CS5343: Advanced Computer Animation
(Spring 2011)(or equivalently Semester 2, Academic Year 2010/2011 since we are on the equator :-)

Introduction Prerequisite Learning Outcome Course Staff Course Schedule

Introduction

From the covert digital water in Titanic to the mixed real and virtual actors in Avatar, from the arm-controllable Wii games to the completely full-body-play Xbox Kinect games, computer animation technologies have advanced significantly during the past decades, both in the movie and the game industries. This module reveals all the exciting behind-the-scenes techniques that made these movies and games possible, including but not limited to motion capture, fluid animation, facial animation, and full-body character animation. This is a project-based course that aims to provide strong foundation on advanced computer animation methods and prepare students for research in animation.  

Senior undergraduate students and graduate students are both welcome. Sample topics that will be covered include particle and rigid body systems; fluid animation; hair and facial animation; full-body human-like character animation. Techniques that will be discussed include keyframe animation; motion capture; kinematic motion synthesis and editing; dynamic motion simulation and control. Prerequisite courses are undergraduate level Calculus and Physics, Linear Algebra, and Computer Graphics. You need to be comfortable with Math if you want to excel in this course.

Prerequisite

• Must-have: CS2010 Data Structures and Algorithms II (or CS2020 Data Structures and Algorithms Accelerated); MA1101R Linear Algebra; MA1521 Calculus for Computing; CS3241 Computer Graphics.
• Good-to-have background: CS4342 3D Modeling and Animation; CS5240 Theoretical Foundation in Multimedia; Physics I; Multivariable Calculus; Machine Learning.
• Good-to-have skills: strong in programming; comfortable with math, reading, and public presentation.

Learning Outcome

The students will

• be ready to take an interested direction in animation for further research as a thesis topic.
• also be equipped with technical foundation to take on projects in animation industry, e.g., a junior level R&D job in movie and game studios for animation related special effects development.
• be more confident in taking other areas of research as well, since they experience the full cycle of research in this course: from the literature review all the way to paper write-up and presentation.

The movie and game industry has strong presence in Singapore, in addition to many local studios:
Lucasfilm  Electronic Arts  Double Negative  Ubisoft  Egg Story

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 Staff

Principal Instructor: KangKang Yin
Alternative Instructor: Ashraf Golam
Guest Instructor: Terence Sim
Teaching Assistants: Thang Truong Duc: ducthang at nus ...

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

Recommended Textbook: "Computer Animation: Algorithms and Techniques (second edition)", Rick Parent. The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics.

• The classes will be held on Tuesdays 7-9pm COM2/108. There are no exams for this course.
• The motion capture labs are scheduled 2-6pm 24-27 Feb, in COM1/206 Seminar Room 1. Motion capture experiments will be done in groups of three students.
• Each student chooses an individual project related to the topics discussed in class. For example, you can choose to re-implement a published animation algorithm. You need to discuss your project with your instructors or TAs, and write a project proposal (2 pages). At the end of the semester, you need to do a class presentation (10 minutes) to report and demonstrate what you have achieved. Group projects are also allowed if some of you want to do something big together, but again you need to consult with the course staff first.
• Lecture notes are available after class in IVLE. Please do not circulate the notes electronically, however, as I don't have time to contact the original authors for all the images I use. We have to follow the fair use principles.
• Evaluation: assignment 20%; motion capture labs 20%; project proposal 5%; project presentation 5%; project 50%