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.
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, and Rendering 213
Creating Visual Effects 213
Particles 214
Hair and Fur 216
Fluids 218
Rigid Bodies 220
Soft Bodies 222
The Basic VFX Workflow 225
Lighting 225
Light Types 226
Light Attributes 230
Lighting Techniques 233
The Basic Lighting Workflow 236
Rendering 237
Basic Rendering Methods 237
Global Illumination 240
Advanced Shader Functions 243
The Basic Rendering Workflow 244
The Essentials and Beyond 246
Chapter 8 Hardware and Software Tools of the Trade 249
Choosing a Computer 250
Choosing a Computer Type 250
Understanding Operating Systems 252
Selecting the Components 255
Using Monitors/Displays 260
Working with Graphics Tablets 261
Using 3D Scanners 262
Setting Up Render Farms 264
Finding Data Storage Solutions 265
Local 266
Local Networked 266
Offsite 267
Cloud/Internet 267
Choosing Software 268
Comprehensive 3D Animation Packages 268
CAD 269
Compositing 269
Digital Imaging 270
3D Specialty 270
The Essentials and Beyond 272
Chapter 9 Industry Trends 275
Using Motion Capture 275
Marker Systems 276
Markerless Systems 277
Creating Stereoscopic 3D 278
Integrating Point-Cloud Data 281
Providing Real-Time Capabilities 282
Real-Time Rendering 284
Real-Time Animation 285
Real-Time Motion Performance 287
Working in Virtual Studios 288
The Essentials and Beyond 289
Appendix A Answers to Review Questions 291
Appendix B Gaining Insight into 3D Animation Education 299
Linda Sellheim 299
Larry Richman 303
Steve Kolbe 307
Appendix C Learning from Industry Pros 313
Brian Phillips 313
Jim Rivers 316
Rosie Server 321
Index 327
