CMPT 466/766: Computer Animation

(Spring 2023)

Introduction
Prerequisite

Course Staf f
Resources

Course Schedule

Introduction

Topics and techniques in computer animation, including: The history of animation, traditional animation, animation production pipeline, 3D model representation, kinematic animation, motion capture, particle systems, physics-based animation, character animation, soft objects and deformation.

Prerequisite

Must-have: CMPT 361 Introduction to Visual Computing, and MACM 316 Numerical Analysis I.
Good-to-have background: Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, Ordinary Differential Equations, Data Structures and Algorithms, Fundamental Physics.
Good-to-have skills: strong in programming; comfortable with math.

Course Staff

Principal Instructor: KangKang Yin
Guest Lecturers:
Teaching Assistant:

Resources

Recommended Textbook: "Computer Animation: Algorithms and Techniques (third edition)", Rick Parent. Morgan Kaufmann, ISBN 9780124158429. The first edition of this book is available online here.

The movie and game industry has strong presence in Vancouver:
Electronic Arts Atmosphere Sony Imageworks

Publication venues for animation research:
Siggraph Eurographics SCA Motion in Games CHI Pacific Graphics I3D

Some cool confereces you wanna check out:
GDC GTC

Course Schedule (tentative, subject to changes, check regularly)

The classes will be held on Tuesdays and Fridays @ 10:30. Instructor's office hours Thursdays 10:30-11:30am. TA's office hours TBD.
The Maya Labs will be in CSIL 9840. Most machines should have Maya installed. Alternatively you can bring your own laptop, but make sure to install a free strudent version of Maya prior to the classes.
There is no mid-term exam for this course. The final exam for undergraduate students is scheduled on TBD. The graduate students need to do an individual/group term project.
Lecture notes will be available before classes. Please do not circulate the notes electronically, however, as I don't have time to contact the original authors to obtain proper copyright for all the images and videos I use. We need to follow the fair use principles.
Evaluation and Grading: Programming Assignment: 50% (C# in Unity); Animation Assignments: 10% (Maya); Final Exam (open book) or Term Project (individual/group project): 40%.

*Week*	Tuesday (10:30-12:20) BLU9660	Friday (10:30-11:20) AQ3149
1	Jan 3 (no class)	Jan 6 Introduction to Animation Siggraph on YouTube Graphics Papers on the Web Graphics Gems The 5 Types of Animation
2	Jan 10 Animation Production; Principles of Traditional Animation Dreamworks Animation Pipeline Chapter 1.3 (before 1.3.1) Chapter 1.4 and 1.4.1; Chapter 1.3.1 Principles of traditional animation The cartoon animation filter 12 Principles of Animation 12 Principles of Animation in Games	Jan 13 Maya Basics (CSIL 9840) Maya Interface Tour
3	Jan 17 Review: Coordinates and Transformations; Interpolation and Smoothing Chapter 4.1 Chapter 2.1.2-2.1.4 Appendix B.3.1 and B.3.2	Jan 20 Unity Tutorial https://unity.com/ https://learn.unity.com/
4	Jan 24 Curves and Splines Chapter 3.1; Chapter 3.4.3 Appendix B.5 First Programming Assignment Out	Jan 27 3D Rotations Chapter 2.1.5 and 2.2 Appendix B.3.3 and B.3.4
5	Jan 31 3D Rotations (continued); Interpolation of 3D Rotations Chapter 3.3; Chapter 2.2.3 Visualizing Quaternions Maya Gimbal Lock Explained	Feb 3 Building a Character in Maya (CSIL 9840) Maya Basics - Shaping and Positioning Objects Maya Basics - Building Your First Model
6	Feb 7 Skeletal Animation and Forward Kinematics; Motion Capture Chapter 5.1; Chapter 5.2 Chapter 6 Second Programming Assignment Out	Feb 10 Motion Capture (continued)
7	Feb 14 Inverse Kinematics Chapter 5.3 Damped Least Squares Method	Feb 17 Maya Assignment (CSIL 9840) Maya FK and IK Maya Assignment Out
8	Feb 21 Reading Break ( no class)	Feb 24 Reading Break ( no class)
9	Feb 28 Snow Closure (class cancelled)	Mar 3 Particle Systems in Maya (CSIL 9840) Creating Passive Colliders in Maya Fluid simulation with nParticles
10	Mar 7 Physics-based Animation Intro; Particle Systems Chapter 7.1; Appendix B.7 Chapter 7.3; Appendix B.8	Mar 10 Particle Dynamics Differential Equation Basics Particle System Dynamics Third Programming Assignment Out
11	Mar 14 Rigid Body Dynamics Chapter 7.4 RIgid Body Dynamics	Mar 17 Articulated Rigid Body Systems
12	Mar 21 Physics-based Character Animation Chapter 9.1; Chapter 9.3.3; Chapter 9.3.4 SIMBICON	Mar 24 Introduction to Deep Learning; DL-based Animation Methods Deep Learning: A Crash Course The Theory of Everything
13	Mar 28 Introduction to Deep Reinforcement Learning; DRL-based Animation Methods Learning to Move CS285 at UC Berkeley Forth Programming Assignment Out	Mar 31 Guest Lecture by Adam Badke from Relic Entertainment
14	Apr 4 Rigging and Skinning; Review and Discussion	Apr 7 Good Friday (no class)
15	Apr 11 (last class) Project Presentation (for graduate students)
16 onwards	Term Project Due (for graduate students): Monday Apr 17, 23:59:59 Final Exam (for undergraduate students): Thrusday Apr 20, 15:30-17:30, SWH10041