Logistics, Principles, Tools Test e-mail Anyone not get it? Test file in mycourses Anyone have problems Announcement Animator KAREN AQUA at RIT Tuesday, March 18 th (tomorrow) 6-9 pm Carlson Auditorium (76-1125) Projects Any questions? Proposals due next Monday Susan Lakin (photography) here today to talk about some ideas. Marla Schweppe will be here Wednesday Performance art and graphics Motion capture Plan for today Susan Lakin pipeline Summary thoughts from last week s videos The first of our motivational films Principles of. pipeline Review of what we saw on video last week. Tools to help you in the process.
Production Production Shading Model Layout Voice Foley Lighting Camera Postprocess The story drives the process board rough drawings that tell the story Tools for you Paper Pencil Napkins Palm of hands Etc. Production Shading Model Layout Setting the stage Models characters objects in story Tools for you Modelers (in order of $$$) Emacs / vi Milkshape 3D Rhino 3D 3D Studio Max Maya Laser Modelers pipeline Setting the stage Layout staging / blocking Tips for you Test using low-quality models Test using wireframe or basic shading
Setting the stage Shading defines look of your model. Tools for you OpenGL / DirectX defaults Gouraud, Phong Shading. Renderman BMRT Aqsis prman Dare I say Cg (real time) Production Shading Model Layout aka Motion Control This is the crux of what you will be doing Degrees of Freedom problem Your job is to make the number of degrees of freedom manageable to an animator Animator decides what is managable and what parameters should be under his/her control. Tools for you Programming environment: C, C++, jav 3D API: OpenGL / DirectX / java3d Remember This? an i ma tion (n) a motion picture made from a series of drawings simulating motion by means of slight progressive changes in the drawings A note about timing Film Frame Rate: 24 frames/sec Video Frame Rate: approx. 30 frames / sec. Realtime Frame Rate: variable MUST CONSIDER WHEN doing realistic animation.
Production Shading Model Layout Lighting Set up virtual lighting to achieve visual goals. Tools for you See shading & animation Lighting Production Shading Model Lighting Layout Camera Camera Render frames and assemble Tools for you Rendering Renderman POV-Ray Maya/3DSM Radiance OpenGL/DirectX real time Camera Render frames and assemble Tools for you Assembly OpenGL/DirectX real time Non-real time Adobe Premiere ($$$) VideoWave III ($$$) AVI Creator / Netpbm Voice Production Shading Model Lighting Layout Foley Camera Postprocess
If you wish to add sound Voice drives animation (lip sync) drive sound effects (foley) Background music. Tools for you: Foley see Perry Cook s page (Princeton) OpenAL / DirectSound VAS Spatialized Sound If you wish to add sound Tools for you Assembly OpenAL/DirectSound real time Non-real time Also allows for titles, transitions, editing, etc,» Adobe Premiere ($$$)» VideoWave III ($$$)» Window Movie Maker Questions? Break. Motivational Film The Adventures of Andre and Wally B. Lucasfilm (eventually became Pixar) First Computer Animated Film by John Lassiter. Luxo, Jr. Pixar (1986) Motivational Film Motivational Film Luxo, Jr. The one that really started it all Character far more important than effects Showed that believable, sympathetic characters can be created via computer They don t even have to be human
There is no particular mystery in animation it s really very simple, and like anything that is simple, It is about the hardest thing in the world to do -- Bill Tytla, Disney Animator, 1937 Programming animation Creating tools for animators Good to know the principles by which animators work Principles of Developed for traditional animation by Disney. Applied to computer animation by John Lassiter Squash & Stretch Timing Anticipation Staging Follow Through and Overlapping Action Straight ahead action and Pose-to-pose action Principles of Developed for traditional animation by Disney: Slow in and Slow Out Arcs Exaggeration Secondary Action Appeal We ll go through each one in turn. Principles of Web Sites (links on course site) Ralph A. De Stefano (EVL Univ Of Ill). SIGGRAPH Lassiter paper online Kim Roddy (Naval Postgrad School) 1. Squash & Stretch The most important principle Most objects in the world are not rigid. For example, silly putty never changes volume or mass The amount of squash & stretch gives indication of rigidity of an object
1. Squash & Stretch Object need not deform in order to squash and stretch 2. Timing More than any other principle, timing defines the weight of an object Which ball is heavier? 2. Timing Timing can also indicate an emotional state Start Frame: a head looking over the right shoulder End Frame: a head looking over the left shoulder No in-betweens - the character has been hit by a strong force and its head almost snapped off One in-betweens - the character has been hit by something substantial,.e.g., frying pan Two in-betweens - the character has a nervous twitch Three in-betweens - the character is dodging a flying object Four in-betweens - the character is giving a crisp order Six in-betweens - the character sees something inviting Nine in-betweens - the character is thinking about something Ten in-betweens - the character is stretching a sore muscle 3. Anticipation Anticipation is often used to explain what the following action is going to be There are two main uses of anticipation: 1. Prepare for a movement 2. To draw the viewers attention to something. Example: opening of Luxo Jr. 3. Anticipation What is Wally going to do next 4. Staging Staging is the presentation of an idea so it is completely and unmistakably clear An important objective of staging is to lead the viewers eye to where the action will occur so that they do not miss anything. Example: Luxo Jr Jr is always focus when Dad & Jr on stage
4. Staging Staging in silhouette 4. Staging Luxo Jr. was staged to the side for clarity Andre s itch is on side, If on belly, action would be in front of body and might be missed 4. Staging 5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action Busy vs Still. Link Follow through is the termination of an action. Actions very rarely come to a sudden and complete stop, but are generally carried past their termination point. The motion in most animation can be broken down in to three sections: 1. Anticipation of an Action the setup for an action 2. The Action the actual action 3. The Follow Through- the movement at the end of a motion 5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action Overlapping Action An action should never be brought to a complete stop before starting another action, and the second action should overlap the first. 6. Straight ahead action and Pose-to-pose action The two main approaches to hand drawn animation. Straight ahead action the animator works straight ahead from his first drawing in the scene. Pose-to-pose (keyframing) the animator plans his actions, figures out just what drawings will be needed to animate the business, makes the drawings concentrating on the poses,... and then draws the inbetweens. Link
6. Straight ahead action and Pose-to-pose action Most animator defined computer animation is keyframed. Keyframing implies Interpolation Next several lectures will be on key framing 7. Slow In and Slow Out Refers to the spacing of the inbetween frames at maximum positions. Example: a bouncing ball moves faster as it approaches or leaves the ground and slower as it approaches leaves its maximum position 7. Slow In and Slow Out Keyframing / Interpolation have no basis in physics. 8. Arcs The visual path of action from one extreme to another is always described by an arc. Splines for interpolation 9. Exaggeration The key to proper use of exaggeration lies in exploring the essence of the action or idea, understanding the reason for it, so that the audience will also understand it. Choose carefully what you wish to exaggerate. If only one thing is exaggerated then it may stand out too much. If everything is exaggerated, then the entire scene may appear too unrealistic. 10. Secondary Action This is an action that directly results from another action. Examples: Facial expression on a character. Wiley Coyote
10. Secondary Action Luxo Jr example Electrical Cord 11. Appeal Make the animation something that the audience wants to see Appeal!= cute Darth Vader has appeal even though he is evil. The characters should be real Where the live action actor has charisma the animated character has appeal. Principles of Wrap Up is an art. Tools will be built for artists Physical laws apply just as much in an animated world as they do in the real world. Although animators can get away with not understanding the math Know when to use math and when not to. Principles of Wrap Up In character animation, all actions and movements of a character are the result of its thought processes. "The thinking animation character becomes a character." Creating an effective character involves all of the principles. Also true: ignoring one or more principles will result in unconvincing characters Questions? Principles of Next Time Defining orientation and transformations. Keep thinking of Project Ideas.
Remember Class Web Site: http://www.cs.rit.edu/~jmg/animation Any questions?