Course Content and Outcomes Guides (CCOG)

CCOG for MM 254 archive revision 201602

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Effective Term:
Spring 2016 through Summer 2021

Course Number:
MM 254
Course Title:
Character Rigging and Animation
Credit Hours:
3
Lecture Hours:
30
Lecture/Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
0

Course Description

Explores 3D character rigging and animation using industry standard 3D rigging and animation software. Covers the creation of a professional bipedal character rig, character animation and lip-syncing facial animation. Audit available.

Intended Outcomes for the course

Upon successful completion students should be able to:

  • Produce an armature of joints for 3D character models incorporating forward kinematics and inverse kinematics.
  • Execute the principles of animation.
  • Create 3D animated objects including facial animation.
  • Prepare rigged and animated 3D digital characters for continued gaming development and delivery.

Course Activities and Design

Materials will be presented via lectures, demonstrations, and assignments. Students will learn and demonstrate their abilities through handson assignments. Professional examples from recently completed work will provide students with exposure to the local professional 3D community.

Outcome Assessment Strategies

Student fulfillment of expected outcomes will be assessed using:

  • Rigging and animation assignments.
  • Professional and peer critique.

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)

The following technologies, skills, and concepts will be covered and/or demonstrated:
1. BIPEDAL SKELETON CONSTRUCTION
1.1. Joint creation.
1.2. Joint orientation.
1.3. FK hierarchical understanding.
1.4. Practical skeleton construction.
1.5. Naming conventions.
2. IK CHAINS
2.1. IK chain creation
2.2. Spline IK chains
2.3. IK/FK switches.
2.4. Proper integration into bipedal rig.
3. AUTOMATED RIGGING PROCESSES
3.1. FBIK system
3.2. Other options
4. ADDITONAL RIGGING
4.1. Adding unique controllers
4.2. Set Driven Keys to advance the rig
4.3. Using the Connection Editor to control parts.
4.4. Constraints
5. SKINNING
5.1. Attaching the rig to the model.
5.2. Painting the skin weights.
5.3. Advanced skinning theory and techniques.
6. DEFORMERS
6.1. Blend Shapes
6.2. Clusters
6.3. Jiggle
6.4. Influence Objects
7. CHARACTER ANIMATION
7.1. The principals of animation.
7.2. Practical animation workflow
7.3. Posetopose and straight forward animation
7.4. Lipsyncing and facial animation
8. DELIVERY/PRODUCTION
8.1. Professional quality compositing and rendering.
8.2. Current portfolio examples.