3D Animation Essentials

The essential fundamentals of 3D animation for aspiring 3D
artists

3D is everywhere--video games, movie and television special
effects, mobile devices, etc. Many aspiring artists and animators
have grown up with 3D and computers, and naturally gravitate to
this field as their area of interest. Bringing a blend of studio
and classroom experience to offer you thorough coverage of the 3D
animation industry, this must-have book shows you what it takes to
create compelling and realistic 3D imagery.

• Serves as the first step to understanding the language of 3D
  and computer graphics (CG)

• Covers 3D animation basics: pre-production, modeling,
  animation, rendering, and post-production

• Dissects core 3D concepts including design, film, video, and
  games

• Examines what artistic and technical skills are needed to
  succeed in the industry

• Offers helpful real-world scenarios and informative interviews
  with key educators and studio and industry professionals

Whether you're considering a career in as a 3D artist or simply
wish to expand your understanding of general CG principles, this
book will give you a great overview and knowledge of core 3D
Animation concepts and the industry.

Autorentext
Andy Beane is an animation artist who has been teaching and working professionally since 2002. He currently oversees the animation major at Ball State University and previously taught animation at the Art Institute of Orange County, California. His production experience includes a children's television show pilot with Xzault Studio, Korn's Coming Undone music video, and Barnyard from Paramount Pictures. He wrote curriculum for the Autodesk Animation Academy 2010 and is also a board member of the MG Collective, an Indiana-based motion graphics and animation community group. He has an MFA in computer animation from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

Zusammenfassung
The essential fundamentals of 3D animation for aspiring 3D artists 3D is everywhere--video games, movie and television special effects, mobile devices, etc. Many aspiring artists and animators have grown up with 3D and computers, and naturally gravitate to this field as their area of interest. Bringing a blend of studio and classroom experience to offer you thorough coverage of the 3D animation industry, this must-have book shows you what it takes to create compelling and realistic 3D imagery.

• Serves as the first step to understanding the language of 3D and computer graphics (CG)
• Covers 3D animation basics: pre-production, modeling, animation, rendering, and post-production
• Dissects core 3D concepts including design, film, video, and games
• Examines what artistic and technical skills are needed to succeed in the industry
• Offers helpful real-world scenarios and informative interviews with key educators and studio and industry professionals
  Whether you're considering a career in as a 3D artist or simply wish to expand your understanding of general CG principles, this book will give you a great overview and knowledge of core 3D Animation concepts and the industry.

Inhalt

Introduction xv

Chapter 1 3D Animation Overview 1

Defining 3D Animation 1

Exploring the 3D Animation Industry 2

Entertainment 2

Scientific 4

Other 9

The History of 3D Animation 10

Early Computers 10

1960s: The Dawn of Computer Animation 11

1970s: The Building Blocks of 3D Animation 12

1980s: The Foundations of Modern Computing 14

1990s: 3D Animation Achieves Commercial Success 17

2000s: The Refining of 3D Animation 18

The Essentials and Beyond 19

Chapter 2 Getting to Know the Production Pipeline 21

Understanding the Production Pipeline's Components 21

Working in 3D Animation Preproduction 22

Idea/Story 25

Script/Screenplay 27

Storyboard 28

Animatic/Pre-visualization 29

Design 30

Working in 3D Animation Production 33

Layout 34

Research and Development 36

Modeling 37

Texturing 39

Rigging/Setup 40

Animation 41

3D Visual Effects 41

Lighting/Rendering 42

Working in 3D Animation Postproduction 43

Compositing 44

2D Visual Effects/Motion Graphics 44

Color Correction 44

Final Output 45

Using Production Tools 45

Production Bible 46

Folder Management and Naming Conventions 52

The Essentials and Beyond 52

Chapter 3 Understanding Digital Imaging and Video 55

Understanding Digital Imaging 55

Pixels 55

Raster Graphics vs. Vector Graphics 58

Anti-Aliasing 59

Basic Graphic-File Formats 62

Channels 64

Color Depth or Bit Depth 66

Color Calibration 68

Understanding Digital Video 71

Resolution, Device Aspect Ratio, and Pixel Aspect Ratio 72

Safe Areas 74

Interlaced and Progressive Scanning 75

Compression 78

Frame Rate and Timecode 79

Digital Image Capture 80

The Essentials and Beyond 81

Chapter 4 Exploring Animation, Story, and Pre-visualization 83

Using Principles of Fine Art and Traditional Animation 83

Modeling 84

Texturing/Lighting 87

Character Animation 93

VFX 104

Building a Good Story 105

Story Arc 105

Character, Goal, and Conflict 106

The Hero's Journey 110

Other Storytelling Principles 112

Using Pre-visualization Techniques 113

Basic Shot Framing 114

Camera Movements 126

Editing 130

The Essentials and Beyond 132

Chapter 5 Understanding Modeling and Texturing 135

Modeling 135

Polygons 136

NURBS 150

Subdivision Surfaces 153

Modeling Workflows 154

Texturing 158

UVs 160

Shaders 163

Texture Maps 167

Texturing Workflows 173

The Essentials and Beyond 174

Chapter 6 Rigging and Animation 177

Rigging 177

Parenting 179

Pivot Positions 180

Skeleton System 182

Forward and Inverse Kinematics 185

Deformers 186

Constraints 190

Scripting 191

Expressions 191

The Basic Rigging Workflow 192

Animation 193

Keyframe 196

Graph Editor 197

Timeline 202

Dope Sheet 202

Workspace 202

Tracking Marks and Ghosting 204

FK and IK 204

Video Reference 206

The Basic Animation Workflow 206

Animation Techniques 206

The Essentials and Beyond 210 **Chapter 7 Understanding Visual Effects, Lighting, a...