Summer 2014: 3D Animation

1. Summer 2014: 3D Animation Project requirements

2. Overview • Attendance required – people who do not come to class tend to create not-very-good projects! • One assignment: a complete architectural scene • Indoor or outdoor • Complete • Elegant • Due date: the final exam slot for the class

3. you will need • autodesk maya: students.autodesk.com (free!) • a video editor • a sound editor • an image editor

4. The Video • Make a one to three minute video rendered as avi, wmv, mov, or mpeg4. Your video must be playable on • Quicktime • VLC http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.htmlon a Mac, • VLC on a Windows machine. • 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.

5. Hand in • A data (not a playable) DVD containing… • Your entire project folder, minus only the individual images you rendered for your video. These images should be the only think 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, Summer 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

6. Importing content • you 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, like grass or trees • 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

7. Advice Make 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. 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

8. 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!

9. Primary goal: build an entire environment, continued… All your modeling must be done in Maya unless you talk to me – we are trying to learn Maya, not Blender or any other 3D app! Carefully balance materials, lights, shadows, and reflective and transparent materials - to give your scene a deliberate, unique look.

10. Important • For your storyline • You need a modeling and story inspiration • Consider storyboards

11. resources • 47 intro videos on http://3dbybuzz.com • the ATLAS lab machines have • maya • premiere • final cut pro • Photoshop • Audition

12. The biggest stumbling block • Time for rendering your project! • Please keep in mind that a full, crisp rendering is required

13. Giving a scene a feeling • Lighting, shadows, materials • Fog, 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)

14. 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

15. Textures & materials • This makes or breaks a model • Budget time to do this right • No ugly tiling • No wrap-around seams • No uneven projections • Consider bump maps and layered materials

16. Overriding goals • Create a scene you can finish completely and elegantly • Try to create a scene and models that are compelling • Don’t compromise on materials/textures, modeling details, fleshing out the surrounding scene, or rendering your scenes they way they look best