Day02_Ex01_BouncingBall

Day 01 Ex 02: Camera / Focal Angle

Camera Movements

Day02_Ex01_BouncingBall

Day 01: What is 3D

Course Website

foundationsof3d.blogspot.com

Create a Course Projects Blog

1. Go to Blogger.com
2. If you don't have an account, register for one.
3. Create a blog:
1. Title: Firstname Lastname: Foundations of 3D Projects
2. Address: foundationsof3dFLAST.blogspot.com
1. Example, Donovan Keith becomes:
1. foundationsof3dDKEITH.blogspot.com
4. Add an entry
1. Title: Introduction
2. Include
1. A photo of you
2. A little bit of background
3. What you'd like to get out of this course
3. Once done, add a comment to this post with a link to your blog

If you finish before everyone else, please open up Cinema 4D:

Introductions

Course Overview

Ex 01: Navigation

Download file.

Concept Review

Ex 02: Camera / Focal Angle

Download file.

Project goal: Render three still images that show a different aspect of the scene.
Extension: Take the rendered images into Photoshop and adjust the colors/grading

Instructions:

Setup a template folder structure

Download file.

Homework: Abstract Self Portrait / Character Made from Primitives

Using simple primitive objects create a character out of primitive objects.

Examples

Prerequisite Skills
Creating and Manipulating Objects

Related Tutorials
Party Bot: Making a Basic Character with Primitives

Getting a student license of C4D

More information to follow.

Syllabus

Foundations of 3D Animation using Cinema 4D

California Institute of the Arts
School of Theater

Course Number: [???]
Semester: Spring 2014
Course Credit: 2 units [TODO: Confirm]

Class Meets: Tuesdays 10am-12pm.
Room: Theater Mac Lab

Instructor: Donovan Keith
Office: N/A
Office Hours: By Appointment
Email: donovanskeith@gmail.com

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Pre-requisites

• Basic working knowledge of:
  
  • Mac OS
  • Internet research
  • Image Manipulation (Photoshop)
  • Design

Course Purpose and Learning Goals

This course covers the fundamental skills required to use the 3D animation software CINEMA 4D to generate original video and animated imagery for a variety of design and multimedia purposes. Emphasis will be placed on the conceptual underpinnings of successful realistic and abstract 3D imagery.

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the basic animation production pipeline through the creation of a number of short animations. Key elements of the pipeline include:

• Concept
• Story
• Design
• Modeling
• Texturing
• Rigging
• Animation
• Simulation
• Lighting
• Rendering
• Compositing

Class Format

Instruction will be a mixture of in-class lecture, hands-on skills practice, experimentation, and independent project work. While we will certainly deviate from it, the typical class will looks something like:

1. Dailies (Homework/Project critiques)
2. Lecture or Reading introducing key concept
3. Software instruction
4. Project work
5. Homework overview

Assignments

Small projects designed to integrate the skills taught in a given day will be assigned at the end of each class. The projects will be due at the beginning of the next class day. The work will be shared at the start of class in a Dailies critique session. Work will be submitted via blog/online forum. [TODO: Determine method for turning in work]

A final project will be assigned 2-3 weeks before the end of the course. Students will pitch and refine concepts for their animations in class. The animations will be shared toward the end of the final class day.

Course Schedule

As this is the first time this particular course is being taught, there will likely be some shifts in the scope and sequence of what is covered based on the rate at which students are able to progress. However, the following is a general roadmap for what will be covered, broken down by week number:

1. Introduction to 3D
2. Basic Animation
3. Basic Textures/Materials
4. Scene Layout & Preset Models
5. Basic Lighting
6. Camera Animation & Rendering
7. Spline Modeling
8. Photographic Textures
9. Procedural Modeling
10. Procedural Animation
11. Polygonal Modeling & Organic Sculpting
12. Layered Textures
13. Simulation
14. Basic Compositing

Required Readings / Materials

Any necessary readings will typically be given in-class in the form of links to web-based articles or tutorials.

Suggested Readings / Materials

• Birn, Jeremy. Digital Lighting & Rendering. Indianapolis, IN: New Riders, 2000. Print.
• Yot, Richard. Light for Visual Artists: Understanding & Using Light in Art & Design. London: Laurence King, 2011. Print.
• Van Der Byl, Leigh. “Intro to Texturing | Leigh Van Der Byl.” Texturing for Dummies. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.
• John Lasseter, “Principles of Traditional Animation Applied to 3D Computer Animation”, Computer Graphics, pp. 35-44, 21:4, July 1987 (SIGGRAPH 87).

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Grading Policy

• Timely attendance & participation
• Take-home projects
• Final project

Units

This is a two-unit graduate-level course. [TODO: Confirm unit amount] By CalArts standards, one unit equates to 4 hours of work each week counting time both in and outside of class. Given that this is a two-unit class and two hours will be spent in the classroom each week, you should expect to spend an additional 6 hours of time outside of class each week working on class projects or otherwise reinforcing the skills covered in class.

In-Class Behavior

Please be respectful of each other, and the space.

Cell phones: They should be off/silent, and definitely out of view when any of your peers or I am presenting. If they’re distracting you, they’re distracting other people.

Attendance Policy

Please be warned that if you show up late to class and you’re struggling because of it - I will not halt instruction to get you caught up, it’s just not a fair use of your peers’ time. Timely attendance is critical to your success.

If you miss more than two class sessions you will likely get an incomplete, if you miss three or more you will receive an NX grade (failure for lack of attendance). The skills you learn each week will depend on skills and concepts covered in previous weeks.

Institute Policies

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the use of ideas and/or quotations (from the Internet, books, films, television, newspapers, articles, the work of other students, works of art, media, etc.) without proper credit to the author/artist. While the argument in a paper can be enhanced by research, students are cautioned to delineate clearly their own original ideas from source material. Students should introduce source material (either quoted or paraphrased); note when the source material ends; and provide citations for source materials using standard documentation formats.

According to CalArts policy, students who misrepresent source material as their own original work and fail to credit it have committed plagiarism and are subject to disciplinary action, as determined by the faculty member, the dean of the student’s school and the Office of the Provost. If you have questions regarding plagiarism or would like direction on how to credit source material, there are reference guides on permanent reserve in the CalArts library. Please contact one of the CalArts reference librarians for more information.

Students with Disabilities: Students who have documented disabilities and who want to request accommodations should first go to the Student Affairs office in A207. The Dean of Students will meet with students and communicate with their faculty about appropriate classroom accommodations. Students are encouraged to use these procedures early in the semester, so that the proper arrangements can be in place throughout the course.

Resources

• Cineversity.com: http://www.cineversity.com
• CG Talk Cinema 4D Forums: http://forums.cgsociety.org/forumdisplay.php?f=47
• Greyscale Gorilla: http://www.greyscalegorilla.com