Your final project is to animate something transforming from one thing into another. This should be your best work yet - see how far you can push your animation abilities in 3D!
Think of objects/characters that would be interesting to work with. You can have any combination of organic and hard surface shapes, such as...
mailbox becoming a robot
plane transforming into mini-sub and diving under water
watch becoming a mechanical insect
character transforming into monster
cucoo clock becoming a helicopter
Jack in the box into UFO
Laptop into train
Egg into mechanical bird
Tree becoming wood flying machine
Your idea for this project is due by the end of class today!
Projects should be at least 15 seconds long with at least 5 different animated camera shots. Please note that the transformation itself does not have to take 15 seconds – part of that time can be used for introducing the scene, or showing the transformed object/character leaving the scene.
Projects will be graded on both aesthetic and technical animation achievements.
Final project should be at least 0:15 seconds long @ no less than 720 x 480 resolution, and submitted as a rendered movie file and uploaed to youtube, vimeo or dailymotion.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
How to render animation - batch rendering
Once your render settings are setup correctly, save your scene file, and then open up an explorer/finder window to see your frames as they render. Check the top of the render settings for the location, the default is:
Documents>Maya>Projects>Default>Images
When you are ready, go to render>batch render. Maya will begin rendering your frames and you should see them collect in the images folder. Make sure to check the first couple of frames to see if your animation is rendering correctly.
Once the rendering is completed, open Adobe AfterEffects and go to:
File>Import>File
Find the location of the rendered image files and click on the first one. AfterEffects should have a check box called "Image Sequence" - make sure this is checked, then click open.
The images should show up in the project window (Upper left of the AfterEffects screen layout). At the bottom of this window is an icon that looks like a filmstrip with a few shapes in it. Drag your image sequence onto this icon and AfterEffects will put them into a new composition that is the resolution and duration of your sequence.
Scrub through your animation to ensure it looks correct. Then, go to composition>add to render queue.
In the "Output Module", click on "based on "Lossless"" and change the format to .h264
In the "Output To:", select the name and location for your rendered movie.
Click "Render" on the right side of the render queue, sit back, and watch AfterEffects render your film!
Documents>Maya>Projects>Default>Images
When you are ready, go to render>batch render. Maya will begin rendering your frames and you should see them collect in the images folder. Make sure to check the first couple of frames to see if your animation is rendering correctly.
Once the rendering is completed, open Adobe AfterEffects and go to:
File>Import>File
Find the location of the rendered image files and click on the first one. AfterEffects should have a check box called "Image Sequence" - make sure this is checked, then click open.
The images should show up in the project window (Upper left of the AfterEffects screen layout). At the bottom of this window is an icon that looks like a filmstrip with a few shapes in it. Drag your image sequence onto this icon and AfterEffects will put them into a new composition that is the resolution and duration of your sequence.
Scrub through your animation to ensure it looks correct. Then, go to composition>add to render queue.
In the "Output Module", click on "based on "Lossless"" and change the format to .h264
In the "Output To:", select the name and location for your rendered movie.
Click "Render" on the right side of the render queue, sit back, and watch AfterEffects render your film!
How to render animation - render settings
To render an animation in Maya, you must tell Maya to render out a sequence of frames. You can then use AfterEffects or Quicktime to compile the frames into a rendered movie.
Go to window>rendering editors>render settings
COMMON
The information at the top of the "Common" tab will show you where your rendered frames will be put on the computer. Additional details, such as frame range and resolution are included as well.
FILE OUTPUT
File name prefix:
you can set the name of your image files here, or maya will use your scene name as default
Image format:
Use PNG, TIFF, TARGA or BMP. Maya's IFF format cannot currently be ready by AfterEffects
Frame/Animation ext:
Use name.#.ext
Frame padding:
Increase this to add zeros in front of your frame numbers so that AfterEffects reads your sequence correctly
FRAME RANGE
Set this to your start and end frames
RENDERABLE CAMERAS
Set this to the camera you wish to render through.
IMAGE SIZE
640 x 480, 720 x 480 or HD 720
MAYA SOFTWARE
ANTI-ALIASING QUALITY
Set Quality to Production Quality
MOTION BLUR
You can activate motion blur to soften the motion of your objects and blur them as they move. Turn this on and then test it on various frames to see how it looks.
Go to window>rendering editors>render settings
COMMON
The information at the top of the "Common" tab will show you where your rendered frames will be put on the computer. Additional details, such as frame range and resolution are included as well.
FILE OUTPUT
File name prefix:
you can set the name of your image files here, or maya will use your scene name as default
Image format:
Use PNG, TIFF, TARGA or BMP. Maya's IFF format cannot currently be ready by AfterEffects
Frame/Animation ext:
Use name.#.ext
Frame padding:
Increase this to add zeros in front of your frame numbers so that AfterEffects reads your sequence correctly
FRAME RANGE
Set this to your start and end frames
RENDERABLE CAMERAS
Set this to the camera you wish to render through.
IMAGE SIZE
640 x 480, 720 x 480 or HD 720
MAYA SOFTWARE
ANTI-ALIASING QUALITY
Set Quality to Production Quality
MOTION BLUR
You can activate motion blur to soften the motion of your objects and blur them as they move. Turn this on and then test it on various frames to see how it looks.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Walk Cycle
What - one walk cycle animation, with weight and personality!
When - next week, April 18!
How - playblast two views of your walk cycle. Submit the playblasted movies and maya file at the beginning of class.
Email me if you need help - greg.lemon@gmail.com
When - next week, April 18!
How - playblast two views of your walk cycle. Submit the playblasted movies and maya file at the beginning of class.
Email me if you need help - greg.lemon@gmail.com
Monday, April 4, 2011
Syllabus
The Art Institute of California – San Francisco
Course Syllabus
Course Number: MA2205
Course Title: Beginning 3D Animation
Class Meetings: Mondays 1:00 -5:00pm, Main 612
Session/Year: Winter 2011
Instructor Name: Greg Lemon
Email Address: glemon@edmc.edu
Phone: please use email
Instructor Availability Outside of Class: By appointment
Beginning 3D Animation
Course Description:
Students are introduced to basic 3D animation concepts by applying keyframing techniques along a timeline. Students will apply changes in translation, scale and rotation through space in time, and be introduced to camera control.
Course Length: 11 Weeks
Contact Hours: 44 Hours
Lecture: 22 Hours
Lab: 22 Hours
Credit Values: 3 Credits
Course Competencies:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
1 Apply industry-standard storyboard and scripting techniques to animation
2 Integrate traditional animation concepts into 3D animation
3 Apply basic camera techniques in computer animation
4 Apply the principles of rendering solutions to animation problems
Course Prerequisite(s): MA1133 2D Animation Principles, MA1134 Principles of 3D Modeling
Text(s):Suggested: Learning Autodesk Maya 2010: Foundation ISBN: 1897177550
Introducing Maya 2011 ISBN: 0470502169
Materials and Supplies: Storage Media or Drive, notebook, paper, pencils, drawing supplies.
Estimated Homework Hours: 3 to 4 hours per week
Technology Needed: Maya 2011 or earlier
Grading Scale:
All assignments must have clear criteria and objectives to meet. The criteria for determining a student’s grade shall be as follows (on a percentage of total points basis):
A 100-93
A- 92-90
B+ 89-87
B 86-83
B- 82-80
C+ 79-77
C 76-73
C- 72-70
D+ 69-67
D 66-65
F 64 or below
Process for Evaluation:
Attendance and Participation 25%
Animation: Walk Cycle 25%
Animation: Environment 25%
Animation: Transformation 25%
Student Evaluation/Grading Policies:
Class time will be spent in a productive manner.
Grading will be done on a point system.
Points for individual activities will be announced.
All work must be received by the set deadlines.
ABSOLUTELY NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE FINAL CLASS MEETS WEEK 11.
Classroom Policy:
No food allowed in class or lab at any time. Drinks in sealable bottles allowed in classroom.
Edible items brought to class or lab must be thrown out.
If student elects to eat/drink outside class or lab door, missed time is recorded as absent.
Attendance is taken hourly. Tardiness or absence is recorded in 15-minute increments.
Break times are scheduled by the instructor at appropriate intervals.
No private software is to be brought to lab or loaded onto school computers.
No software games are allowed in lab (unless in course curriculum).
Headphones are required if listening to music during lab. No headphones are allowed in lecture.
Any student who has special needs that may affect his or her performance in this class is asked to identify his/her needs to the instructor in private by the end of the first day of class. Any resulting class performance problems that may arise for those who do not identify their needs will not receive any special grading considerations.
Disability Policy Statement:
It is our policy not to discriminate against qualified students with documented disabilities in its educational programs, activities, or services. If you have a disability-related need for adjustments or other accommodations in this class, contact the Disabilities Services Coordinator at 415-276-1060.
Academic Honesty Policy:
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic honesty while pursuing their studies at AiCA-SF. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: plagiarism and cheating; misuse of academic resources or facilities; and misuse of computer software, data, equipment or networks.
Student work that appears to violate AiCA-SF’s standards of academic honesty will be reviewed by the Committee on Academic Honesty. If the work is judged to have violated standards of academic honesty, appropriate sanctions will be given. Sanctions include but are not limited to course failure and academic termination.
Projects
Walk Cycle
Model, rig and animate a primitive character performing a walk cycle. Projects will be graded on model appeal, animation technique, and personality of the walk. Walk cycles should be between 20 to 40 frames long. Finished projects should be submitted as a loop-able playblasted movie file.
Environment animation
Model, shade and animate a SIMPLE believable 3D environment where organic/non-organic shapes and forms are prevalent. Examples include but are not limited to:
Underwater scene
Medical visualization (inside a cell)
Animated landscape
Butterflies in grassy field
The animation should be at least 0:10 seconds long and feature at least two animated camera shots. The project will be graded on both aesthetic and technical achievements. Students should focus on creating a believable and cohesive scene with beautiful animated organic and non-organic models, interesting and compelling camera shots and animated lights and shaders.
Final project should be at least 0:10 seconds long @ no less than 720 x 480 resolution, and submitted as a rendered movie file and uploaed to youtube, vimeo or dailymotion.
Transformation
Model, rig and animate an object/character transforming into something else. Examples include but are not limited to:
mailbox becoming a robot
plane transforming into mini-sub and diving under water
watch becoming a mechanical insect
character transforming into monster
cucoo clock becoming a helicopter
Projects should be at least 15 seconds long with at least 5 different animated camera shots.
Please note that the transformation itself does not have to take 15 seconds – part of that time can be used for introducing the scene, or showing the transformed object/character leaving the scene.
Projects will be graded on both aesthetic and technical achievements.
Final project should be at least 0:15 seconds long @ no less than 720 x 480 resolution, and submitted as a rendered movie file and uploaed to youtube, vimeo or dailymotion.
Suggested Course Outline
Week 1:
Lecture: Intro’s, course overview, principles of animation, different ways to animate in Maya. Animation preferences, frame rate, keyframing procedure, hierarchal animation. Timeline / Dope Sheet basics, creating a playblast, and GeoBoy/Girl model/rigging demo. GeoBoy/Girl animation project assigned, due week 3.
Lab: GeoBoy rigging/animation.
Homework: Complete GeoBoy to replicate example, and use character sets to block out key poses.
Week 2:
Due: GeoBoy rigged with key walk poses blocked.
Lecture: Week 1 review. Adding breakdown poses to walk. Character set usage. Graph editor basics. Pre-and post-infinity cycling. Adding personality to walk with offsets and curve tweaks.
Lab: GeoBoy animation.
Homework: Complete GeoBoy walk cycle.
Week 3:
Due: GeoBoy Walk Cycle Animation completed.
Lecture: Lattices and non-linear deformers. Blendshapes. Wires, wraps and clusters. Camera, light and shader animation. Expression intro. Environment project assigned, due week 6.
Lab: Non-linear deformer, camera, light and shader animation workshop. Build environment and animate.
Homework: 3D Animatic for environment project, basic shape animation and compile visual research for shaders.
Week 4:
Lecture: Path animation, Expressions, SDK, and constraints. Paint FX intro, animating attributes.
Lab: Path animation, Expressions, SDK and constraint exercises applied to projects.
Homework: Playblasted 1st pass of environment animation + 3 render tests.
Week 5:
Lecture: Dynamics Intro. Nparticles, Rigid bodies, nCloth. Caching and baking dynamic animations. Rendering animations with mental ray.
Lab: Work on project.
Homework: Finish and render environment animation.
Week 6:
Due: Rendered Environment Animation completed.
Lecture: Advanced character rigging using render nodes, SDK and connection editor.
Lab: Research, then develop and pitch storyboards for transformation projects.
Homework: 3D Animatic for Transformation project using temp models.
Week 7:
Due:3D Animatic for Transformation project.
Lecture: Advanced constraints. Rigid bodies part 2.
Lab: Character animation exercises.
Homework: Blocked animation with final rigged models.
Week 8:
Due: Blocked animation with final rigged models.
Lecture: One-on-one help with finals.
Lab: Deformer exercises.
Homework: Rendered first pass animation
Week 9: NO CLASS – MEMORIAL DAY – NO CLASS
Week 10:
Due: Rendered First pass animation.
Lecture: Lighting, Materials, and Rendering. Creating a compressed QT movie. One-on-one help with finals.
Lab: Work on final project.
Homework: Final Transformation animations
Week 11:
Due: Final Transformation projects
Lecture: Critique of final projects.
Lab: Critique of final projects.
Homework: Catch up on sleep!
Schedule subject to change based on class need. Please contact the instructor and other classmates when absent to confirm assignments.
Course Syllabus
Course Number: MA2205
Course Title: Beginning 3D Animation
Class Meetings: Mondays 1:00 -5:00pm, Main 612
Session/Year: Winter 2011
Instructor Name: Greg Lemon
Email Address: glemon@edmc.edu
Phone: please use email
Instructor Availability Outside of Class: By appointment
Beginning 3D Animation
Course Description:
Students are introduced to basic 3D animation concepts by applying keyframing techniques along a timeline. Students will apply changes in translation, scale and rotation through space in time, and be introduced to camera control.
Course Length: 11 Weeks
Contact Hours: 44 Hours
Lecture: 22 Hours
Lab: 22 Hours
Credit Values: 3 Credits
Course Competencies:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
1 Apply industry-standard storyboard and scripting techniques to animation
2 Integrate traditional animation concepts into 3D animation
3 Apply basic camera techniques in computer animation
4 Apply the principles of rendering solutions to animation problems
Course Prerequisite(s): MA1133 2D Animation Principles, MA1134 Principles of 3D Modeling
Text(s):Suggested: Learning Autodesk Maya 2010: Foundation ISBN: 1897177550
Introducing Maya 2011 ISBN: 0470502169
Materials and Supplies: Storage Media or Drive, notebook, paper, pencils, drawing supplies.
Estimated Homework Hours: 3 to 4 hours per week
Technology Needed: Maya 2011 or earlier
Grading Scale:
All assignments must have clear criteria and objectives to meet. The criteria for determining a student’s grade shall be as follows (on a percentage of total points basis):
A 100-93
A- 92-90
B+ 89-87
B 86-83
B- 82-80
C+ 79-77
C 76-73
C- 72-70
D+ 69-67
D 66-65
F 64 or below
Process for Evaluation:
Attendance and Participation 25%
Animation: Walk Cycle 25%
Animation: Environment 25%
Animation: Transformation 25%
Student Evaluation/Grading Policies:
Class time will be spent in a productive manner.
Grading will be done on a point system.
Points for individual activities will be announced.
All work must be received by the set deadlines.
ABSOLUTELY NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE FINAL CLASS MEETS WEEK 11.
Classroom Policy:
No food allowed in class or lab at any time. Drinks in sealable bottles allowed in classroom.
Edible items brought to class or lab must be thrown out.
If student elects to eat/drink outside class or lab door, missed time is recorded as absent.
Attendance is taken hourly. Tardiness or absence is recorded in 15-minute increments.
Break times are scheduled by the instructor at appropriate intervals.
No private software is to be brought to lab or loaded onto school computers.
No software games are allowed in lab (unless in course curriculum).
Headphones are required if listening to music during lab. No headphones are allowed in lecture.
Any student who has special needs that may affect his or her performance in this class is asked to identify his/her needs to the instructor in private by the end of the first day of class. Any resulting class performance problems that may arise for those who do not identify their needs will not receive any special grading considerations.
Disability Policy Statement:
It is our policy not to discriminate against qualified students with documented disabilities in its educational programs, activities, or services. If you have a disability-related need for adjustments or other accommodations in this class, contact the Disabilities Services Coordinator at 415-276-1060.
Academic Honesty Policy:
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic honesty while pursuing their studies at AiCA-SF. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: plagiarism and cheating; misuse of academic resources or facilities; and misuse of computer software, data, equipment or networks.
Student work that appears to violate AiCA-SF’s standards of academic honesty will be reviewed by the Committee on Academic Honesty. If the work is judged to have violated standards of academic honesty, appropriate sanctions will be given. Sanctions include but are not limited to course failure and academic termination.
Projects
Walk Cycle
Model, rig and animate a primitive character performing a walk cycle. Projects will be graded on model appeal, animation technique, and personality of the walk. Walk cycles should be between 20 to 40 frames long. Finished projects should be submitted as a loop-able playblasted movie file.
Environment animation
Model, shade and animate a SIMPLE believable 3D environment where organic/non-organic shapes and forms are prevalent. Examples include but are not limited to:
Underwater scene
Medical visualization (inside a cell)
Animated landscape
Butterflies in grassy field
The animation should be at least 0:10 seconds long and feature at least two animated camera shots. The project will be graded on both aesthetic and technical achievements. Students should focus on creating a believable and cohesive scene with beautiful animated organic and non-organic models, interesting and compelling camera shots and animated lights and shaders.
Final project should be at least 0:10 seconds long @ no less than 720 x 480 resolution, and submitted as a rendered movie file and uploaed to youtube, vimeo or dailymotion.
Transformation
Model, rig and animate an object/character transforming into something else. Examples include but are not limited to:
mailbox becoming a robot
plane transforming into mini-sub and diving under water
watch becoming a mechanical insect
character transforming into monster
cucoo clock becoming a helicopter
Projects should be at least 15 seconds long with at least 5 different animated camera shots.
Please note that the transformation itself does not have to take 15 seconds – part of that time can be used for introducing the scene, or showing the transformed object/character leaving the scene.
Projects will be graded on both aesthetic and technical achievements.
Final project should be at least 0:15 seconds long @ no less than 720 x 480 resolution, and submitted as a rendered movie file and uploaed to youtube, vimeo or dailymotion.
Suggested Course Outline
Week 1:
Lecture: Intro’s, course overview, principles of animation, different ways to animate in Maya. Animation preferences, frame rate, keyframing procedure, hierarchal animation. Timeline / Dope Sheet basics, creating a playblast, and GeoBoy/Girl model/rigging demo. GeoBoy/Girl animation project assigned, due week 3.
Lab: GeoBoy rigging/animation.
Homework: Complete GeoBoy to replicate example, and use character sets to block out key poses.
Week 2:
Due: GeoBoy rigged with key walk poses blocked.
Lecture: Week 1 review. Adding breakdown poses to walk. Character set usage. Graph editor basics. Pre-and post-infinity cycling. Adding personality to walk with offsets and curve tweaks.
Lab: GeoBoy animation.
Homework: Complete GeoBoy walk cycle.
Week 3:
Due: GeoBoy Walk Cycle Animation completed.
Lecture: Lattices and non-linear deformers. Blendshapes. Wires, wraps and clusters. Camera, light and shader animation. Expression intro. Environment project assigned, due week 6.
Lab: Non-linear deformer, camera, light and shader animation workshop. Build environment and animate.
Homework: 3D Animatic for environment project, basic shape animation and compile visual research for shaders.
Week 4:
Lecture: Path animation, Expressions, SDK, and constraints. Paint FX intro, animating attributes.
Lab: Path animation, Expressions, SDK and constraint exercises applied to projects.
Homework: Playblasted 1st pass of environment animation + 3 render tests.
Week 5:
Lecture: Dynamics Intro. Nparticles, Rigid bodies, nCloth. Caching and baking dynamic animations. Rendering animations with mental ray.
Lab: Work on project.
Homework: Finish and render environment animation.
Week 6:
Due: Rendered Environment Animation completed.
Lecture: Advanced character rigging using render nodes, SDK and connection editor.
Lab: Research, then develop and pitch storyboards for transformation projects.
Homework: 3D Animatic for Transformation project using temp models.
Week 7:
Due:3D Animatic for Transformation project.
Lecture: Advanced constraints. Rigid bodies part 2.
Lab: Character animation exercises.
Homework: Blocked animation with final rigged models.
Week 8:
Due: Blocked animation with final rigged models.
Lecture: One-on-one help with finals.
Lab: Deformer exercises.
Homework: Rendered first pass animation
Week 9: NO CLASS – MEMORIAL DAY – NO CLASS
Week 10:
Due: Rendered First pass animation.
Lecture: Lighting, Materials, and Rendering. Creating a compressed QT movie. One-on-one help with finals.
Lab: Work on final project.
Homework: Final Transformation animations
Week 11:
Due: Final Transformation projects
Lecture: Critique of final projects.
Lab: Critique of final projects.
Homework: Catch up on sleep!
Schedule subject to change based on class need. Please contact the instructor and other classmates when absent to confirm assignments.
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