1. CIS682 - Computer Animation
Rick Parent
DL787
Maria Palazzi, Director
ACCAD

2. Animation Animating - Making something appear to
move that doesn’t move itself
Procedural Animation is Emphasized
Motion Control Techniques and Algorithms
Briefly covered:
Aesthetics
Animation Production
Digital Post-Processing

3. Class 12 UG; 12 Grad Majors CPTR/INF, CS&E, Mech Eng, Ind. Eng., Psych
Math
5 or 6 Art Students

4. Alumni Beth Hofer, M.S. - PDI Kevin Rogers , M.S. - PDI
Saty Ragavachara, M.S. - Imageworks
Brad Winemiller, B.S. - Pixar
Steve Anderson, M.S. - Electronic Arts
Doug Roble, Ph.D. - Digital Domain
Dave Haumann , Ph.D. - Pixar
Ferdi Scheepers , Ph.D. - Pixar
Jeff Light, ACCAD - ILM
Rob Rosenblum, M.S. - PDI
Nathan Loofbourrow, M.S. - PDI
Steve May , Ph.D. - Pixar
Tony Lupidi , ACCAD - ILM
Chris Wedge , ACCAD - Blue Sky

5. The Class In-Class Lectures Videos Project reports Grading Midterm
Final
Project
Class Participation

6. Lectures High-Level Algorithms Forward/inverse kinematics
Physical simulation
Flocking
Particle Systems
Lectures
Background
Perception
Conventional Animation,
History,
Video Production
Background Math
Natural Phenomena
Plants
Water
Clouds
Fire
Low-Level Control
Interolation
Speed control along a path
path following
The Human Form
Reaching
Walking
Hair

7. Videos Previous Animations from Class
Conventional Animation (e.g. Disney)
Historic Computer Animation
Recent Computer Animations

8. Student Animation Project
Vignette
Short action sequence
Part of a story
Use a procedural model
Composition
Camera control
Lighting

9. Project Groups Groups: 4-5, mix backgrounds
Design and present storyboard
Give progress reports
Present final project

10. Student Presentations
Rough Storyboard
Storyboard (revised)
Detailed Storyboard and sample stills
Sample stills and low-quality rendering of sequences
Finished sequence (finals week)

11. Storyboard A house on a grassy area A space ship flies in
It finally lands
The ship destroys the house
It flies away
Fade out

12. Class Software C or C++, and OpenGL AL and Renderman Houdini Maya
POV-Ray

13. Hardware Facilities CIS Compute servers DL680 - PC with Premier ACCAD
workstations
Premier

14. Motion Specification and Control
Techniques: Aids to user
Interpolation
Path following
Keyframing
Languages
Morphing
Algorithms: Procedures
Inverse kinematics
Physics of rigid bodies
Flexible bodies
Particle systems
Flocking
Autonomous Behavior
Figure animation
Reaching, Walking
Facial animation
Clothes
Hair
Skin
Natural phenomena
Plants
Water
Clouds
Fire

15. Immediate Tasks Form into groups Start thinking of animation project
Consider software approach

16. By Next Class Form groups 3-4 CIS students 1 art student
In Thursday class, there will be time to form into groups
In next Tuesday’s class, anyone not in a group will be put into one