1

Lec 01 Introduction
EIE 3101 Computer Animation

2022/23 sem 1
2 Content

 Course Introduction
 Ch2 The Production Process of Computer Animation
 Tutorial
 3ds Max vs Maya vs Blender
 3ds Max Interface Overview
 Army Compound
 Chess Pieces
3 Useful Information
 Time:
 Friday 08:30 – 11:20
 Venue:
 CF504 / CD514 /
CF502 (opened for tutorial or Lab only)
 Subject Lecturer: Dr. Pauli Lai,
[email protected], 27666217 (DE621)
 Subject Webpage:
https://learn.polyu.edu.hk
 Syllabus
4
INTRODUCTION
• The Production Process of Computer Animation
MODELING
• Modeling Concepts
• Modeling Techniques
RENDERING
• The Camera
• Lighting
• Shading and Surface Characteristics
ANIMATION AND EFFECTS
• Computer Animation Techniques
• Dynamics Simulations
 5 Assessment
Assignment 1 (modeling and rendering) 15%

Assignment 2 (storyboard and animation) 20%

Lab exercises (3 Labs in-class demo or video demo) 15%

Knowledge Test (Knowledge learnt from both lecture 20%

and tutorial)

Practical Test 30%

Week (Date) Topics (Lecture topics and sequence may Submission due
change to reflect teaching progress and needs)

1 (2/9) INTRODUCTION: The Production Process

6 of Computer Animation
2 (9/9) MODELING: Modeling Concepts
3 (16/9) MODELING: Modeling Techniques
4 (23/9) Lab 1: MODELING Lab Lab 1 demo
5 (30/9) RENDERING: The Camera
6 (7/10) RENDERING: Lighting
7 (14/10) RENDERING: Shading and Surface
Characteristics
8 (21/10) Lab 2: RENDERING Lab Lab 2 demo
9 (28/10) ANIMATION: Principles of Animation Assignment 1 due
10 (4/11) ANIMATION: Computer Animation
Techniques
11 (11/11) ANIMATION: AdvancedComputer
Animation Techniques
12 (18/11) Knowledge Test Lab 3 demo
Lab 3: ANIMATION Lab
13 (25/11) Practical Test Assignment 2 due
 Teaching and Learning
7
 Each class is an integration of lecture and tutorial.
 Lecture: Theoretical knowledge would be delivered face-to-face.
The lectures will be recorded.
 Tutorial: Video tutorial would be provided for hands-on practice.
Each student will have his/her own pace. You may rewind or fast
forward the video as you need. Thus, the teacher will be
available for help and answering questions during the tutorial
session.
 For Lab session,
 A number of practical exercises are provided with steps to follow;
 The whole session is for hands-on practice only;
 The teacher is available for help and answering questions during
the Lab session;
 You may demonstrate your work in class or submit the video
demo by the end of the Lab day.
uReply PreQuiz
8
Go to the following link using your mobile device or desktop computer:
https://ed2.polyu.edu.hk/student/
Please login using your NetID and
NetPassword after entering the session
number.
 The Production
Process of Computer
9
Animation
Isaac Kerlow, The art of 3D computer animation and
effects, 4th ed., Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2009.
Chapter 2
10 The Production Process of
Computer Animation
 Multiple styles and approaches
 Constant transformation based on factors like creative
goals, budget, schedule and resources
 Production pipeline adopts different forms and
variations
 Basic stages include preproduction, production, and
postproduction
 The production process is structured but not strictly
linear i.e. some steps in sequence while some steps in
parallel
 In Fig 2.7.1-2.7.3, you can notice a few obvious
differences between the production flow in a
computer animated short, computer animation
movie, and visual effects-oriented live action movie.
11
12
13 1. Preproduction
 Involves all the conceptualization and
planning that takes place before a
computer animation is produced
 Includes nonvisual tasks (screen writing,
casting, and planning the management of
the project) and visual tasks (storyboarding
and developing the overall visual look of
the project)
 Foundation of a project
 Inadequate or erroneous preproduction
usually results in delays, cost overruns, and
creative deficit.
 Fig 2.3.1-2.3.3 on p.56-57
14
15
16 Storyboards
 The creation of early storyboards helps to
translate the story and the script into images
 During preproduction, storyboards are
partly used to fine-tune the storytelling and
the time of the action
 As this process evolves, the storyboards
generally include more production-oriented
details such as the final staging,
composition, actions, and camera moves
 Storyboard drawings: Fig 2.7.5 on p.77
 Rendered version: Fig 2.2.6 on p.54
17
18 Animatics, Story Reels
 A collection of simple moving images used to visualize
how the final project may be structured and timed
 A 2-D animatic can be created by scanning single
drawings from the storyboard and creating a
sequence of images in time
 A 3-D animatic use preliminary visual materials like
wireframe (Fig 2.7.9 on p.81) or low resolution motion
tests to visualize a rough cut of a computer animation
 Simple hand-drawn sketches and still photographs are
common replacements for complex dynamic effects
 Animatics are also called story reels
 Commonly shown to a client or an executive
producer for review before production and as
production starts
19
20 Story Reel https://vimeo.com/63444715
21 Previsualization (previz test)
 An approximation that is made of the
models and action as close as possible
to the final motion in live action projects
 Crucial in planning sequences in a
movie
 Fig 2.7.6 on p.78
 Fig 2.7.7 on p.79
 The Matrix Reloaded : previs
https://youtu.be/KMMeHPGV5VE
 Final shot

22

Previz
 The Matrix Reloaded : previs
23
https://youtu.be/KMMeHPGV5VE
 2. Production
24  Involves a series of standard steps: modeling, rigging,
animation, and rendering.
 Modeling
 Use virtual modeling tools to sculpt objects, or
 Use 3-D digitizer to capture the shape of a physical model
directly into the computer program
 Rigging
 Once the virtual actors and objects are modeled, they can be
attached to the motion skeletons that will be used to animate
them with a wide variety of techniques
 Animation
 Techniques range from keyframing animation to motion
capture.
 Rendering
 Process of representing visually the animated models with the
aid of a simulated camera
 The lighting of the scene and the shading characteristics are
often specified before the animation is laid out
 Rendering itself is the calculation of the finished computer
animated images
25 Motion Capture
https://youtu.be/whfGoh1bR-Q
26 Modeling
 The task of modeling the geometry in a computer
animation project is usually divided by type of model or by
scene.
 By type of model
 Popular with large projects
 Models of the primary and secondary characters are
assigned to a team
 Props and the environments, called set dressing, is assigned to
other.
 By scene
 Better suited for simpler projects
 A team is responsible for building of models for a particular
shot
 It is common to build proxies (Fig 2.7.10 on p.82), or
placeholder geometry, early in the process so that
animators, riggers, and others can get started while the
final models are completed
 Proxy models
27

Detailed models
28 Rigging
 The internal skeletons that are most often
used to animate characters are called
animation rigs.
 These controls are also called IK rigs because
many skeletons are rigs or chains of controls
that use the inverse kinematics (IK) animation
technique.
 Fig 5.7.3 on p.160 and Fig 10.4.16 on p.329
 Technical director: setting up of these
animation controls
 Animators: devote to animating after the
basic controls are set up (Fig 12.5.5 on p.393)
29
30 Character Animation
 3-D character animation done with
keyframing techniques starts with rough
animation, which consists of blocking the
broad motions using placeholder
geometry (Fig 2.7.10 on p.82)
 The secondary actions and the facial
animation are added next
 Finally the details and timing of
overlapping motion are fine-tuned
 Animation finaling: animation details and
technical animation that are done
usually after character animation is
complete or almost complete
31
32 Effects Animation and
Technical Animation
 Effects animation: animation of the natural
phenomena, like rain, wind, and fire
 Most techniques are procedural and
require some or much scripting, therefore
also referred to as technical animation
 Fig 12.3.4 on p.381
33
34 Lighting and Rendering
 Lighting involves the placement and
fine-tuning of all the light sources in every
shot of the film.
 The nature of lighting in computer
animation is very close to traditional
cinematography
 Rendering involves the shading of the
geometry and oftentimes the
developing of special shaders that are
used for this purpose
 Fig 2.7.11 on p.83
35
36 Texture Painting
Geometry
 Most 3-D computer animation (3D model)
projects make extensive use of
textures for the geometry.
 Painted by hand directly with a
digital paint system or Image
map
 Painted with traditional materials
and then scanned (Fig 2.7.8 on
p.80)
 Texture painting and touch-up is
usually done by painters, often Bump
shared with the visual development map
team.
 3. Postproduction
37
 Once the images have been rendered, a
variety of postprocessing and
postproduction techniques can be applied
to the images before they are recorded
 E.g.
 Computer-generated images can be digitally
composited (Fig 14.1.9 on p.435, Fig 14.2.7 on
p.442) or mixed with other computer-generated
images or with live action
 Computer animation can also be distorted,
retouched (Fig 14.2.1 on p.437), processed, or
color corrected
 When computer animations are completed,
they are usually recorded on videotape or
film, or delivered in a digital format.
38
39
40 Getting Started with 3ds Max

https://youtu.be/fkBDThv77SU
 Navigating the View with a Mouse
41

https://youtu.be/j1xtpWrNlw8
 3ds Max vs Maya vs Blender
42

 Should I Learn 3DS Max or Maya?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9lkPiGdDRA
 Should I Learn Blender or Maya?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmkPvk5cTAI
 Blender vs 3DS max
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8qUm4Dd7kQ
43 Free one-year educational
access to Autodesk products
 https://www.autodesk.com/education/students
 Autodesk Education Plan: Create an Account and Confirm
Eligibility - YouTube
 Please download Autodesk 3ds Max 2020 (but not 2021 nor
2022) since the course materials have been tested using
2020 version but not 2021 nor 2022 version.
 WARNING: You may not be able to run the tutorial or the
test materials provided properly using 2021 or 2022 version .
 System requirements for
44
Autodesk 3ds Max 2020
 https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/3ds-
max/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/System-requirements-
for-Autodesk-3ds-Max-2020.html