Character Emotions

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Objective:
Demonstrate the ability to portray character emotion. I want to see efficient and practical use of deformers, dynamic camera shots as well as clear and smooth animation.

Method:
Create a simplistic disembodied character. Choose three – four different emotions and create short animation cycles to demonstrate/portray those emotions only using character facial expressions or deformers.

Turn In:
Make sure to update your blog at least three times per week. Final rendered and composited video file should be uploaded to your blog by 3:50 on Thursday, February 22.

Team Animation (6.5hrs)

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Objective:
Produce an animated short (30 second MAX). I want to see efficient and practical use of deformers, dynamic camera shots as well as clear and smooth animation.

Prompt:
To be given by instructor at the beginning of class.

Storyboards are to be submitted by the end of 6th period on Monday.

Groups:
Alvarez/Gonzales
Biggs/Lewis
Cupp/Enzor
Guerra/Meier
Hlavin/Ives/Kilcrease
Howard/Jennings
Moder/Lugo
Norman/Poprik

Turn In:
Make sure to update your blog at least three times this week. Final rendered and composited video file should be uploaded to everyone’s blog by 3:50 on Thursday, February 08.

Character Rigging

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Objective:
Develop skills in rigging character models for animating.

Method:
Use a combination of the following tutorials to develop a good understanding of how to rig characters for animating

Rigging in Maya 2017

Turn In:
post images of your rig from multiple angles throughout the process of the course.

Modeling a Simple Human Character

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Objective:
work on becoming more familiar and comfortable with modeling tools in Maya

Method:
Follow the below tutorials to master the proper steps in modeling a basic humanoid character.The videos are in an older version of Maya, but most of the tools are the same. In video 3 you will use the bridge tool instead of the append tool to join the fingers to the rest of the hand.

PART 01:

PART 02:

PART 03:

PART 04:

Turn In:
Post daily progress snips to your blog as you work through the videos. Make sure to write brief descriptions for each post that contains which steps, techniques, and tools that you utilized that day.

Group Project #1

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Objective:
Produce an animated short (30 second MAX). I want Dynamic camera shots as well as clear and smooth animation.

Prompt:
“Caught Red-handed”

Groups:
Meier/Guerra
Poprik/Ives
Norman/Lugo
Kilcrease/Moder
Sample/Enzor

Turn In:
Make sure to update your blog at least three times per week. The completely rendered animation is to be turned in by Wednesday, October 25.

Lighting and Rendering in Maya with Arnold

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UPDATED for MAYA 2017

Objective:
Explore a more in depth look at lighting and rendering a scene in Arnold.

Method:
Work through the provided course on www.pluarlsight.com to discover new and more efficient ways to render and light in Maya using Arnold.

Make sure to download the exercise files to your H: drive before getting started.

Turn In:
Post screen snips at least every other day to your blog as you progress through the course. Give a summary of work completed since the last blog post.

A Continued Review…

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Objective:
Continue to refresh your memory and skills in Maya. Review of constraints, animating along a path, and working with the graph editor.

Method:
Use the following tutorial on Pluralsight to revisit some of the animation principles. This tutorial will go over constraints, paths, using clips, and animating with rigs.

Copy the project files from Q:\\Animations\Advanced Animations\Maya Project Files\Quickstart\…_volume 2 to your H:\ drive. Log in to your account and navigate to the “Quick Start to Animation in Maya: Volume 2″ course and complete all quizzes and test.

Turn In:
Post screenshots of progress and complete the Volume 2 assignment. When done post the finished playblast to your blog and discuss how you completed the process.

Animation in Maya: A Review…

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Use the following tutorial on Pluralsight to revisit some of the animation techniques and principles that you have previously covered. It will cover keyframing, the Dope Sheet, and working with the graph editor.

Copy the project files from Q:\Animations\Advanced Animations\Maya Project Files\Quickstart\…_Volume 1 to your H:\ drive. Log in to your digital-tutors account and navigate to the “Quick Start to Animation in Maya: Volume 1″ course and complete all quizzes and the test.

Have course finished by Friday, August 26.

Introduction to Course

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Objective:
Understand the class procedures and expectations.

Method:
We will discuss the course syllabus, get to know each other through the Information Sheet, and get signed up for the necessary class accounts.