Assignment 2 – Make an Animation!

I would like you to:

1. Learn a little bit about some animation system. (Maya, 3D Studio Max, Maya)
2. Try to use it to make a picture (to make sure that you get a sense of how to make it work)
3. Try to use it to animate something (make some “creature” that moves in a way that conveys emotion).

I would like you to pick some “real” 3D animation system. Maya and 3D Studio Max are the two obvious choices (both are available on CS computers). Blender is an open source alternative (arguably, you’ll get what you pay for though – its capable, but not easy to figure out).

I’d like people to work in pairs: its probably best if we spread around the expertise (so that people who have experience using an animation tool work with someone who doesn’t).

Working through some of the tutorials is recommended – it will give you an idea of the basic workflow, as well as a little sense of the range of what these tools can do. If you find a particularly valuable resource, add it as a comment to this page so others can use it as well.

1. Part A: Make a picture. You should use lighting and surface appearances, and have some “interesting” geometry. The picture should be “rendered.” Turn it in by creating a post with in the “Assignment 2A” category by January 31st (before class).
2. Part B: Make an animation. A few seconds worth is probably enough. It does not need to be rendered (a playblast/screen capture is OK). The only requirement is that your animation has to have a “character” (it can be simple), that makes some movement. You should try to have the character convey some emotions (have it locomote sadly, or jump excitedly, …). Try to make use of animation principles. In a posting to category “Assignment 2B” you should post a single frame, as well as the movie (make sure the movie file is well compressed). We may have issues in posting movies to the website, so we’ll work it out. This is due by February 8. In your posting, describe what you were trying to achieve.

For B: Simple is good. Try to use the movements of the character to convey the emotions and intents.Very simple characters can be very expressive. A bouncing ball, or a walking triangle, or … I really want you to think about the movements, not making things look nice.

Note: we might run into mechanics issues with having people post videos on a web page. I’ll try to work this out beforehand, but expect hiccups.