The
Art Institute of California – San Francisco
Course
Syllabus
Course
Number: GA3314
Course
Title: 3D Character Rigging
Class
Meetings:
Friday 1pm – 5pm Room 401
Session/Year: Spring 2015
Instructor
Name: Greg Lemon
Email
Address: glemon@edmc.edu
Instructor
Availability Outside of Class: email me!
Course
Description:
This
is a beginner/intermediate grad level course in 3d character rigging.
The course will focus on the demonstration and application of
industry-standard character rigging techniques.
Course
Length: 11 Weeks
Contact
Hours: 44 Hours
Lecture:22
Hours
Lab:
22 Hours
Credit
Values: 3 Credits
Course
Goals: Students should enter the class with a basic understanding of
animation concepts and good grasp of basic skills for creative
animation design. Students will finish the class with a solid
understanding of the various techniques and methodologies used in the
field of 3d character rigging.
Course
Competencies:
Upon
successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
Understand
and incorporate various industry-standard rigging techniques into
their own work
Course
Prerequisite(s): None
Text(s):
Suggested:
Maya
Secrets of the Pros, Edition 2.
The
Art of 3-D Computer Animation and Effects, Third Edition ; Isaac
Victor Kerlow
Materials
and Supplies: Storage medium , notebook and sketchbook and drawing
materials.
Estimated
Homework Hours: 4 Hours
Technology
Needed:
Hardware:
PC Linux / Windows, (Mac as applicable)
Software:
Maya or other 3D software, After Effects, Shake, Renderer (Mental Ray
/ Renderman Mtor & Slim), Photoshop.
Grading
Scale:
All
assignments must have clear criteria and objectives to meet. All
students shall be treated equitably. It will be that student’s
right to know his/her grade at any reasonable point that information
is requested by that student. The criteria for determining a
student’s grade shall be as follows (on a percentage of total
points basis):
CCAD Grading Scale
October 23, 2014
Grades: Calculating, Recording, and Distributing
Effective January 1, 2015. To ensure consistent grade calculations, recording, and distribution across the CCAD campuses, all campuses will follow the grading scale required below and indicate it on the course syllabi. This scale is a system-wide scale as well as being established at Argosy University.
Grade
|
Grading Scale
|
Grade Calculations
|
A
|
100 – 93
|
4.0 points
|
A-
|
92 – 90
|
3.7 points
|
B+
|
89 – 87
|
3.4 points
|
B
|
86 – 83
|
3.0 points
|
B-
|
82 – 80
|
2.7 points
|
C+
|
79 – 77
|
2.4 points
|
C
|
76 - 73
|
2.0 points
|
C-
|
72 – 70
|
1.7 points
|
D+
|
69 – 65
|
1.4 points
|
D
|
64 – 60
|
1.0 points
|
F
|
59 and below
|
0.0 points
|
Process
for Evaluation:
Class
participation – 10% of final grade
Project
1 – Simple Biped Rig - due week 2 – 15 % of final grade
Project
2 – Intermediate Biped Rig - due week 4 – 20% of final grade
Project
3 – Advanced Biped Rig - due week 7 – 25% of final grade
Project
4– Final Project - due week 11 – 30% of final grade
Student
Evaluation/Grading Policies:
Class
time will be spent in a productive manner.
Grading
will be done on a point system.
Points
for individual activities will be announced.
All
work must be received by the set deadlines.
Late
work receives a grade of zero.
ABSOLUTELY
NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE FINAL CLASS MEETS WEEK 11.
Classroom
Policy:
No
food allowed in class or lab at any time. Drinks in recloseable
bottles allowed in classroom.
Edible
items brought to class or lab must be thrown out.
If
student elects to eat/drink outside class or lab door, missed time is
recorded as absent.
Attendance
is taken hourly. Tardiness or absence is recorded in 15-minute
increments.
Break
times are scheduled by the instructor at appropriate intervals.
No
private software is to be brought to lab or loaded onto school
computers.
No
software games are allowed in lab (unless in course curriculum).
Headphones
are required if listening to music during lab. No headphones are
allowed in lecture.
Any
student who has special needs that may affect his or her performance
in this class is asked to identify his/her needs to the instructor in
private by the end of the first day of class. Any resulting class
performance problems that may arise for those who do not identify
their needs will not receive any special grading considerations.
Disability
Policy Statement:
“It
is our policy not to discriminate against qualified students with
documented disabilities in its educational programs, activities, or
services. If you have a disability-related need for adjustments or
other accommodations in this class, contact the Disability
Coordinator, Suzanne Raffeld, at 415 276 1060 or see her at at Room
609.”
Project
Breakdown
The
projects for this class will be based around rigging and binding
biped characters. Students will use a designated, pre-built human
mesh for their rigging. Students who wish to use a different mesh
must have it approved by the instructor before rigging begins.
Project
1 – Simple Biped Rig - due week 2 – 15% of final grade
Rig
a simple biped character. The rig should include the following (all
_R joints and controls should have a _L mirror):
Skeleton
hierarchy:
Smooth
bind
Project
2 – Intermediate Biped Rig - due week 4 – 20% of final grade
Create
a more advanced biped rig. Rig should include previous features,
along with the following:
Finger
and thumb joints
Finger SDK controls
IK leg controls with foot roll SDK, ball twist, and knee pole vector controller
Curve
controls for all non-finger/non IK joints
Curve
controls for all additional controls
Project
3 – Advanced Biped Rig - due week 7 – 25% of final grade
Create
a more advanced biped rig. Rig should include previous features,
along with the following:
Previous
skeleton, with the following additions:
11
– joint spine
- jaw bone
- eyelid bones
IK/FK arm controls + switches + pole vector CTLs
IK
stretchy spline control for spine
Face blendshapes for:
- wide mouth (L + R)
purse mouth (L + R)
brow raise (L + R)
brow purse (L + R)
Face GUI
Character
Set
All node
Project
4– Final Biped Rig - due week 11 – 30% of final grade
Rig a new bipedal character OR create an autorig system using MEL/python
Suggested
Course Outline
Week
1:
Lecture:
Course overview
Introduction
to rigging concepts – hierarchies, skinning.
Naming
conventions.
Creating,
organizing and parenting joints.
Joint
quantity/placement strategy.
Understanding
and fixing joint orientation.
Mirroring
skeletons.
Skinning
and weight painting.
Exporting,
importing and mirroring skin weights.
Homework:
Create skeleton and bind character. Correct skinning issues with
weight painting.
Week
2: Project 1 – Simple Biped – DUE TODAY
Lecture:
FK vs. IK.
Setting up IK for feet.
Grouped IK structure + foot controls
IK pole vector setup
Freezing transforms to zero out controllers.
Locking and hiding attributes.
Lab:
Continue working on rig.
Homework:
Work on rig.
Week
3:
Lecture:
Adding finger joints.
Adding influences with locked weights.
Finger SDK controls.
Using curve controls to drive joints.
Lab:
Continue working on rig.
Homework:
Work on rig.
Week
4: Project 2 - Intermediate Biped Rig - DUE TODAY – 20% of final grade
Lecture:
IK/FK control + switches switches for arms
Lab:
Continue working on rig.
Homework:
Work on rig.
Week
5:
Lecture:
Adding jaw and eyelid bones.
Facial blendshapes for:
wide mouth (L + R)
purse mouth (L + R)
brow raise (L + R)
brow purse (L + R)
Facial rig + GUI
Lab:
Continue working on rig.
Homework:
Work on rig.
Week 6:
Review, help session
adding new spine joints
IK stretchy spline control for spine
Character
Set
All node
Lab:
Continue working on rig.
Homework:
Work on rig.
Week
7: Project 3 - Advanced Biped Rig – DUE TODAY – 20% of final grade
Lecture:
Creating joints at odd angles
Lab:
Continue working on rig.
Homework:
Work on final.
Week
8:
Lecture:
Facial
rigging continued.
SDK-
based muscle simulation blendshapes for bicep and hamstring
Character
set with sub-character sets for body and face
Lab:
Continue working on rig.
Homework:
Work on final.
Week
9:
Lecture:
Twist
joints for arms and forearms
Scalable
“all” node
Lab:
Students will Work on an area of interest in their chosen project.
Homework:
Finish character rig, cleanup for submission.
Week 10:
Lecture: work on final
Lab: work on final
Homework: Relax!
Week
11:
Lecture:
Final Presentation of final character rigs.
Lab:
Project presentation and evaluation.
Homework:
Relax!
