dummy
selected, go to tenth frame on the timeline and lift it a bit as
shown in the following image. 

It creates a key frame on the tenth frame.

Step 2

With the right leg dummy
selected, go to thirtieth frame on the timeline and lift it a bit as
shown in the following image. 

It creates a key frame on the thirtieth frame.

Step 3

With the left leg dummy
selected, go to fiftieth frame on the timeline and lift it a bit as
shown in the following image. 

It creates a key frame on the fiftieth frame.

Step 4

With the right leg dummy
selected, go to seventieth frame on the timeline and lift it a bit as
shown in the following image. 

It creates a key frame on the seventieth frame.

Step 5

With the left leg dummy selected, go to ninetieth frame on the timeline and lift it a bit as shown in the following image. 

It creates
a key frame on the ninetieth frame.

Following the same way, keep refining in-between leg animation till your
desired frame on the timeline.

3. Creating Weight Shifting Animation

Step 1

With the head dummy
selected, go to tenth frame and move the dummy a bit to the left side
to give the weight of the body on the left side when the right leg is up in the
air. You can also rotate the dummy a bit as shown in the following image.

Step 2

Go to twentieth frame and keep the placement and rotation of the head dummy back to its initial
position as shown in the following image.

Step 3

Once again with the head
dummy selected, go to thirtieth frame and move the dummy a bit to the right
side to give the weight of the body on the right side when the left leg is up
in the air. You can also rotate the dummy a bit as shown in the following
image.

Step 4

Go to fortieth frame and keep the placement and
rotation of the head dummy back to its initial position as shown in the
following image.

Step 5

In this way, keep
animating till your desired frames to complete the animation process.

Conclusion

In the next part of the tutorial, I’ll show you how to composite this animation into a live action scene using After Effects.