Independent and Intermediate Animation projects generally focus around one of four animation areas.

• Principles of Animation. Study the classic principles of animation using Blender. Focus on more realistic and engaging animations with simpler objects. Topics such as squash and stretch, anticipation, staging, follow-through, timing, and exaggeration can be explored. Look through the Principles of Animation assignment for more details.
• Rigging. Create more complex rigs to animate your characters. Inverse kinematics, facial rigs, constraints and/or target bones should be explored. You might even explore rigging inanimate objects like machines. Look through the Intermediate Rigging assignment for more details.
• Physics animation. Use the built-in physics engine to get Blender to animate objects for you. Gravity, wind, water, and object interactions are all things to be explored.
  • Tutorials
    • Rigibody
      • Rigid Body Physics 
      • Quick rigid body by Blender Guru: old
    • Cloth simulation
      • Blanket Simulation by Blender Guru
      • Cloth Simulation by PIXXO 3D
    • Fluid simulation
      • New MantaFlow fluid simulation by CG Geek
      • Let’s Make Coffee, new MantaFlow: CG Cookie
    • Oceans. Generate ocean waves on a plane with the ocean modifier. Ocean Modifier Tutorial by CG Essentials. 
• Camera Animation. Add camera motion into your animations just like in the movies. Look through the Intermediate Camera assignment for more details.
• Animation Short Clips. Work on a short animation clip that is more complex than your Beginner Animation assignment. You can create animation clips for:
  • Game characters. Create simple animations like walking, running, jumping, crouching, sword swinging, etc.
  • Movement specific animations. Create short animations like a full walking or running cycle or bird flying.
  • Specialty lighting animations like campfires, flashlights, vehicle emergency lights, etc.