Secondary Action

Secondary Action

I was chatting with my animation course and realized that few students actually understood what a secondary action is.

It’s one of the 12 basic principles of animation, yet there are a lot of misunderstandings about it online. The textbook we’re using doesn’t help much either—it gives a vague definition that leaves room for confusion. To clear things up, I decided to create a new secondary animation for my player character, shown below.

(OH NO! GIF aren't animating anymore, so I can't upload an animated GIF of my secondary action! You'll just have to play it I guess.)

Above shows one frame of the "puppy dog run".

Above shows normal walk cycle - no puppy dog.

The definition of a secondary action is an action that supports the main animation but is not central to it. It enhances the performance without distracting from the primary movement.

In a walk cycle, the main actions are usually the motion of the limbs and hips. Many assume things like clothing movement are secondary actions, but that isn’t quite right. For example, a feather on a cap bouncing as a character walks is often cited as a secondary action. However, if the feather is simply moving because of the physics of the walk, that’s actually overlapping animation—not secondary action.

Secondary actions can be harder to think about in a walk cycle, but here’s an example I came up with for my character Monty. Sometimes Monty gets so excited that he bursts into a faster run, tongue hanging out and a big grin on his face. His main action is the standard walk cycle. The secondary action is the playful, puppy-like run layered on top—it doesn’t replace the walk but adds personality and energy.

Another example of a secondary action could be pulling a gun from a pocket and twirling it while walking. The twirl is an action separate from the walk cycle, adding flair without overriding the main animation.

A good way to test whether something is overlap, follow-through, or secondary action is to ask:

• Is it moving because of physics during a looped action? → Overlap

• Is it moving because of physics at the end of an action? → Follow-through

• Is it a distinct movement that enhances the main animation, separate from physics? → Secondary action

Inventory Blinking

When playtesting, I noticed that people would pick up the pen but not realize how to access it afterward. To fix this, I made the inventory icon blink after the pen is picked up. The blinking continues until the player opens the inventory. I applied the same solution to the badges.

(Ugh, animated gifs aren't working anymore on itch. Pretend that chest below is yellow and blinking :) )

As always, there’s still plenty to fix and update. In my last playtest, I realized I need to completely rethink how the player understands their goal. At one point, a tester asked me: “What am I supposed to be doing… like, why am I doing these things?” That question stuck with me, and honestly, I felt stumped for days about how to move forward.

The good news is, I’ve finally come up with a solid idea, and I’m really excited to share it soon.

Until then!