Course Description

This course introduces students to basic 3D animation techniques. Completing a total of four assignments, students learn how to design, prepare for, and create expressive and convincing motion using Maya software. Technical as well as aesthetic issues in the production of 3D animation are addressed.

Entry Requirements

Students must take the Intro to Modeling and Rendering course concurrently or prior to this course.
This is an introductory course. As such, students are not expected to be familiar with any of the concepts or techniques presented. Students are, however, expected to be familiar with general computer usage and file management. It is highly recommendet that students take storyboarding prior, or concurrent, with this class.

Goals of the Course

The goal of this course is to relay a thorough understanding of the principles of animation and to enable students to translate theoretical knowledge into successful 3D animation projects. Focusing on the quality of motion, students will also learn how to evaluate and critique animations.

Course Requirements

In this course, students are expected to complete a total of four animations:

Assignment #1: Bouncing Ball
Assignment #2: Animating a Walk-Cycle
Assignment #3: Simulating a Natural Phenomenon
Assignment #4: Open Assignment

Three to four weeks are dedicated to the completion of each assignment. Students are required to spend a considerable amount of time on their projects outside of class.

Each students is expected to come to class prepared and to conduct him/herself as a professional. Students are further expected to be considerate and helpful to fellow classmates and to actively participate during class critiques.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

	Week 1	Course overview and introduction of assignments Assignment 1: Animating a bouncing ball (focusing on squash & stretch) The goal of this first assignment is to familiarize students with the basic concepts of 3D animation, the principles of animation, and the basics of the Maya animation module. The technical aspects of this assignment include the playback menu, setting and editing key frames, navigating the Graph Editor and the Dope Sheet, and using Playblasts. Reading: O'Rourke, sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.5
	Week 2	Setting up a project The 12 Principles of Animation Using the Graph Editor to edit key frames Using the Dope Sheet Reading: O'Rourke, sections 4.3, 4.4
	Week 3	Using Ghost and Create Motion Trail functions Using the Graph Editor to edit animation curves: Spline, Clamped, Linear, Flat, Step, Plateau tangents Break, Unify, Free and Lock tangent weights Rendering and outputting frames to tape Reading: O'Rourke, sections 4.6
	Week 4	Hierarchies: Grouping vs. parenting Animating using multiple pivot points The Connection Editor
	Week 5	Assignment 2: Animating a Walk-Cycle In this assignment, the principles of character animation are covered. The focus is on weight and timing. Two animation techniques, forward and inverse kinematics, are introduced. The technical aspects of this assignment include joints, Set Preferred Angle, IK handles, Pole Vector Constraint, Rigid Bind, and the Hardware Renderer. Character designs will be basic and make use of primitives. The binding method will be a simple Rigid Bind. Introducing character animation: Building a bi-ped skeleton Joint Tool Set Preferred Angle Reroot Skeleton Forward Kinematics, FK, vs. Inverse Kinematics, IK: overview (Pose to pose vs. layering approach) Reading: O'Rourke, sections 4.10
	Week 6	Review of last week's techniques. Binding a body/primitives to the skeleton. Animating using FK Reading: O'Rourke, sections 7.5
	Week 7	IK Handle Tool SC vs. RP Solvers Sticky Spline IK Handle Tool Snap Enable Animating with IK Reading: O'Rourke, sections 4.8
	Week 8	Review of last week's techniques. Pole Vectors Using Aim, Orient, Parent Constraints Using Maya's Hardware Renderer to render skeletons Reading: O'Rourke, sections 4.9
	Week 9	Assignment 3: Simulate a Natural Phenomenon This assignment focuses on how to create natural and expressive motion. The technical aspects of this assignment include a variety of shape deformations and explain Maya's procedural paradigm. Hypergraph: Input and Output Connections Construction History as it pertains to the animation process Using Deformers: Lattices, Clusters, Wire Tool, Wrinkle Tool
	Week 10	Using Deformers continued: Sculpt Deformer, Blendshape Reading: O'Rourke, sections 7.5
	Week 11	Animating the camera Screen geography: Staging the action Setting up a soft spotlight Animating lights and textures Light Linking Blend color utility Optimize Scene Size Reading: O'Rourke, sections 4.7
	Week 12	Designing color palettes Set Driven Key Baking Channels Time to catch up. Assistance from instructor Reading: O'Rourke, sections 7.3, 7.12
	Week 13	Assignment #4: Open Assignment. For this last assignment, students are encouraged to pursue their interests. Students are allowed to continue animating one of the previous assignments, to combine elements from previous assignments, or to create a new animation short. This assignment is due on the last day of class. Create Animated Snapshot Animated Sweep Using Motion Path functions: Set Motion Path Key Attach to Motion Path Flow Path Object Reading: O'Rourke, sections 7.6, 7.10, 7.11
	Week 14	Overview of several advanced animation techniques. Writing simple Expressions
	Week 15	Finals: All materials due - final critique A note on conferences and festivals. Planning a demo reel.

Methods of Assessment

Attendance represents 10% of the final grade.
It is Pratt policy that three unexcused absences constitute failure. Please note that two late arrivals that exceed 15 minutes count as one absence.

Each assignment will be graded according to its:
quality of motion %40
technical competency %20
treatment of lighting & surface, overall look %20
creativity & content %20

It is the responsibility of each student to ensure his/her work is completed and handed in on time. There is a one-letter-grade per week deduction for work turned in late.

Students are expected to regularly back up their work. Work missing due to technical difficulty, disk error or similar can not be graded. No exceptions.

At mid-term, students will be advised of their grades in writing.

No incompletes will be given, except for documented medical or family emergencies.

Readings/Bibliography

There is one required textbook:

Michael O’Rourke, Principles of Three-Dimensional Computer Animation, Third Edition (W. W. Norton & Company, 2003). Regular readings will be assigned from this book.

Students may either purchase their own copy of this book, or borrow the book from one of several sources. Our Department's Resource Room has several copies available for short-term checkout. The Pratt Library also has several copies available for short-term checkout at the Reserved-Book desk.

The Department's Resource Room carries a number of other technical reference books and DVDs on 3D graphics in general, and on Maya in particular. Any of these books can be checked out of the Resource Room by a student taking this course.

Maya Documentation

You will be expected to use the Maya documentation frequently, independently and intelligently. This documentation includes extensive Help files as well as Tutorials. Both are available on our workstations.

Recommended Reading:
Film Directing Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen, by Steven D. Katz

Supplementals

Final output medium is mini-DV; thus, each student is required to purchase two mini-DV tapes.

Further required are:

One harbound sketchbook.

Materials to sketch and draw.

One binder 81/2 x 11.

The purchase of a stopwatch for timing of motion is advised.

Student Guidelines

The following is a list of technical topics organized by topic. See the weekly schedule for the order
in which they will be presented during the course.

Deformers, Non-linear Deformers

Editing animation curves: Graph Editor

Animating cameras, lights, textures

Light linking

Software Rendering

Outputting/Recording Frames

Animated Snapshot
Animated Sweep

Attach to Motion Path
Set Motion Path Key
Flow Path Object

Baking Channels

Connection Editor
Set Driven Key
Expressions

Skeletons, IK Handles, Spline IK Handles
Pole Vectors, Constraints
Hardware Rendering

Dynamics (basic overview)

Plagiarism Policy

Digital Copyright and Intellectual Property Protection
When you copy work that was actually created by another person, without giving credit to the original author, you are implying that you yourself did the work. This is called plagiarism. It is dishonest and is not acceptable at Pratt Institute.

It is the policy of DDA and Pratt to emphasize respect for the creative works of others. Infringement takes place when -- without permission -- a substantial part of a work is copied, made available to others, or adapted into a new form. Images, text, logos, software, sounds, film/video clips, email, postings to newsgroups, and other works distributed electronically are protected by copyright, just as they are in traditional media. Appropriate use of the internet and digital storage media implies responsibilities and is encouraged. Protection technologies such as watermarking and encryption are supported and must be respected. DDA does not condone copyright infringement and disciplinary action will be taken if this policy is violated.