COSC 410: 3-D Modeling and Animation -- Syllabus

Boardman's Fundamentals consists largely of step-by-step exercises. You should read each chapter carefully, then perform the exercises during open lab hours. I will not collect or grade exercise work, but you will not be able to complete the graded work successfully if you skip the Boardman exercises.

In addition, we will be viewing material from George Maestri's video teaching set, Learning Discreet 3DS Max 6. The movies will be screened and discussed in class. I have purchased a second copy of the CD-ROM, which you may borrow for use in 224 AC to review the movies. The CD-ROM must not leave the building. Please bring headphones so that you can listen to the audio track without disturbing others.

Date	Reading/Activity/Deadline
Sep. 1	Read Boardman, chaps. 1 and 2. Read and complete all exercises in Boardman, chap. 3 (Building Blocks). View in class Maestri Disk 1, Movies 1, 4, 6, 7, and 9. Optional viewing on your own: Maestri, Disk 1, Movies 2, 3, 5, 8, and 10.
Sep. 8	Complete Boardman, chap. 4 (Shipbuilding 101). View in class: Maestri Disk 1, Movies 11, 12, 13, and 15: Creating objects Modify panel Sub-object modification Creating curves Assignment 1
Sep. 15	Complete Boardman, chap. 5 (Creating Convincing Terrain). View in class: Maestri Disk 1, Movies 17-20: Editing splines Lathe Extrude Using loft Optional viewing on your own: Maestri Disk 1, Movie 16 (Creating Text)
Sep. 22	Complete Boardman, chap. 6 (Standard Lighting). View in class: Maestri Disk 1, Movies 21-25: Polygonal basics Edit mesh Subdivision surfaces Modeling with Edit Mesh Compound objects
Sep. 29	Complete Boardman, chap. 7 (Materials and mapping). View in class: Maestri Disk 1, Movies 26, 27, 29, and 30: Editable Poly Modeling with Editable Poly 1 Modeling with Editable Poly 2 Modeling with Editable Poly 3 Optional viewing on your own: Maestri Disk 1, Movie 28: Drawings on Planes. Assignment 2
Oct. 6	Complete Boardman, chap. 8 (Scanline Rendering). View in class: Maestri Disk 1, Movies 31 and 32: Modeling with Editable Poly 4 Hierarchies
Oct. 13	Complete Boardman, chap. 9 (Deeper Modeling Techniques). View in class: Maestri Disk 2, Movies 33 and 34: Material Editor Maps
Oct. 20	Complete Boardman, chap. 11 (Advanced Materials and Mapping). View in class: Maestri Disk 2, Movies 35 and 36: Image maps Sub-object mapping Assignment 3
Oct. 27	Complete Boardman, chap. 12 (Photometric Lighting). View in class: Maestri Disk 2, Movies 37 and 38: Texturing an object Unwrap UVW
Nov. 3	Complete Boardman, chap. 13 (Radiosity and Materials). View in class: Maestri Disk 2, Movies 39-41: Animation basics Curve Editor Controllers
Nov. 10	Complete Boardman, chap. 14 (Set Key Animation). View in class: Maestri Disk 2, Movies 42-44: Dope sheet Motion panel Rigging bones
Nov. 17	Complete Boardman, chap. 15 (Controllers and Constraints). View in class: Maestri Disk 2, Movies 45 and 46: Morpher Animating Assignment 4
Nov. 24	Thanksgiving: no meeting. Read as much of Snow Crash as you can.
Dec. 1	Complete Boardman, chap. 16 (Graph Editors). View in class: Maestri Disk 2, Movies 47-49: Render basics Lighting Cameras Start discussion of Snow Crash.
Dec. 8	Complete Boardman, chap. 17 (Reactor). View in class: Maestri Disk 2, Movies 50-52: Active shade Environment Final rendering
Dec. 15	Final Project No work may be submitted after this date unless you have filed for an Incomplete.
The syllabus may be revised during the semester. Check this Web site for updates.

Meetings, Readings, Assignments