TCS 131: Introduction to Character Animation

Description

This course provides students with a thorough introduction to 3D computer animation and the fundamentals of expressive movement theory. It focuses on the art and practice of character animation, using practical assignments and critiques, along with reference material and analysis. Theoretical material will include introductory movement theory, the principles of animation, and animation timing. Practical work will focus on how to use motion to create a sense of character, how to develop a sense of weight and timing in animation, and how to animate motions such as walking and gesturing. Students will also learn technical skills, such as using forward and inverse kinematics for character animation, and advanced keyframe techniques. This course will have a heavy project emphasis with students creating several short animations during the quarter using 3D computer animation software.

Required Supplies

Storage media for backing up work (flash drive, etc.)

Advice

A few things to keep in mind:

Make multiple backups. “I lost my flash drive.” is not an acceptable excuse for not handing in your assignment! Keep a copy on your home computer, e-mail it to yourself, etc.
Version your work. Save different versions of your project whenever you make a significant change so that you can easily go back to an earlier version if things go wrong. (e.g. save files animation01.ma, animation02.ma, etc.)
Understand a problem before you try to fix it. Randomly trying a bunch of things in Maya will often make the problem worse. Try things on a test scene, not your main work.
Get familiar with the Maya help system early. It can save you a lot of time.
When working in Maya, always set the project directory at the start of a session. This will help keep your files organized.
Follow submission instructions carefully.
Assignments WILL take more time than you expect. Work on them early.

Reference Material

Website:

http://www.cs.ucdavis.edu/~neff/teaching/tcs131s12/index.html

Required Texts:

“3D Animation with Maya 7” by Patricia Beckmann-Wells and Phil Young
Additional readings will be provided in class and/or made available online

Useful References:

“The Illusion of Life” by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnson
“Principles of Traditional Animation Applied to 3D Computer Animation” by John Lasseter
“The Animator’s Survival Guide” by Richard Williams
SplineDoctors.com
Maya help menu
The “Learning Maya” book series
+ many other useful resources are available

Meeting Times

Class Sessions: TR 12:10-3:00, TCS computer lab.

Office Hours: Tues. 3-4, Thurs. 11-12 or by appointment, Kemper 3031

TA Office Hours: F 1:00-3:00 in the lab. These are offered every week, but please e-mail Yejin Kim by the evening before and he will meet you at the lab (rokkim AT ucdavis DOT edu).

Contact Information

Instructor: Michael Neff

mpneff AT ucdavis DOT edu

530-754-9510

Kemper Hall, 3031

Schedule

Note: Subject to change as needed!

Week	Lecture	Topic	Deadline/Handout
1	1 April 3	Introduction and Review of Animation Techniques	Assignment 1 out
	2	Introduction to Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) Work Time
2	3 April 10	Class Critique Movement basics Animation Principles Work Time	Assignment 1 due Assignment 2 out
	4	Experimental Animation Work Time	Reading: Principles of Traditional Animation Applied to 3D Computer Animation by Lasseter and two related web resources (see notes page)
3	5 April 17	Working with sound in Maya LMA warm-up Sketch session
	6	LMA warm-up and new material Work time	Reading: The Uses and Abuses of Cartoon Style in Animation by Bishko
4	7 April 24	Class Critique	Assignment 2 due
	8	LMA warm-up Observation Exercise Written Reflection
5	9 May 1	LMA Effort Drives	Assignment 3 due Assignment 4 out
	10	Articulated Character Animation
6	11 May 8	Walking Workshop	Assignment 4 due Assignment 5 out
	12	Working with reference material Cycling animation and baking keys Studio Work Class
7	13 May 15	Introduction to Storyboards Developing a character Creating effective movement pieces
	14	Class Critique	Assignment 5 due Assignment 6 out
8	15 May 22	Presentation of characters Presentation of Storyboards	Storyboard and Character Sketch are due
	16	Expressive Aspects of Motion
9	17 May 29	Studio Work Class
	18	Studio Work Class
10	19 June 5	Studio Work Class
	20	Class Critique	Assignment 6 due
11		Final Exam

Assignments:

Click on a link below to view the assignment description.

Grading

The distribution of marks will be as follows:

Course Component	Weight
A1	8%
A2	13%
A3	10%
A4	8%
A5	13%
A6	23%
Class Participation	5%
Final Exam	20%

Note: For the last five assignments, students are invited to submit a one page summary that describes what you were trying to achieve, how you went about it and possibly what you feel did or did not work. This will be considered when evaluating your piece.

Late Policy

Students are required to have material to present at all critiques. Failure to present at least a work in progress at a critique will result in a zero grade. Final versions of material may be submitted late at the penalty of 5% per day late. A weekend shall count as one day. All material must be submitted by the end of quarter.

Grading Criteria

The following general criteria apply to all assignments. Specific criteria are included with each assignment description.

Meeting/exceeding project requirements

Demonstrated understanding of concepts

Creativity/originality

Impact/appeal

Technical mastery (including written and oral skills)

Clear communication/story telling

Participation in critiques

Peer comments

One page summary

Peer Evaluations/Critiques

Throughout the course, you will be given the opportunity to critique multiple projects of other students (and vice versa). These critiques will be a source of valuable feedback on your work and an opportunity to develop your critical judgment. They are a key part of the learning in the course and you are encouraged to participate fully.