WEEK 14: Asset Development 1 DESN1083: Assignment 4 due next week!

One week left to go!
Please let me know if you have any questions about your marks for your last assignment.

By now many of you have figured out how to animate a basic turntable in 3dsMax. I'm sure you know where to get great tutorials to help with lighting and rendering as well. In case you're still not sure, here are a few that might help:

http://www.digitaltutors.com/tutorial/539-Beginners-Guide-to-3ds-Max
http://www.digitaltutors.com/tutorial/858-Introduction-to-Lighting-in-3ds-Max
http://www.digitaltutors.com/tutorial/348-Introduction-to-Rendering-in-3ds-Max

Models by Don Toledo, Silicon Knights

WEEK 14: Game Project Development DESN 3010: Milestone 5 roughs due today!

One week left to go!

I look forward to seeing your planning material for your last project which is due next week.

Here's some great advice from a Sony Imageworks animator, Matt Munn, on bridging the gap between being a student and being a professional.  Here are some of his key points:

• remember you're not alone :)
• get feedback - many senior people are willing to share their expertise with you
• collaborate - work with your fellow team members to get the best performances
• stay passionate about your work!

Here's a sampler of Matt's animation from Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 

WEEK 14: Motion Studies DESN1136 Assignment 9: Blending: Due next week!

We're going to 'blend' our cycles together using the simplest tools in Maya. Blending between different actions may involve adding extra details between cycles. For example, a walk to a run requires a tricky middle action where the character gathers energy to move more quickly.
Assignment 9: Blending the Cycles

Playblast and Maya file

% of final grade: 10% 
Assigned: Tuesday, Dec 3rd, 2013

Due: WEEK 15, Dec 10th at the end of class
*Late assignments are worth 0

Quicktimes only, 560 pixels by 316 pixels, H.264 codec, max 10MB.
Blend together your cycles - idle to walk, walk to run, run to jump.
If you like you can try blending back to the run.

Please REFERENCE your rig into your shot (do not open the rig and start animating or import him.)

Filenames:

1136_a9_donovant_blend_001.ma
1136_a9_donovant_blend_001.mov

The timing (both frames per step and timing of secondary actions such as arm swings and head drag) should support the attitude and personality. The character should have a believable weight. The motion should be fluid and smooth without obvious pops or bumps. Body parts should be offset from one another a bit so every part of the action doesn't occur on the same frame.

We're also going to continue with our topic of the most subtle of the animation principles -- overlapping action, which is paramount to creating weight. We'll take lots of cues from the Pixar of Game Animation, Blur Studio in California.