Computer Animation: 2013-2014
Information
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Lecturer |
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Degrees |
Overview
There will be three practicals.
Assessment will be by a take-home assignment, which will include a significant practical element.
The animation system used for the practicals will be Maya 2012.
Learning outcomes
- Basics of key-frame animation.
- Use of a modern software package for animation.
- Use of animation and simulation in other domains.
- Principles of collision detection and response.
- Skill extension through mini-project.
Prerequisites
No specific pre-requisites, other than familiarity with basic operations on matrices and vectors. Basic knowledge of 3D transformations is useful (e.g., from the Computer Graphics course), but not essential. Rigid-body dynamics will be covered, for which some earlier experience would be useful.
Synopsis
- Introduction. Traditional animation. Use of computer animation. [1]
- Scene Composition. Revision of rigid-body transformations (notes provided for those who haven't seen this before in, e.g., computer graphics). Information required to render rigid objects. Transformation chains. Scene graphs. Scene description languages. [3]
- Basic animation. Time-varying transformations. Interpolation and interpolation functions. Use of quarternions for smooth rotation interpolation. [3]
- Frame-based animation. Use of the animation program. [4]
- Moving the camera. Animation tricks. [2]
- Collision detection and response. Dealing with simple geometries. The GJK algorithm. Dealing with large scenes. Physical response models. [5]
- Challenges and the future of computer animation. [2]
Syllabus
Basic ideas of scene composition in 3D. Time-varying scenes; animation; animation frames and interpolation. Use of cameras. Animation tricks. Other uses of animation and simulation. Collision detection and response. Advanced topics. Challenges and the future.Reading list
Course text
- Computer Animation: Algorithms and Techniques, 2nd Edition ISBN: 0125320000 Rick Parent 47 GBP
Supplemental Reading
- Introducing Autodesk Maya 2012, ISBN: 978-0470900215, Dariush Derakhshani, 34 GBP
- How to Cheat in Maya 2012, ISBN: 978-0240816982, Eric Luhta and Kenny Roy, 28 GBP
- Character Animation: 2D Skills for Better 3D, ISBN: 0240520548 Steve Roberts 24 GBP (More basic (non-computer) animation)
- Ideas for the Animated Short: Finding and Building Stories, ISBN: 978-0240808604 Karen Sullivan, Gary Schumer and Kate Alexander, 18 GBP
- Collision Detection in Interactive 3D Environments ISBN: 155860801X Gino van den Bergen 47 GBP