Computer Animation and Special Effects Level 6 Project (Masterpiece Project) Project Implementation/Evaluation

In order to progress with the group project, myself and Joshua Stammers, (http://joshuastammers.blogspot.co.uk), have assigned individual tasks for each of us to complete, which will form the interactive CD-ROM which was planned in the Project Research and Planning module.

My tasks have mainly included:

• A complete, fully-rigged character head.
• The interactive navigation for the CD-ROM.

As a group we created a Gantt chart to show the planned processes of the group within the allotted time before the deadline. Here is a screenshot showing the breakdown of each task, and the suggested completion time:

Currently, we are on target with this project, as we regularly check this chart to ensure we are completing the necessary targets in time.

Product Pitch


As part of this assignment, the proposed product was pitched in an attempt to persuade investors into the product. This went very well in our opinion, which has left both ourselves, and our investors eager to see the finished product.

Head Modelling


I have used the software, Z-Brush, to model my head ready for animation. Below is a sequence of images showing how I got from my initial base mesh, to my roughly completed finished head. I use the word 'roughly', as I will receive feedback on this model, and incorporate the opinions of others to hopefully develop this into an improved product. The first images show the initial sketches drawn by Joshua, which I used as reference for creating my head model:

Here is the sequence of stages showing my model through each sub-division level within Z-Brush. When creating the head, I tried to make it look cartoon-style, as specified in the brief, but also with good detail and proportions so that children could relate the characters features with their own.

After a group meeting, we decided that the eyes on this character were not what we were looking for as a presenter for young children. As the character was designed to be more of a cartoon-style figure, I have smoothed over the eyes in Z-brush, so that I can create independent eyes with rotating eye-lids within 3DS Max. I have appended spheres as a reference while I re-topologize the head.

 Here are two images showing the eyes with and without eyelids. I modelled the lower eyelids to add more detail to the ambient occlusion when the textures are baked onto the models.

Head Re-topology


After completing the modelling for the character's head, I brought the .OBJ file into 3DS Max to create a lower resolution of polygons for easier access to animation, and a smaller file size.

After the topology was finished, I used a symmetry modifier and welded both sides together.

UVW Unwrapping 

I then used a cylinder UVW unwrap to layout the mapping of the new topology, enabling me to texture the head.

These images show the UV co-ordinates before and after smoothing:

Texturing

Once I managed to get a good UV map, which had been relaxed to give a square checkerboard effect, I imported this into Photoshop to create a Diffuse, Normals and Ambient Occlusion to include in my materials for the modelled character head. In order: Diffuse, Ambient Occlusion, Normals, Merged. 

I then coloured over the diffuse to create the texture for our second selectable character:

These images show my testing for the diffuse map. I noticed that there were white rings around the insides of the eyes on this model, so I shifted it to black to see if this made a difference. When I saw that it did, I tried using the same RGB value which is used for the map within Photoshop, this did not work however as it did not have the ambient occlusion or normals map in this area.

I tested the bump map to see which levels would give me the best texturing. I have a screenshot showing the bump map at: 30, 100 and 150. I personally prefer the bump level at 100.

Here is a render showing both characters with their assigned textures:

Assigning Morph Targets


I have found a very useful tutorial explaining how to properly create a facial rig in 3DS Max, by assigning morph targets and using sliders and constraints to make animating the face much easier than keyframing each vector or polygon.
The tutorial can be found here: http://athey.comyr.com/tutdump/facerig/index.html




Work in Progress Presentation


We have a group presentation where we will show our clients the current status of the product and its functionality. The presentation will be in a formal and professional manor, to hopefully satisfy our investors.
To show our current progress, I have uploaded a screenshot showing the Gantt Chart for our project:

CD-ROM Interactive Navigation


For the navigation, I am using Adobe Flash CS5. Before this project I had some prior experience using Macromedia Flash MX, which is now a rather primitive version of the software. The main change within the software for me, is the incorporation of Actionscript 3.0, which is a lot more complicated to use than Actionscript 1.0 or 2.0. I have looked at tutorials and found as much information as I can to aid me in creating a professional looking, fully functional CD-ROM. The aim is to produce a '.swf' file which can be burnt to a CD-ROM, so that it can be used on other computers. Depending on legality, we would also include a copy of the Flash Player Installer from the Flash website, so that anyone would could install, and run our software.

Below is example screenshots showing the layout of my first navigation design. As I am not designing the colours, images, backgrounds etc, I have just created this prototype to test links and buttons:

After a feedback session with Darren Wall, we have decided that the colour scheme may not be ideal for our target audience. Also, the fact I have used 2 different fonts looks unprofessional. These are useful changes which can be made for the next prototype.

Saving to a Disc for Windows and Macintosh Users


I was wondering about how to burn the finished product to a disc that can be used by both Windows and Mac users. I have looked at several different websites with scripts to 'Autorun' the software - but want to attempt this as a practice prototype first.

This website looks useful:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5883109_save-flash-files-disk.html

This website has the autorun feature and looks very simple to do:
http://www.amarasoftware.com/tutorials/auto-launch.html


CD-ROM Navigation: Version 2


After speaking with the clients for our product, it was decided that their were a few factors which should be changed to create a more professional and functional product.
The colour scheme originally chosen did not provide the style we were hoping for our target audience. The colours seem a bit too bold and overpowering, so we have decided to use less colours with varying shades. This should make the product look much more aesthetically pleasing, and pay greater focus to the main aspect of the product - the informative videos. Another point was the use of different fonts in the prototype, which made it look rather messy. The use of one style of font throughout is definitely better in keeping with the selected theme.

These images show some of the navigation pages with the working links and an embedded video showing the product is functional and just requires the finished videos and images.

The navigation has been divided into 'Learn' and 'Test'. Learn has the educational videos under each category and has the character wearing a graduation hat. Test gives the user 3 possible answers and a video is shown. The user must successfully identify the correct answer.

Importing / Embedding Video within Flash

I was originally unsure about how to import or embed a video into flash, which was crucial for creating the interactive flash document successfully. I discovered online that the best way to do this was to either have the video within the document timeline which would play in time with the .swf file. I have used actionscripting for the navigation which causes the timeline to stop at each frame. For this reason, I have converted the .mov file used to a .f4v file using Adobe Media Encoder, which can then be dropped onto the flash document which sufficient playback.

The link I used can be found here: http://video.about.com/animation/Import-Video-Into-Flash.htm

Product Evaluation

In its current state, the product is showing areas of completion and the areas that are not quite finished can be easily updated once the material has been rendered out. 

The main task still left to complete is the animating of the head and body for each word/letter we have on the CD-ROM. As the body is fully rigged and skinned, and the head has been morphed and constrained, the animation can be done easily, leaving us more time to spend on human realistic motion. We feel that this is an important area to research thoroughly as accuracy will only make the product more educational and useful for our target audience. Any additional material can be used in conjunction with the video footage captured in our initial research and planning module.

Group Evaluation

From looking at the Gantt chart showing our group progress on this current project, you can see that we are on track with our project and are confident that we will have a professional product as requested by our clients.

As a group we have maintained constant, productive communication to make sure that both members of the group are keeping up-to-date with their tasks. Below are screen shots showing messages sent on Facebook between the group. This function was very helpful for sending files to each other.

Animation Practice - Final Upload

This is my final animation showing realistic human motion for my 3rd year submission at Leeds Met. Uni:

I have digitally posted all of my supporting material to this blog, to show how I went about creating this animation.

My initial idea for this animation began with a storyboarding session. I designed the following 2 storyboards:

Fast-Paced 

¢This storyboard is aimed at creating a fast paced animation, focusing on quick reactions and exciting motion.

¢I would hope to create this sequence in 3D if it is used as the final storyline.

¢I feel that making this in 3D would open up many possibilities for special effects, such as particle systems for the drink being spilt. 

 Slow Paced

¢This storyboard was designed to show a slower paced animation which focuses on more subtle details such as motion which are unique to each individual. 

¢I would think about creating this animation using stop motion, possibly using clay for the main character, as I attempted to create the character with kitchen foil, but this was not a sturdy enough structure for me to capture appropriate data.

I wanted to design a storyboard portraying fast pace, and one showing slow pace to see the comparison in animating different speeds. I chose such a basic storyline to try and focus on the minor details which make us all unique. It is more difficult to animate nothing than I anticipated.

This is an image showing my Weekly Action Plan for the module:

I think that proper planning is essential to create a professional animation. Time should be managed effectively to ensure deadlines are met, and make sure each aspect of the piece receive adequate attention. 

In order to accurately depict a realistic human walk cycle, I researched online at other existing walk cycles. Here is a series of links to videos which helped me with my project:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5a4iJccxcg Yawn Animation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMnekeLTUrw I can make you yawn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axB26AuNQxY Sad Walk Cycle Anim

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufbyNgQb3G4&feature=related Sad Walk Cycle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=occFkFbl3ms Normal Walk Cycle in 3D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl2ZVEMkFYs

I think that just using secondary resources as my reference material would not be as useful to me as primary, as I cannot be sure of how accurate they are. I do not know whether the animator has done their own research, and this can result in a Chinese whisper effect with an anatomically incorrect animation. I have therefore uploaded my primary reference videos, which I used to replicate an accurate portrayal of human realistic motion:

Jump Test

Sitting Test

Stretching Test

Walking Test

Yawning Test

The final animations I created came from a series of references, tests and renders which enabled me to better develop a more realistic piece of motion. Here is a list of my tests, with a short critique about each one:

‘dee_walk_normal’

This video shows the character does not move up and down enough to make the walk look realistic. The legs move very rigid and they are fully extended. These should be more relaxed and bent if Dee is to look miserable.

‘10_second_walk’

This 10 second sequence was made to see how the walk cycle would look in a repeated motion.

The toes are not animated, which makes the feet look very rigid.

‘dee_walk_normal_gravity’

This front view of the walk cycle shows that the character’s body appears to be too squashed on the step. You can also see that there is no rotation between the shoulders and hips on each step.

‘dee_upset_v1’

'dee_upset_f_v2'

'dee_upset_l_v2'

The feet look more realistic now that the toes bend before and after each step, to show the characters anticipation.

Dee also moves up and down more to show how gravity is affecting the character.

‘dee_walk_v3’

The character doesn’t feel the gravity effect until his foot has made contact with the floor. This is more accurate as you can see how he has shifted his weight to move forwards.  The weighting between his body and knees has become more fluent, looking almost like a rolling motion.

Dee appears to be more moody by the way he is walking. This would give a better impression that he is on his way to do something he is not looking forward to.

Also, Dee’s face appears to be more sad, his mouth has a better frown, and eyelids are more closed.

I then animated the Dee character yawning, followed by adding the arms stretching and hands clenching:

'dee_yawn_v1'

'dee_yawn_v2'

‘dee_book_drop_v2’

The leg kicks at the end of the animation do not seem right. There is no evidence of balance and weighting.

The right hand does not change once he has bent down to pick up the book. This is because I had trouble trying to link and attach the book.

Dee Walk Cycle

Dee Yawn and Scratch

Dee Drops Book

Drawing Styles 

12 Basic Principles of Animation

According to Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas, who were famous animators who worked for Disney, there are 12 basic principles of animation which all animators should abide by.

These principles are as follows:

  1. Squash and stretch

  2. Anticipation

  3. Staging

  4. Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose

  5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action

  6. Slow In and Slow Out

  7. Arcs

  8. Secondary Action

  9. Timing

  10. Exaggeration

  11. Solid Drawing

  12. Appeal

I have included the link to the wikipedia entry which has good, clear definitions for each:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_basic_principles_of_animation

I also found this website very helpful to improve my sketching skills:

http://www.posemaniacs.com/?pagename=thirtysecond

According to the website:

'The idea of thirty seconds drawing app is tool for support gesture drawing.b You will improve in recognizing aspects of figures in a short amount of time, and be able to draw accruately with minimum lines.aking a large of number of sketches in a small amount of time may be good experience especially for begginners. This training will easily become your daily routine.'

The website displays an image of a human in a random position showing muscle structure. The image is shown for 30 seconds and the artist is supposed to sketch the image as quickly as possible. After performing this action over and over, your ability to sketch will improve greatly, both in speed and accuracy. The exercise suggests drawing by looking at the subject, rather than the paper.

These images show my attempts at 30 second sketches:

  

Human Anatomy


In order to help me develop my animation skills, I decided to research into human anatomy to improve my proportions when drawing.

I found this link to have some helpful information about human proportions:
http://figure-drawings.com/How-to-Draw-Proportions.html

This image shows the bone layout of the human skeleton:

http://www.encognitive.com/node/1125

Having knowledge of the human skeleton will enable me to create realistic animations. I have had experience working with motion capture, where each of the body parts is referenced by a reflective ball. The balls correspond on-screen, so knowing how the human body works will allow the animator to work with the data quicker and more effectively.

This image shows the on-screen arena when using motion capture:

http://www.naturalpoint.com/optitrack/products/full-body-mocap.html

The software version I have used simply had white dots on screen in place of the human character.

I also looked at muscle structure to aid me in making my life drawings more realistic. 

http://homeworkteam71.wikispaces.com/Science+with+Mr.+Mullett

I feel that having a basic knowledge of muscle structure will help me when drawing without any reference material. With each body part in correct proportion with shaded muscle structure, my drawings will greatly improve, and over time, provided I practice my drawing skills, I think that my abilities will continue to develop.

I also decided to look at the skeletal and muscle structure of other animals. Below is the skeletal and muscle structure of a feline, canine and horse:

It is obvious to see that each of these animals share the same bone structure and muscular layout. I have found an image comparing a canines body with a human. Due to the positioning of the human, you can see that we share a very similar structure also.

Horse Anatomy
http://wiggle-chicken.deviantart.com/art/Horse-Anatomy-the-Muscles-144392460?q=sort:time+favby:WishmasterInRlyeh&qo=1

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://bastardrat.com/restinpetes/skellhorse.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.halloweenforum.com/halloween-props/77689-plans-horse-drawn-hearse.html&usg=__WFcJpW7nDsCmKw5kphwBUHUf7XU=&h=1809&w=2134&sz=340&hl=en&start=61&zoom=1&tbnid=xpg1_KBzPtZswM:&tbnh=137&tbnw=162&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhorse%2Bskeleton%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1276%26bih%3D636%26tbs%3Disch:1,isz:l0,1160&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=993&vpy=340&dur=996&hovh=207&hovw=244&tx=148&ty=197&ei=8q8sTaS5CY74sAP8wbCGBw&oei=768sTYauNMmAswa7rpjUBw&esq=3&page=4&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:61&biw=1276&bih=636

Feline Anatomy
http://www.pawsonline.info

Canine Anatomy
http://www.dogvetnet.com.au/canine_anatomy.htm

Comparison Image
http://hippie.nu/~unicorn/tut/xhtml/



Researching a Human Walk Cycle

Typical Foot Movement

Animating a Single Step

Testing a Walk Cycle

Unfortunately, this test did not work as well as I had hoped. I think that the video would have worked better if there were more frames.


Animation Techniques


There are many different types of animation techniques, and I have decided to research and critique some of these to help me get a better understanding of animation.

Stop Motion

Stop motion is the time consuming technique of compiling a sequence of photographs, taken of inanimate objects. Each photograph shows the subject having moved slightly, giving the illusion of movement.

Stop Motion has advanced greatly since the first time it was used in 1898 by Albert E. Smith and J. Stuart Blackton for use in their film, ‘The Humpty Dumpty Circus’. This example used animated toys, but the same technique has since used clay modelling, paper cutouts and in recent times computer generated imagery.

Series such as ‘Robot Chicken’, use automated technologies to animate the mouths of their stop motion characters, which makes the animation process much easier than in previous years. Animators such as Nick Park who created, ‘Wallace and Gromit’, would carefully position each part of the body, including the mouth, by hand. This would have been very time consuming and if proper care is not taken the models can be distorted. Finger prints are often visible on the characters throughout because the models were made using wireframes and clay.

These images show the difference between the original style of Wallace and Gromit, compared with the new computer aided look:

http://grayishlavender.blogspot.com/2009/10/if-shes-going-under-i-can-hold-my.html

http://www.indiewire.com/article/toronto_fest_to_fete_wallace_gromit_in_gala_reitman_maysles_anderson_and_pa/#

Here is a screenshot from, 'Robot Chicken':

http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/robot-chicken/photos/195512/15636

I attempted some animations of my own. This first animation shows a university set group project piece completed within a short time limit:

This video shows a 'Super Mario' type animation made from post it notes and cut-out paper with blu-tac fastenings. I completed this animation with my classmate Joshua Stammers. This is an example of both Stop Motion and Cut-Out animation:

These images show some of the process we went through to get this result:

¢After attempting some stop motion animations, I am very excited to continue using this method for my final piece.

¢I would like to continue testing over the next few weeks, to get used to how many frames should be used for each motion.

¢For example, when filming the character jumping or climbing, gravity had to be taken into consideration, so it would take longer to climb than it would to jump and fall.

Cut-out and Collage Animation

Cutout animation is very similar to Stop Motion. The process involves cutting out models or puppets from card or paper, and then fastened using pins or loosely arranged onto a plane. The cutouts are often drawn on or painted on to add detail to the animations. A photograph of the puppet is taken, then it is moved slightly, then another photograph is taken until an animated sequence can be made.

Collage animation uses the same principles as cutout animation, but the images are cut from magazines and photographs. This means that more attention is usually paid to texturing which gives a more aesthetically pleasing overall look.

The most famous example of cut-out and collage animation is probably, ‘South Park’. Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators, use very basic shapes to animate their characters. They often use photographs of real celebrities faces within their cartoons, positioned on crude bodies they have drawn.

This screenshot shows how South Park uses crudely cut out photographs to symbolise real celebrities in their animations:

http://southpark.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Episodes

Rotoscoping

Rotoscoping is used to create realistic motion within animation. A video or sequence is literally traced over, either by hand or more recently on computers. Due to the great attention to detail, this technique is usually used for recreating human or animal motion. By tracing over the video footage, you can guarantee accuracy, which is why many animators feel that this is cheating. Others argue however that the animator can add just as much of their own ideas and styles, but in other mediums.

Many popular cartoons and films use rotoscoping techniques, some to a higher degree than others. ‘Tom goes to the Mayor’, uses a very basic form of rotoscoping, where photographs are taken of the live actors, and the images are digitally enhanced using a graphics filter. There is very little motion with no movement of lips or limbs, giving a very jerky style of animation.

Below are my rotoscope examples, done in 3DS Max by almost 'tracing' over a video reference:

Rotoscope - Left

Rotoscope - Front

¢After attempting rotoscoping in 3DS Max, I can understand the importance of referencing within animation, as it is far easier and more accurate, to give a more realistic sequence.

¢A difficulty I faced, was when altering key frames for different bones. I found that deleting frames on the clavicle, would affect the child limbs such as the upper and lower arm. This meant that each bone had to be animated in order depending on their function in the body. 

Below is a link to the trailer for 'A Scanner Darkly', a full feature length movie created entirely using rotoscoping. This was a very time consuming process, requiring a large amount of various skilled animators.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXpGaOqb2Z8

2D Hand Drawn Animation


This process involves hand drawing each frame of the animation. I created my own tests for human motion which I have posted below:

Walk Cycle

Run Cycle

Football

Snooker

Ball Bounce

Hand

Some of these animations have worked better than others. I have decided that the more drawings within the animation, the smoother the frame rate and therefore the better the animation.

The Industry of Animation


I have decided to research available jobs and careers within the animation industry. I feel that this will help me in the future when I hopefully complete my degree. By looking at current job roles and popularity, I can see what skills would be beneficial for me to learn whilst I have such great resources at university. I hope to develop a professional showreel to help me find a job, and by looking at current animators and their work, I can create modern style animations using current modern technologies.

One exceptional aspect of the animation industry, is the option to recieve funding, to better help you with training opportunities and career development. Below is a link for Skillset:

http://www.skillset.org/funding/

On the website they state:

'Skillset manages a range of training fundscontributed to by industry and public sources.
The aim of these funds is to help ensure that the UK creative industries have a workforcewith the right level and range of skills. The funds broaden access to trainingopportunities and career development, support businesses and aim to make the workforce healthier and safer.
The funds seek to address skill shortages identified by Skillset's research programme and continuous consultation with the industries.'
I have researched the kind of jobs which might be available for me once I complete my degree. As I have no immediate experience within the industry, I would find it difficult to obtain a high salary straight away. This is why I am searching for an average paid job where I can learn the skills required for industry, and gain more experience in working as part of a team to complete a larger project than I am used to.

A search for animation jobs in Google came back to me with:

http://www.ukjobsnet.com/animation-jobs

I have uploaded a screenshot of the first job listed:

As you can see from the application, employers like to see a showreel from potential candidates. By looking at the description I can also gain an idea of the kinds of software I would be expected to have knowledge of. The link on the bottom right corner shows how the job can be advertised on Facebook and Twitter. This is very useful for job seekers, who can find large numbers of available vacancies via social networking sites, as family and friends can suggest jobs and also contact can be made incredibly easy with potential employers. Presumably a showreel with example work could be sent electronically to the employers to give an indication of the candidates style and ability.

As well as finding jobs in this manor, some large animation companies also offer university programs. An example of this is Pixar:

http://www.pixar.com/companyinfo/jobs/index.html

There is a link explaining what they look for in a demoreel, and what should or should not be included in their opinion:

http://www.pixar.com/companyinfo/jobs/howto.html

The demo reel should consist of 5 parts:

a) the cover letter
b) the resume
c) the demo reel
d) the demo reel breakdown
e) the on-line application (the application contains the Reel Submission Agreement)


The demo should be no longer than 4 minutes as lead TD's will receive many applications each day. They also state that music and sound is not important, as they are applying for a job within animation. Working in a business as large as Pixar, there would be multiple employees working on all aspects of the work, including specialised professionals working with audio.

I have also looked into the software used at Pixar, and the level at which candidates should be at if applying for certain jobs there. There are various jobs at different levels requiring either college/university experience or previous experience within the industry.

One piece of software used by Pixar is 'Renderman'. I have not used this software as it is very technical, and very expensive.

https://renderman.pixar.com/

The software has won multiple oscars for its achievements and helped to enhance many popular films with awesome visual effects.

Pixar have included a procedural work flow of the steps taken to produce the great animations they have made to date:

http://www.pixar.com/howwedoit/index.html#

Pixar work in almost an identical way to how I have been taught at university in several of my modules. An initial idea is pitched and then subsequent texts and storyboards follow describing the idea in words and pictures. Once the idea has been fully thought out, designs are made for characters and sets, models are built and rigged, and fine details are added to finish for rendering.

Other major names within the animation industry include:

Eidos Interactive
http://www.eidos.com/

Eidos is a very successful games company.


Square Enix
http://www.square-enix.com/na/

Popular for their games and manga.


The Walt Disney Company
http://www.disney.com/


Well known for their cartoons and animated movies.

I have been wondering about the role of an animator, and have found the blog of Pradeep Mamgain, a visual effects animator in India:

http://blog.cgsutra.com/2008/07/08/what-is-the-role-of-the-animator/

Pradeep advises that although it is useful for an animator to have experience in multiple aspects of animation, once you have found what you enjoy the most, be it modelling or rigging or anything, you should spend as much time as humanly possible working at that skill to become a true expert within that field.

It seems that the larger the company of the job you are applying for, the more specialised the work becomes. This is why it is good to have a broad range of abilities within animation, and an animator should always work to better himself, and constantly improve their talents.