From the course: Animation Foundations: Fundamentals
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Center of mass
Now let's take a look at center of mass. Now some objects that you animate will be symetrical. Other objects will have more stuff on one side than the other. They will be asymmetrical. Now the distribution of mass in an object will effect how it moves and particularly how it rotates. When animating, you need to know the center of mass of your objects. The center of mass is exactly that. The point on the object where the mass is centered. This is also the point where the object naturally balances. Now with animating oddly shaped objects, it may be tricky to find the center of mass. Most 3D software has a function to center the objects pivot to its volume, which can work in many instances. Now when a force is applied to an object, we need to be mindful of where that force is acting in relation to its center of mass. If the force is inline with the center of mass the object will not rotate. A force applied away from the center mass will cause that object to rotate. And the further away…
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