We Are:

2. We Are: • Media 4orce, LLC, is a mock company that is composed of a dedicated team of design professionals in partial requirements for the senior capstone course, CGT 411/ 450 of Purdue University.

3. What We Do: • For the benefit of CGT students who have knowledge in Maya or Max and are seeking employment, Media 4orce seeks to determine the difficulty in transferring skill sets between Autodesk Maya, the program taught in the CGT curriculum, and Autodesk 3D Studio Max. CGT Students that are seeking employment upon graduation, are faced with the issues of software unfamiliarity, and as such must be able to apply learned knowledge towards other applications. Unlike previous software comparisons conducted by 411 groups, Media 4orce will be specifically examining the transferability of skill sets between two software packages.

4. Our Project: • PROBLEM STATEMENT • It is beneficial for CGT graduates to be able to adapt the skill sets learned in the CGT curriculum to other software packages in order to work successfully in Industry. • RESEARCH QUESTION • Does knowledge of Autodesk Maya correlate to the level of difficulty in transferring skill sets to Autodesk 3D Studio Max and vice versa?

5. Definitions: • KNOWLEDGE: • Knowledge is the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity or awareness gained through experience, association, or study. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) • To be knowledgeable in a technology is to “be able to put complex technologies to productive use, and acquire the… “know how”- to produce reliably, and at high volume.” [Salomon, R., Martin, X. (2008).]

6. Definitions: • LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY • Difficult is, by definition, something that is hard to do, make, or carry out • A Level is, by definition, the magnitude of a quantity considered in relation to an arbitrary reference value. • (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) • Therefore, by inference, a level of difficulty is the magnitude of how hard something is to do or make.

7. Determining Level of Difficulty: • Media 4orce will determine the level of difficulty using direct assessment techniques to ascertain both qualitative and quantitative data. • In terms of both qualitative and quantitative data, a widely acknowledged successful method to determine the level of difficulty of a particular task is through a test subjects pre-assessment and post assessment of his or her own skills in relation to said task. (Li, Yuan; Chang, Kuo-chung. 2008)

8. Definitions: • CORRELATION: • Correlation is a relationship between two existing sets of variables that determines how closely they are related to on another. • Correlation is important to conducting research as it is a predictor of how a variable will change in relation to another manipulated variable. [Lanthier, E. (2002, March 29).]

9. Definitons: • SKILL SET • The learned powers of accomplishing animation related tasks competently or with proficiency, facility, or dexterity that is acquired or developed through training or experience in the field of 3D Computer Animation. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) (The Free Dictionary)

10. Definitions: • TRANSFER: • Transfer is the movement from one place, person, or thing to another. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) • “Using small tasks that build upon each other creates a scaffolding framework that can help the participants learn. As participants successfully complete steps along the way, their confidence grows and their understanding deepens." [Kogurt, Bruce, and Zander, Udo. (1995)]

11. Why TheseSoftwares: • According to numerable rescorses, 3D Studio Max and Autodesk Maya are the most commonly used software in the VFX and CG Animation industries around the world. • “One thing is for sure, for small businesses (looking to produce 3D Animation), hell even a lot of large ones, there are only two choices- Max and Maya. They are just too powerful and economical to choose anything else.”(D. Chimenti. Media Moire. 2011) • “(3D Studio Max is) by far the most well-known and used 3D dcc applications in the industries all around the world… • (Maya is) One of the most known by popularity in the Film and VFX industries””(B. Saint-Moulin. CG Aninator. 2007)

12. Methodology: • Media 4orce will have 3 testing groups: • 1) Students Knowledgeable in Maya • 2) Students Knowledgeable in 3DS Max • 3) Students without prior knowledge in either software [control group] • These groups will perform 2 identical tasks in both softwares after viewing a tutorial.

13. Methodology: • TASK • Students will animate a character performing a simple action [waving hand] • DATA • Students will be given a pre-test and post-test assessment of the task and their perceived abilities

14. Methodology: • HYPOTHESIS: • Knowledge of Autodesk Maya is positiviey correlated to the level of difficulty in transfering of animation skill to Autodesk 3D Studio Max and vice versa. • NULL HYPOTHESIS: • There is no correlation between knowledge of Autodesk Maya in relation to the level of difficulty in transference of animation skill to Autodesk 3D Studio Max and vice versa.

15. Treatment A: Max Exposure Task1 Max-Maya Treatment B: Maya Exposure Condition1: Maya-Max Treatment C: NoExposure Post-test Pre-test Treatment A: Max Exposure Task2 Maya-Max Treatment B: Maya Exposure Condition2: Max-Maya Treatment C: No Exposure

16. Metrics: • By incorporating both Interval and Ratio scales into our pre and post assessment surveys, we hope to maximize the usefulness of the data obtained in our research

17. Interval Scale: • Interval Scale is a measurement scale that possesses the properties of difference, magnitude, and equal intervals.[Elmes, David G, Kantowitz, Barry H, and Roediger III, Henry L. (2009)] • For our experiment, we will be utilizing the Revised Likert Scale.

18. Interval Scale: • REVISED LIKERT SCALE: • A traditional Likert scale contains 5 equal intervals. • Numerous studies have shown trends that eliminating the mid-point of a traditional Likert Scale can reduce “social desirability bias”. • Therefore, we believe it imperative to eliminate the middle point in our study, in order to reduce this bias by forcing the participant to choose a side.

19. Interval Scale: • 4 VS 6 POINT INTERVALS: • Criterion-related validity was not affected by the number of scale points. The issue of selecting 4- versus 6-point scales may not be generally resolvable, but may rather depend on the empirical setting. (Lei Chang, 1994)

20. Ratio Scale: • As a ratio scale, we will incorporate the Feeling Thermometer which has been found across a variety of disciplines to be a more effective method of allowing participants to better assess their attitude on a given topic, by relating the scale to a scale the participant is familiar with. [Greene, Steven. (2002)]

21. Ratio Scale: • FEELING THERMOMETER:

22. Emerging Technology: • For our emerging technology component, we are looking into the effectiveness and validity of Dual Quaternion Skinning

23. Emerging Technology: • The technology is inherently built in Autodesk Maya 2011. • The technology can be implemented in 3DS Max, but requires additional user code that is not built in by Autodesk in order for it to work.

24. Emerging Technololgy • ADVANTAGE: • Compared to traditional linear based skinning methods, utilizing dual quaternions yields much better looking results. • DISADVANTAGE: • Although the results are better looking, the computing cost is increased. • ADVANTAGE: • Alternate methods suggest approximating the calculations made by the dual quaternion method thus decreasing computing cost

25. Product Progress: • The product itself that we are presenting to the Client is 2 animated shorts, one in Maya, one in Max, which goes through assembly stages of a robot character.

26. References: