Copyright Walt Disney Feature Animation.
CG Maya 4.0 training, 2003.
Ball, cup & saucer hand-keyframed in Graph Editor.
Such props in the hands of capable animators can develop interesting character via subtle eccentricities- the animator's signature- which rigid simulation cannot produce.
To develop a strong, innate understanding of something's essence & timing, it is necessary to trudge through it a few times manually, either by drawing in 2D or hand-keyframing in 3D. It can then be exploited and caricatured.
Mulan's cup, saucer and tea are also hand-keyframed. The tea surface is a simple rotating disc. Steam particles are emitted from that disc.
