Midterms Checklist For AN410

Upcoming Dates:

Monday, October 1st: Bring to class your progress on this small animated scene! Look through the list of character rigs I have provided for you and pick (1) one to build a character animation sequence during midterms next week! There are a lot of different rigs with different levels of skill and detail in them. The big goal for each of you is to develop your ability to convey believable movement, action, and performance.  Come to class with sketches and thumbnails based on an animated sequence no longer than 8-12 seconds.

Friday, October 5, 2018: Turn-In for midterms assignments. (All assignments due before 5:00 PM. Key Animation for your walk cycle with personality should be completed by this date!)

On the server, in the Classes —> AN410 section, create a folder with your first and last name.  Create a week for each folder.  You should submit animated videos of your assignments labeled as such. Any final models created in Mudbox can be submitted via “File—> export screen to PSD”  In Maya, when exporting renders, be sure to check “save color-managed image” from the “save render” window.

Folder List: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6(this week), Project Folders

Week 1: (making objects in mud box. We built a simple fruit or veggie in class. You went further with the HW.)

lastname_p1_objectmodel1

lastname_p1_simplehead1

Week 2: Building character faces in mud box. Revised objects from the first week of class.

lastname_p2_objectmodel2

lastname_p2_characterhead2

lastname_p2_finalmudboxobjects

Week 3: (submit an image render of this along with your project files! more info below.)

lastname_p3_finalheadrender (created with file —> export screen to PSD)

(note, submit 7 images: front, side, 3/4 front, 3/4 back, back, from above, and below. Label them with the suffix “1,” “2,” etc.)

Week 4: (Built a scene in maya and incorporated mud box models. Incorporated texturing methods from mud box and maya together including normal maps, displacement maps, and ambient occlusion.) Submit renders from at least 3 angles.

lastname_p4_finalscene1

lastname_p4_finalscene2

lastname_p4_finalscene3

Week 5: Built a new scene, and incorporated proper UV layouts and textures into your scene. Render from three perspectives.

Note: Include snapshots (command + shift + 4) of any UV maps you have created for your textures!

lastname_p5_classcarUV

lastname_p5_finalsceneUV1

lastname_p5_finalsceneUV2

lastname_p5_finalsceneUV3

SubFolder inside Week5: UVmaps (should contain screenshots of each uv map.)

Week 6: (make a playblast of your character action scene.)

lastname_p6_actionPlayblast

ProjectFolders: (include project folders and files from your final character face, and you final maya environment scene here.)

Be sure to keep any project files you submit organized for viewing! Name components, textures, image packages, and any components you create in your project files! Midterm grading will be determined by the following:

1: Organization of content and files. (Name everything!)

2: Surface Development: Clear silhouettes, avoidance of triangulation, efficiently designed models

3: Texturing Quality and Craftsmanship: Creation of well-designed UV maps on necessary models, textures that supplement the models crafted with minimal detection of seams.

4: Lighting Quality: Proper use of lighting to present models with respects to three dimensions. Use of cinematic or realistic lighting is carefully crafted, with necessary shadows.

5: For your playblast:  Clarity of action, believable movement, proper timing and staging.

Animation Notes (ongoing)

Location for Rigs: http://www.nelsonhurst.com/844/top-character-rigs-for-may-free-and-premium

Homework for September 10th:

Okay class -- we have learned a lot with respects to texturing and modeling!  Your homework for this weekend is to build a scene. (read a scene, not just a single model) using the skills we have learned!


Below are a couple of methods you can approach this assignment:

• Build a scene in Maya, and incorporate a model or two you have created and modeled in Mudbox.
• Build a bunch of objects and texture them in mudbox.
• Build a detailed object in Mudbox and texture it in Maya.
• Build an object in Maya, texture it in Mudbox, and then apply those textures in Maya.

For this assignment, bring your project to class! We will discuss lighting methods in Arnold and Mental Ray next week, as well as ambient occlusion! Contact me if you have any questions!

Next week, I will ask begin asking you to submit files and renders of your projects!  Keep a copy of your project files and bring them to class!

UV Layout Notes:

MAKING CUSTOM UV MAPS 

Below is a series of notes for creating proper UV maps for your Model! It’s labeled by steps:

1. CREATE A BASIC BLINN SHADER FOR MODEL. TURN DOWN REFLECTIVITY and SPECULAR COLOR in Attribute Editor.  (At the end, you turn the color of this shader to match the basic color of your object's skin, clothing, etc.)

I. THE MAIN GOAL:  We need to move and sew uv edges. 

To do this, we cut our models like a sheet of paper, cutting in 3 areas:

• Cut one end,
• Cut the other end,
• Cut down the middle of the object.
• Unfold, repeat.

II. Select Model in Object Mode. Open UV editor by going to UV >>> UV Editor.

• Under UV EDITOR Menu, Click Polygons >> Layout

III. Mapping a character:

• What we're doing: We are making a series of strategic cuts in spots, unfolding it, and laying it out.

A. Display >> Polygons >> Texture Border Edges will show thick lines along neighboring wireframes.

• Step 1: Do planar mapping. This makes sure we have one solid model to work from.

• Step 2: Save new model, delete history!
• Step 3: Make series of strategic cuts. Turn on Symmetry.
• To make these cuts, please go Under the UV Editors' Menu and click POLYGONS >>> SPLIT UVs.
• EXAMPLE:  CUTS TO MAKE if your were modeling an anthropomorphic character::
• A. One at the of shoulder.
• B. One at wrists.
• C. One going along bottom of arm.
• >>Note: Want to hide seams as much as possible.
• D. Glove seam through half of hand to inside of thumb. Pinky to Writs. Can use g to cut.  
• E. Neck Edge Loop.
• F. Face: Bottom of neck through front of face.  Great if you don’t have to cut face up.
• G, One around back of ear.
• H. Back of head.
• I. Pelvis of legs.
• J. Ankle
• K. Back of leg.
• L. top of neck to shoulder. This cut is similar to the shoulder seam of most shirts.
• M. armpit to waist.  
• N. crotch

IV. Select all UVs. (you do this by right clicking in your perspective or UV editor view, and selecting UV mode, much like we would select Edge, or Object, or Vertex Mode)

• Polygons —> Unfold —> Options
• Method: Unfold 3D.  Hit apply, Close.
• ——> UVS are laid out wonderfully!

Take them out and see how they look.

Click: Check Display UV Distortion. (Located as a Blue and White Button in your UV editor. (2 from the Magnet Icon)

A. Check the Space in UVs vs how much it takes up.

• You want as much surface area as possible for your UVs. They will serve as a COLORING BOOK for us in Mudbox.
• Can edit the positioning of your UVs using the following tools:
• Select UV Shell tool. (Under tools menu)
• UV mode, and selecting your Move, Scale and Rotate Tools.
• All previous commands for selecting multiple parts (including holding shift) apply when working out the UVs of characters.
• Anywhere you see white is proportional!
• Blue: More space devoted to texture image than necessary.
• Red: Less space devoted than recommended.

Lighting Review:

Basic Lighting and Rendering:

To select: Create ——> Lights ——>  (type of light)

Types of Lights:

• Directional Light: Works like the sun. Light entire scene in one direction
• Intensity: On all lights: Will change the intensity of the light itself and the brightness of that intensity.
• Spotlight:  Works from a single infinite point. Lights in a cone shape, outward towards an object.
• Drop-off will change the softness of the light itself.
• Ambient lights: Creates a soft light that paints the entire scene in a specific blend of light and light color.
• Point Lights: Operates like a candle. A miniature star that emanates from a single, solitary point in space.  The light gets softer as it moves through the air.
• Area light:  A light that emits in a specific direction, marked by a box and an indicator.
• Volume Light: A light that emits all objects inside a cage. Light will not escape outside that wire cage.

THESE LIGHTS OPERATE AND CONTROL THE WAY LIGHTS AND SHADOWS EMIT.

NEXT, WE CONTROL THE WAY LIGHT BOUNCES OFF THE OBJECTS USING….

• Material Choice
• Renderer Choice

Materials:

• Blinn: Used to generate basic highlights and reflections
• Lambert: Used for a matted look.
• mia_material: The most commonly used shader for Mental Ray Rendering. Used to achieve a variety of effects — like glossiness, reflections, specularity — as well as textures (rubber, concrete, gold, metal, etc.)
• mudbox shader: Shader specifically for mudbox properties.
• Arnold Shader (arn_shad): Used for arnold rendering properties

Renders:

• Maya Software: Basic render that calculates lighting based on the software controls in Maya.
• Maya Hardware: Basic render that calculates lighting based on the hardware of the computer.
• Maya Hardware 2.0: New(ish) renderer that produces a much more realistic image much faster.
• Mental Ray: Lighting engine commonly used to achieve realistic lighting settings by taking advantage of a number of controls that effect the way light interacts with objects and cameras.
• Arnold: New render to maya that is also used for more realisting lighting:  Lights via QUADRATIC lighting setups with realistic dropoff. Part of using Arnold's render settings involves setting your lights to either CONSTANT or QUADRATIC dropoff.
• Intensity may need to be turned up as well on your lights, as your lights calculate for realistic space and resistance.

RAYTRACING SHADOW ATTRIBUTES:

• Light angle: Adjusts the softness of the light.
• Shadow rays: Adjusts quality of the light.
• Ray Depth Limit:  The number of times light bounces off of objects before is dissipates into shadow.