Spring 2009 Information

| calendar and deadlines for this semester | instructor's home |
Sandro Corsi's other classes: | Intro to 3D Graphics | Dimensional Design | 2D Design |

These are 3-units classes that teach how to create 3D scenes for animation using leading computer graphics software.

ACG150 can be taken twice for credit.

• Class goals:
  • Demonstrate operative skills on the computer hardware and attendant peripherals used in the class.
  • Analyze, differentiate, and operate the controls of selected 3D modeling and animation programs.
  • Interpret scene descriptions to devise appropriate combinations of shapes, light sources, rendering attributes, and camera settings.
  • Interpret shot descriptions to devise appropriate combinations of object choreography, effects timing, and camera motion.
  • Produce perspective renderings for a variety of applications, evaluating the benefits and challenges of using 3D computer graphics techniques as artistic devices.
  • Produce animation segments for a variety of applications, evaluating the benefits and challenges of using 3D computer animation techniques as artistic devices.
  • Evaluate hardware and software suitable for creating and displaying 3D graphics and animation--identifying trends in the market and in the development of standards.
• Evaluation:
  • The final course grade will be based on the student's performance in class and in completing assignments. See the general info page.
• Required textbook
  • Learning Autodesk Maya 2009, the modeling & animation handbook
    • Autodesk Maya Press
    • Sybex, 2008
    • ISBN: 1897177526

  The book will be available for purchase at the Fullerton College bookstore.

• Optional texts
  • A number of printed manuals are available in the lab: ask the lab aide for them, with your student ID in hand.
  • Several relevant magazines are available in the Graphics lab. These are especially useful because of their timeliness.
  • Program reference manuals:
    • A variety of books are available providing step-by-step instruction and reference information. Make sure that any books you choose match the versions of the software you use.
    • The programs available in the lab usually come with electronic manuals and/or online help, which you can view directly on the computer.
  • Keep an eye on new developments in animation. The quicktime trailers site has a section that includes many recent full-length animation releases.
• Finals day 5/14

Resources

• ClayTools documentation
  • Download the ClayTools commands reference card to help you become familiar with the program.
  • Download the ClayTools tutorial to further your understanding.
• Maya to ClayTools to Maya workflow
  • Model a low-res quad mesh character, create non-overlapping UVs for it, then export it to ClayTools for detailing (add pores, wrinkles--same as ClayTools to Maya workflow, see below).
  • From ClayTools, export the detailed high-res mesh to Maya.
  • In Maya, use the Transfer Attributes feature (see Maya Help) to copy UVs from the low-res quad mesh to the high-res imported mesh.
  • Use the Transfer Maps feature (review it in Maya Help), with the high-res mesh as Source, and the low-res quad mesh you modeled previously as Target. This will let you transfer the appearance of the high-res mesh to the low-res mesh in the form of a displacement or normal map, or both.
• ClayTools to Maya workflow
  • Model character from scratch in ClayTools, possibly using a polygonal model as armature, then export curves to Maya to retopologize.
    1. Download a Maya file of a low-polygon human skeleton. You can modify and rig this simple model to create an armature for digital clay sculpting.
    2. Watch this demonstration of modeling a human torso using 2-D reference images in ClayTools. Your work will actually be easier, because you will be working from a 3-D reference (the skeleton), but this movie gives you an overview of the process of adding and reshaping bits of clay.
    3. To export the adjusted skeleton from Maya and import it into ClayTools, see directions in the ClayTools Maya Workflows manual. You can start on p. 16 (subdividing won't be necessary, since the skeleton will only be a reference). After File -> Import Model (p. 18), select your skeleton OBJ file, click Import as New, and change the settings on the dynabar to the following:
       1. Units = cm.
       2. Import as = Reference.
       3. Fill Style = No Fill.
       4. Click Apply.
    4. To add clay to your model, use Basic Shapes and Add Clay (both in the Construct Clay palette). For major reshaping, use Tug (in the Deform Clay palette). For blending and detail work, use the tools in Sculpt Clay.
  • After completing the basic volumes of your character, proceed to add finer surface detail (pores, wrinkles, veins, etc.)
    1. It's a good idea to save a copy of your sculpture withou surface detail. In many cases, this will provide a good starting point later for retopologizing.
    2. Before deciding on the kind of texture your character will have, you may want to bump map simple shapes in Maya. A quick render will give you instant feedback on how well your ideas work in 3D. Also, the bump map images you like best can then be reused for embossing in ClayTools (again, directions are in the ClayTools tutorial).
    3. Also, watch the ClayToolsDetailing.wmv video. While it shows the older version of the user interface, the basic workflow remains unchanged. This and other videos are on the class file server (only available while you are in the lab). Follow these steps to connect:
       1. Boot into Mac OS, in the Finder's Go menu choose the command Connect to Server.
       2. In the Server Address field at the top of the connection window, enter 10.101.5.28, then click Connect.
       3. For Connect As, choose Guest, then click Connect.
       4. Click on the volume 'sandro', then click OK.
       5. The icon for the server volume will appear on the desktop. Double-click it to find the videos in the ClayTools Documentation folder.
       6. Some videos may not play correctly in Mac OS. Copy them to your flash drive, then reboot into Windows.
  • To use the sculpture in animation, we need to change the type (from triangles to quads) and number (from high to low) of the polygons that make up its mesh. This process is called retopologizing, and it can be done in Maya or in ClayTools.
    • Retopologizing in Maya.
      1. Use Maya Help to find out about the Make Live feature, which lets you snap the vertices of the low-res mesh to the surface of the hi-res mesh imported from ClayTools.
    • Retopologizing in ClayTools.
      1. See the new_curves.2 video, which will show you how to create a network of curves along the edge loops.
      2. Read the first two parts of chapter 4 (pp. 63-76) of the ClayToolsMaya_Workflows PDF. This will review the construction of the curve network, and explain how to export it to Maya, where it can be surfaced with NURBS, then converted to a low-resolution polygon mesh. Note that the interface shown is for version 1.1. Consult the online help for discrepancies.
    • Regardless of which approach you choose, make sure to follow the flow of muscles on the figure with your polygonal edge loops.
• Anatomy references
  • You will need to have some knowledge of anatomy to work effectively. A good source for visual references is this Musculo-Skeletal Archive. Scroll down to the Musculo-Skeletal Anatomy section for links to PDFs with many useful images.

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Created 2007-12-21. Last modified 2009-05-07. This document originally at <http://www.sanedraw.com/LEARN/ACG/ACG_120_150.HTM> Copyright 2009 by Sandro Corsi.