Fall 2014: 3D AnimationProject requirements

OverviewAttendance required – people who do not come

to class tend to create not-very-good projects!

One assignment: an architectural scene Indoor or outdoor Complete Elegant

Due date: the final exam slot for the class

Video – 1 to 3 minutes

you will needautodesk maya: students.autodesk.com

A video clip maker: MPEG Streamclip, Compressor, or Quicktime Legacy (Pro)

a video editor: for adding sound to video and for editing multiple clips

a sound editor (maybe)

an image editor

The Video Make a one to three minute video rendered as avi, wmv, mov, or

mpeg4. Your video must be playable on one of: Quicktime VLC http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html on a Mac or

Windows

Make your video tell a story. Something begins, continues for a while, and then has an ending. There needs to be a point to why we are watching your video, something (however simple) must unfold.

There must be a complete environment, animation, and sound

Use at least 1240 by 960 pixels; anything smaller will not look good.

Use a high level of anti-aliasing.

Hand in A data (not a playable) DVD or flash key containing…

Your entire project folder, minus only the individual images you rendered for your video. These images should be the only thing that makes your project folder big.

Your video – no larger than a gigabyte.

During the first 10 seconds of your video, display:

Intro to Animation, Fall 2014, Joe Cool

(except plug in your own name…)

Test your DVD to make sure it is readable!

You can also put your zipped up project and video on the web for me to download

Importing contentyou can import textures

You can use outside sound data for your soundtrack

You can use content from the Maya “Visor”But only for minor content

The visor material cannot be what our eyes are drawn to – it can only be for secondary modeling and can take up only a very small part of your rendered frames

You cannot import modeling content from any other source than the visor

No importing of modeling done by any other individual; ALL modeling in the primary part of your scene must be your own

AdviceMake sure all the parts of your environment fit

together stylistically. This can be a problem if you use canned stuff from the Visor.

Don’t take on a project that is too large for you to finish completely or too simplistic – this is why I need to be involved.

Leave lots of time for rendering, and do test renderings along the way, to judge your render time needs.

We will work on the projects in class – so come

Primary goal: build an entire environment The two most important criteria are

Careful, deliberate modeling

Careful, clean application of materials and textures

Please do not mimic any proprietary content, such as a character or model from a movie or a video game.

Your modeling must be clean and elegant, and must contain a realistic level of detail.

For example, a living room with noting on tables or shelves looks unrealistic.

Use geometry for larger grained surface features. Avoid random modeling…!

Remember: detailed modeling and carefully applied textures and materials are what make your scene realistic!

Primary goal: build an entire environment, continued…

All your modeling must be done in Maya

Carefully balance materials, lights, shadows, and reflective and transparent materials - to give your scene a deep 3D look.

ImportantFor your storyline

You need a modeling and story inspiration

Consider storyboards

resourcesthe ATLAS lab machines have

maya

premiere

final cut pro

Photoshop

Audition

The biggest stumbling block

Time for rendering your project!

Please keep in mind that a full, crisp rendering is required

Ideas for giving a scene feeling

Lighting, shadows, materialsFog, transparency, length and sharpness of shadows

A moving camera can reveal a scene incrementally or make us dizzy

Skyline (perhaps with an environment material and light)

Pay particular attention to..

Building a model with materials and animation in mind

Use the Outliner!Name all your model components, materials, textures, cameras, lights, etc.

A model and movement that is the focus of the viewer’s attention and is engaging

Textures & materials

This makes or breaks a model

Budget time to do this rightNo ugly tilingNo wrap-around seamsNo uneven projections

Remember bump maps and layered materials

Overriding goalsCreate a scene you can finish completely and elegantly

Give your scene a unique look and feel

Don’t compromise on materials/textures, modeling details, fleshing out the surrounding scene, or rendering your scenes they way they look best

Shadows and raytracing are critical

Items required

In black - required

In orange – suggestions/altrernatives

Required components Materials and textures

Using a texture as the color of a material Using a texture as a bump map of a material Glass Sun and Sky or homemade sun and sky Seamlessly tile-able textures A layered texture

Proper use of Outliner and naming of components

Modeling Nurbs bottom up geometry – using lines to create surfaces

(extrusion, lofting, revolving), stitching, sculpting Polygon modeling – using extrusion, push and pull, and

component-based modeling, extrusion, sculpting

Required components, cont Smoothing

Smooth command Manipulating normals Soft translation (move) Beveling

Animation Motion path Keyframing Blendshape A dynamics effect A hard (or soft) body effect An animated skeleton

Required components, contCarefully engineered lighting/shadows

Cameras and lights – not the defaults!

A dynamics effect and/or a hard (or soft) body effect

Raytraced renderings