Day 1 - The Vertical Ball Bounce
[Download the Maya Scene here]
Free Maya Ball Rigs:
What to watch for
Timing and Spacing is the big lesson here. The ball should cover more ground as it falls and less as it slows near the top. If your bounce feels floaty, that's almost always the reason.
When you're done
Play it back at full speed and ask one question: does it feel heavy? That's it. That's the whole test, and it's the same test you'll apply to every shot you ever animate.
If it does — you've just done the exercise every professional animator started with, and done it properly.
This is Day 1 of 21. The full challenge runs from here and into full body mechanics — one exercise a day, 30 minutes each, every one with the Maya scene already set up. Plus 7 bonus days after that.