CS 4496/7496
Computer Animation

Spring 2000
College of Computing 102
MW 4:30-6:00

Description
This course introduces techniques for computer animation such as keyframing, procedural methods, motion capture, and simulation. The course also includes an overview of story-boarding, scene composition, lighting and sound track generation. The course will explore current research topics in computer animation such as dynamic simulation of flexible and rigid objects, automatically generated control systems, and evolution of behaviors.

Instructor: Jessica Hodgins; jkh@cc.gatech.edu; 214 CCB (inside the Animation Lab); (404)894-9763; Office Hours: Drop by or send email to schedule an appointment.
Teaching Assistant: Alan Chen; smile@cc.gatech.edu; 206 CCB (Animation Lab); (404)894-4998; Office Hours: Drop by or send email to schedule an appointment.

General Information

This course will teach you about current techniques in computer animation. By the end of the course you should be able to

storyboard, light, compose, and render an animated sequence
use various animation techniques and the commercial system Maya to produce motion for an animated sequence
read and critically evaluate the current literature in computer animation

There are several optional texts for the class:

Advanced Animation & Rendering Technique by Watt and Watt,
Art Of 3-D Computer Animation & Imaging by Kerlow,
Disney Animation: The Illusion Of Life by Thomas and Johnston,
Computer Facial Animation by Parke and Waters,
On Film Editing by Dmytryk.
Alias/Wavefront Learning Maya 2.0 Manual NT/IRIX. Available from http://www.journeyed.com/ Item #75291059.

Because students take this class with a variety of different backgrounds, I have ordered a number of books in the hope that at least one will be interesting for every student. The textbooks will be supplemented by handouts in class and pointers to readings on the web.

Syllabus

An accurate syllabus for the past and an approximate syllabus for the future:

Week of	Mon	Wed
January 10	Topic: Introduction and Overview of Animation Supplemental Reading: Hodgins, J. K., O'Brien, J. F., Bodenheimer, R. E.. Computer Animation. In the Wiley Encyclopedia of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, John G. Webster, ed., v. 3, pp. 686-690, 1999 Videos: Hodgins Introduction: Hopping Robots On the Run Humming Along Deus ex Machina Atlanta in Motion Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge Keyframing: Luxo Jr. Motion Capture: Vicon Demo Reel Simulation: Geri's Game Antz	Topic: Principles of Animation Cartoon Laws of Physics Introduction to Keyframing Demo of Maya (Alan Chen) Assignment 1: Keyframing in Maya Supplemental Reading: Kerlow pp237-246 Thomas and Johnston pp15-44 Videos: Bunny Red's Dream Fantasia: Socceror's Apprentice Death Hop 2000
January 17	No class	Topic: The analysis and the synthesis of talking faces Lionel Reveret ICP, Grenoble, France
January 24	Topic: Splines Euler Angles and Quaternions Supplemental Reading: Watt 3D Computer Graphics Splines pp69-94 Watt 3D Computer Graphics Splines pp483-492 Videos: Red's Dream Tin Toy	Topic: Arc Length Re-parameterization Kinematics and Inverse Kinematics Supplemental Reading: Watt and Watt pp369-384 Zhao and Badler, TOG 1994 Assignment 2 : Implementing Inverse Kinematics Videos: Help Stomp out Flying Logos Danse Interactiv Improv Chess with Robot
January 31	Topic: Scripting and Planning Kinematic Motions Motion Capture Technology Supplemental Reading: Kerlow pp275-281 White Paper from SGI Motion Capture Technology by Alberto Menache Videos: Danse Interactiv Improv Endgame Aklaim, Aliens Party Hardy The Making of Brilliance Assignment 1 due Assignment 2 out	Topic: Processing and Modifying Motion Capture Data Guest Lecturer: Bobby Bodenheimer Supplemental Reading: The Process of Motion Capture: Dealing with the Data Using a Service Bureau by Alberto Menache
February 7	Topic: Modifying Motion Capture Data Supplemental Reading: Efficient Generation of Motion Transitions Using Spacetime Constraints Charles Rose, Brian Guenter, Bobby Bodenheimer, and Michael Cohen, Siggraph '96 Videos: Motion Warping, Witkin and Popovic, Siggraph '95 Motion Editing with Spacetime Constraints, Gleicher, I3DG '97 Retargeting, Gleicher, Siggraph '98 A Hierarchical Approach to Interactive Motion Editing, Lee and Shin, Siggraph '99	Topic: Generalizing from Motion Capture Data Introduction to Simulation Supplemental Reading: Verbs and Adverbs: Multidimensional Motion Interpolation Charles Rose, Michael Cohen and Bobby Bodenheimer, IEEE CG&A Fourier Principles for Emotion-based Human Figure Animation, Munetoshi Unuma and Ken Anjyo and Ryozo Takeuchi, Siggraph '95 Videos: Fourier Principles, Unuma, Anjyo, Takeuchi, Siggraph '95 Batman Returns Particle Dreams Grinning Evil Death
February 14	Topic: Basic Simulation and Particle Systems Supplemental Reading: Physically Based Modeling: Principles and Practice, Witkin and Baraff Videos: Lion King -- rain, grass Hunchback of Notre Dame -- confetti	Topic: Mass Spring Systems: Cloth, Water Videos: Fabricated Rhythm - Gerald Weil Cooking with Kurt - Kurt Fleischer Dynamic Simulations of Flexible Objects - David Hauman Tipsy Turvy - Computer Animation Systems, IBM Research Leaf Magic - Norton, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center Assignment 2 due Assignment 3 out
February 21	Topic: Coupling Simulations Rigid Body Simulation Videos: Miralab Cloth Simulations Coupling Active and Passive Simulations - O'Brien, Zordan, Hodgins Interactive Manipulation of Rigid Body Simulations - Popovic, Seitz, Erdmann, Popovic, Witkin Simulation and Collision Detection Manocha and Lin UNC Images from Baraff's papers Leonardo's Deluge - Sims Primordial Dance - Sims Liquid Selves - Sims Software: Multibody Dynamics, Collision Detection, Computation of Mass Properties SDFast from Symbolic Dynamics	Topic: Introduction to Control Legged Locomotion Videos: Passive Walking Bruderlin and Calvert On the Run van de Panne tapes
February 28	Topic: Legged Locomotion Continued Supplemental Reading: Raibert and Hodgins. Animation of Dynamic Legged Locomotion. Siggraph 1991. Videos: Biped, quadruped, juggling Gait Transitions	Topic: Simulating Humans Supplemental Reading: Hodgins and Wooten, 1998. Animating Human Athletics, Proceedings of ISRR. Hodgins and Pollard. Adapting Simulated Behaviors For New Characters, Siggraph 1997. Videos: Rough Terrain Animating Athletics
March 6	spring break	spring break
March 13	Topic: Facial Animation Guest Lecturer: Prof. Irfan Essa Assignment 3 due Assignment 4 out	Topic: Human Control continued
March 20	Midterm	Guest Speaker: Jerome Solomon Rhythm and Hues
March 27	Topic: Discussion of potential final projects	Topic: Optimization Videos: Siggraph '93, Ngo and Marks Siggraph '88, '93, van de Panne Siggraph '88, Witkin and Kass
April 3	Topic: Higher Level Behaviors Videos: Stanley and Stella: Breaking the Ice Walking Motion, Takeuchi Lion King Mulan Hunchback of Notre Dame Assignment 4 due	Storyboards Final Project Proposals due
April 10	Guest Speaker: Wayne Wooten Pixar	Camera Placement Editing Videos: Alien Occurence Beat Dedication Night Cafe
April 17	Animating Explosions Guest Speaker: Gary Yngve Animating Athletic Motion Planning By Example Guest Speaker: Ron Metoyer	Guest Speaker: Mark Terrell Giant Studios
April 24	Project presentations by graduating students	Informal Project Review
May 5	Friday May 5, 8:00-10:50 Final exam slot Final Project Presentations

Movies from the Semester

Programs and Grading

Collaboration and team projects are encouraged but must be coordinated through the instructor.

There will be four assignments (approximately 2 weeks each) one project (approximately 4 weeks), as well as a midterm after 2/3 of the semester. The four assignments will be

keyframing programming assignment
keyframing in Maya
motion capture programming assignment
simulation in Maya OR simulation programming assignment

You have 5 late days that you may use for any of the programs during the quarter but further extensions require an excellent excuse. Grading will be based on exams (25% midterm), programs (45%), projects (20%), and class participation (10%).

A few advanced students may elect to do only some of the assignments and complete a larger project of their own design. Consult with me if you want to explore this option.

All projects and programs will be turned in as movie files. Extra disk space will be provided for the class.

Possible Topics for Final Project

Maya: more extensive exploration of some element of Maya. Create an animation that excels on some dimension:
- models/textures
- keyframed motion
- particle simulations
- facial animation
- read in simulated motion via plug-in and use it
- cloth animation
Simulation:
- flexible objects -- cube of jello
- interface to claymation in the computer
- natural phenomen:
  - erosion
  - growth of algorithmic plants
- bungee jumper
- octopus
- spring-mass fish
Control:
- Evolving control systems
- Bridging between mocap and simulation
Motion Capture:
- IK for constraints on the ground
- automatically detecting constraints
Higher-level Behaviors:
- herds of bipeds
- path planning
- traffic simulations
- interacting with simulations
Non-realistic animation:
- non-photorealistic rendering of animation
- non-realistic motion: cartoon laws of physics [with hopper/biped]
Applications for animation:
- education, engineering, program visualization

Contact Information:

Jessica Hodgins

jkh@cc.gatech.edu

College of Computing

Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA 30332-0280

CS 4496/7496 Computer Animation

Spring 2000 College of Computing 102 MW 4:30-6:00