Recapturing life
Description:
Motion Capture, with a long
tradition in the sciences and art, is the process of recording human movement
(or other movement) in physical space, and transforming that information in a
computer-usable form. The use of Motion Capture has increased in popularity,
due to recent technological advances, and due to increased demand in
entertainment, computer animation, visual input for new
Human-Computer-Interfaces and scientific applications. Students will discover
how to use motion capture for computer animation, and all the enthusiasm that
it currently sparks. The course will introduce students to the use of
state-of-the-art, marker-based and vision based motion capture set ups, working
with dancers.
As part of an effort to
explore and understand motion from an artistic and from a scientific point of
view, Chris Bregler (movement.nyu.edu) and Jean-Marc Gauthier (www.tinkering.net) will introduce students
to the exciting and sometimes controversial art of capturing and recreating
motion of living creatures. We will look at designing motion and the ability to
create the illusion of life as applied to the expressions and the styles of a
person or character. Students will have hands on experience with a motion capture
set up that can measure full-body movements from dancers, for example from the
Pilobolus Dance Company, facial expressions from actors or motions of animals.
Students will also explore the history of motion with recordings going back to
Marey and Muybridge in the late 19th century and early applications of
rotoscoping dating back to animated features like Disney's Snow White. Special
emphasis will be placed on creating interactive story telling involving
interactive character animation using Alias Maya, Alias Motion Builder and
Virtools.
Course Breakdown:
class 1- 09/06 - Roadmap (JMG) - Motion Capture (CB)
Assignment: by group of 2 students. Step 1- shoot stills or videos (max 20 seconds) of a human motion – for example seating on a chair – Students use three cameras simultaneously shooting from top, side and front of the character. Step2- show several shots - camera footage or still images - of the same motion taken at the same time. Present your work in class using a split screen layout with three windows.
class 2- 09/13 - Survey of ways to use motion libraries - Workflow from Maya to Motion Builder
part 1 (JMG)
Assignment : Step 1- create a short linear motion sequence using MotionBuilder , a pre-defined character and fbx animation. Step 2- by group of 2 students, design a storyboard describing modular motion clips that you will capture in the lab next week. This will help creating a library of original motion clips available for the class.
class 3- 09/20 - Your first Mocap shoot, bring your friends. Vicon
iQ to Motion Builder (CB) Meeting in the Mocap Lab 719 Broadway 12th floor
Assignment : Clean up the motion capture data and export to C3D format.
class 4- 09/27 - Vicon iQ to Motion Builder / Mocap History (CB)
Long Tutorial Short Tutorial Links to interesting character animation websites Craig Reynolds Massive Ron Fedkiw
Assignment : Map your motion capture data on a character inside Motion Builder.
class 5- 10/04 - Telling a story in Motion Builder - workflow part 2 (JMG)
Assignment : Edit several motion clps and camera shots in order to tell a story in Motion Builder. Present your work as an animation rendered in quicktime movie or avi format.
class 6- 10/11 - Creating a character
Tutorial
Assignment : Step 1- Sketch a character. Edit front and side view in Photoshop. Model a character in Maya. Step 2- Prepare a storyboard for your character's next motion capture session2
class 7- 10/18 - Motion capture session
class 8- 10/25 - Character animation (JMG)
Tutorial
Assignment : Animate your own character with the motion capture files of your choice. Render in quick Time movie with Sorenson compression or similar for optimum playback. Presentations of characters rendered in real time gaming applications - for example Virtools - can replace the QuickTime movie.
class 9- 11/01 - Motion capture games (CB)
Assignment : Design a concept for a game using a motion capture device
class 10- 11/08 - Facial expressions (CB)
Assignment : Create a facial animation using sound bites and blend shapes in Maya. Render a Quick Time movie with sound.
class 11- 11/15 - Cartoon capture, modeling motion styles (CB)
Assignment: Final project storyboard and workflow
class 12-
11/29- Interactive character animation (JMG)
Assignment: Final project production
class 13- 12/06- Real time character animation in Maya (JMG)
Assignment: Final project production
class 14- 12/13- Final project (CB & JMG)