Class 11 11/13/2015

Hi Gang, Here is what I covered in class:

We took your drawings, edited them into a sequence in after effects and exported them as an image sequence.  This was so we can bring in them into maya as a timing reference for your final.  Now that you have a timing reference, you can begin blocking out poses in maya.

Animatics;
-Import images into After Effects.
-Create 1920 x 1080 composition, and make sure it is the length of your animation.
-Add images to composition.
-Sequence and edit timing of each of your drawings in your composition.
-Ctrl M to open export options.
-export as jpg sequence.
-change name from (yourfile)_[####] to (yourfile).[####].
-export these files into your source images folder of your maya project.

Setting up your Maya file
-Create new animation scene.  Set the length to the amount of frames you rendered from After Effects.
-Create new camera.  Name it RenderCam.
-In the RenderCam view panel create imagePlane.
-When asked, navigate to the folder where you saved your images.  Select the first one.
-In the imagePlane options, check the box next to "Use Image Sequence".
-Scroll down the attribute editor for the imagePlane until you get to "placement".
-Next to size change the first value of "1.417" to something small like ".35"  This is will scale down -the imagePlane in your camera view.
-The go to offset and change the values so that your image is in the top right corner.  Start with "0.53" and ".26".  You may need to adjust but .01 here and there.  It doesn't have to be exact.  Just out of the way.
-You now have a timed reference in your maya file for posing.
-Import soundfile, if you are using one.  Remember Maya takes sounds files as .wav.

For both of these steps, if you have any specific questions, please email me.  Or you can use youtube or google to find great tutorials.

Jubi, for your scene, please become familiar with motion paths.  Here is a tutorial video you should watch:

Just follow this so that you know how motion paths work.  We will be putting your character on this path when he or she is flying.

REQUIRED!! REQUIRED!! REQUIRED!! REQUIRED!! REQUIRED!! REQUIRED!!

As you are posing our your characters for homework, please also watch the first four videos from this playlist:

Keith Lango's Animation Videos

Keith gives you a great amount to think about as you are posing out your animations.  The rest of the playlist will be good for when you are actually animating.

To get a sense of what I am looking for in your animation blocking, here are some examples:

Fernando, don't worry about posing the mouth shape for dialogue yet.  You can pose them for emotion.  If anything you should be able to communicate your idea with the body.  Try to get your poses strong enough first.

HOMEWORK

Watch Keith Lango's videos (first 4) which I linked above.

Block out your cameras and poses in Maya.  Use your drawings as reference.  Try to add more poses than what you may have drawn.  Heejung in your case if you pose every one of your drawings you should be fine.

One you have these poses time them to your animatic.  Email me a playblast of your first blocking pass so we can watch them at the beginning of next class.

On a side note, we have to make up a class, since we missed the first one.  Instead of coming to school and doing a demonstration, I suggest we watch an animated film.  I was thinking we watch the new Pixar movie "The Good Dinosaur" and have some drinks or coffee afterwards to chat about it.  How does this sound?  I was thinking first weekend of December.  Please think about it, and we can chat during the next class.