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Syllabus

UCBUGG (CS 98/198) COURSE OUTLINE

UC Berkeley Undergraduate Graphics Group is a casual bunch of students at Berkeley who think the fusion of technology, art and entertainment increasingly possible today is pretty darn cool, and an area where our university lacks in available coursework.

 LOCATION 200 Sutardja Dai Hall (CITRIS)
 DATE AND TIME Tuesdays 7:00-9:00pm or Thursdays 7:00-9:00pm
 UNITS 3 units for P/NP
 CLASS SIZE   30 students per class
 QUESTIONS staff@ucbugg.com or Office Hours

REQUIREMENTS

Every semester UCBUGG fills up very quickly, so we have a set of requirements students must meet to be in the class.
  • You must attend the first three classes (exceptions are made if staff is emailed beforehand)
  • You must get your name and email on the class sign-up sheet on the first three days
  • You must do the first two homework assignments as detailed in the syllabus below
If we still have too many students after these requirements, we sadly have to drop some students. In this case, students who have been turned away previously get first priority. Secondly, seniors and juniors are given priority over freshmen and sophomores, simply because freshmen and sophomores will have more chances to take UCBUGG in the following semesters.

GRADING

In order to pass the class, you must meet all the following requirements:
  • Complete 3 of the 4 project checkpoints as detailed in the course syllabus.
  • Perform all the mandatory homework assignments.
  • Not miss more than 3 lectures. If you miss more than 3 lectures, you will need to come talk to us.
  • Successfully interact with your group mates
  • Complete the final project
SEMESTER SCHEDULE

Note: The schedule is subject to change.  Any revisions will be announced in class and posted here.

    Lecture 1: Welcome to UCBUGG - January 17, 2012 & January 19, 2012

    • What is UCBUGG? And why is it so cool?
    • Course and Topic Overview
    • Movies from previous semester

    MANDATORY Homework (due Monday, January 23 @ 11:59PM): 


    1. Fill out the enrollment form with your (1) name, (2) major, (3) year in school, (4) if you've tried to get into UCBUGG a previous semester, (5) why you want to be in UCBUGG, and (6) what lecture section you can attend (Tuesday or Thursday). Fill out the form no later than 11:59PM on Monday, January 23. 
    2. Get a copy of Maya for your computer.  We do not have any way of checking if you actually do this assignment, but we highly recommend you get a copy early on since there will not be enough time to finish your final project in class and in office hours. An installation guide can be found here.

    Note: Failing to fill out the enrollment form will very highly diminish your chances of getting into the class.

    Lecture 2: Introduction to Maya - January 24, 2012 & January 26, 2012

    • Introduction to Maya
      • Learn the basics of the Maya interface
        • Menu overview
        • Creating basic shapes
      • Create your first Maya project
    • Lab: Basic Modeling Part I - Create a robot!
      • Creating models from basic shapes

    MANDATORY Homework: 

    1. Finish up the robot model you start during lab
    2. Follow through the Mini Project 1 tutorial and create an interesting scene with your robot.
    3. Zip all of the files from the Mini Project 1, and name it HW2-Your Name. Then send this to homework@ucbugg.com with subject [HW2] Your Name by no later than 11:59PM on Monday, January 30 or 11:59PM Wednesday, February 1.

    Note:  The final class roster will be decided before the next class.

    Lecture 3: Basic Modeling - January 31, 2012 & February 2, 2012

    • Lab: Basic Modeling - Making a toilet
      • Creating complicated objects using simple geometry
      • Subdivision surfaces, split faces - vertices, faces, edges
    • Story overviews
      • Sample pitches - Your facilitators will demonstrate an example of a story pitch that you will have to do yourselves the next week.
    Homework:

    1. Follow through the Mini Project-2 tutorial and render out an image of your scene. You may work on the scene further as well if you wish to do so.
    2. Create a story pitch for the next class.
    3. Zip all of the files from the Mini Project 2, and name it HW3-Your Name. Then send this with your story pitch to homework@ucbugg.com with subject [HW3] Your Name by no later than 11:59PM on Monday, February 6 or 11:59PM Wednesday, February 8.

    Lecture 4: Form Groups / Story Pitches / Story Boards & Character Design - February 7, 2012 & February 9, 2012

    • Register computer accounts
    • Once upon a time...
      • Pitch story ideas to class
      • Vote on the best story ideas
    • Form groups
    • Lab: Story Boards - meet your group, clarify story idea, exchange contact information

    MANDATORY Homework:     

    1. Draw front and side profiles of the main characters in your story.  Here is an example of what it should look like: http://cloud.cs.berkeley.edu/~cnm190/runaway/index.php/image-gallery.  Also, start drawing some of your sets.
    2. Create a storyboard for your group's story.  Scan/photograph your storyboard images and save them in a zip file. Here are examples of what storyboards look like: https://picasaweb.google.com/ucbugg.
    3. Create a list of assets that will be needed for your animation.  You should have them listed by category such as main characters, sets, props.
    4. Email both of the above with subject HW4-Group Name to homework@ucbugg.com. You only need to send one email per group, but please put all group member's names in the email.

    Lecture 5: Advanced Modeling - February 14, 2012 & February 16, 2012

    • Lab: Advanced Modeling - Froggy
      • Creating complicated, organic models
      • Edge loops, topology, advanced mesh topics
    MANDATORY Homework:

    1. Finish the lab, if you didn't get to in class.
    2. Make a cool new model with these requirements:
      1. Used Extrude Tool
      2. Insert Edge loop tool
      3. Use image planes as reference
      4. Using merge vertex tool - Either by mirroring and combining, or modeling separate body parts and merging them
      5. Good topology (no five star vertex unless appropriate, no triangles unless appropriate)
      6. Creativity
    3. Start modeling all your characters, sets, and props. If you have any questions come to office hours.

    Lecture 6: Basic Rigging - February 21, 2012 & February 23, 2012

    • Lab: Basic Rigging - Giving a lamp a skeleton
      • Creating basic rigs for simple characters
      • Importance of good hierarchy
      • Joints and joint chains, forward/inverse kinematics
      • Parent constraints, Orient constraints

    CHECKPOINT Homework (due Tuesday, February 28/Thursday, March 1 @ beginning of class):

    1. The first checkpoint is next week!  Your group must have most (>75%) of your modeling completed and ready to present at this point to get checked off.
    2. Start rigging any completed characters. If you did not meet the first deadline, have some people in the group start creating basic skeletons for the characters.


    Lecture 7: First Checkpoint / Advanced Rigging - February 28, 2012 & March 1, 2012

    • First Checkpoint
      • Critique of Modeling
    • Lab: Advanced Rigging
      • Skinning
      • Blend Shapes
      • Connection Editing

    Homework:

    1. Continue rigging your characters.


    Lecture 8: Basic Animation - March 6, 2012 & March 8, 2012

    • Cameras in Maya
      • No shaky crazy animated cameras
    • Process of animation in Maya
      • Blocking
      • Animating the rig
      • Using graph editor to perfect motion
    • Lab: Basic Animation
      • Key framing, deformation lattice, motion curves, graph editor
      • Scene referencing
      • Textured Ball
      • Advanced graph editor
        • Spline tangent, breaking tangent, move/scale keys, dope sheet

    CHECKPOINT Homework (due Tuesday, March 13/Thursday, March 15 @ beginning of class):

    1. The second checkpoint is next week!  Your group must have most (>75%) of your rigging completed and ready to present at this point to get checked off.


    Lecture 9: Second Checkpoint / Advanced Animation - March 13, 2012 & March 15, 2012
    • Second Checkpoint! 
      • Critique of Rigging
    • Lab: Character Animation
      • Blocking
      • Animating the rig
        • Overshoot, anticipation, weight distribution, secondary motion

    Homework:

    1. Start blocking your scenes with very basic animation.


    Lecture 10: Shading - March 20, 2012 & March 22, 2012

    • Get to know Phong and Lambert
    • Bump Mapping
    • Simple Textures and UV Mapping
    • Lab: Shading a sample scene


    Homework:
    1. Animate your characters in every shot.
    2. Enjoy Spring Break!

    Lecture 11: Expressions/Particles/Dynamics - April 3, 2012 & April 5, 2012

    • Lab: Expressions/Particles/Dynamics
      • Using expressions to program a car's wheels
      • Create smoke/explosions using particles
      • Simulate a catapult attacking a castle

    CHECKPOINT Homework (due Tuesday, April 10/Thursday, April 12 at beginning of class):

    1. The third checkpoint is next week! Your group must have most (>75%) of your animation completed and ready to present at this point to get checked off.


    Lecture 12: Third Checkpoint / Lighting and Rendering  - April 10, 2012 & April 12, 2012

    • Third Checkpoint:
      • Critique of animation
    • Lab: Lighting and Rendering
      • Lighting
        • Spotlights, area lights, point lights
        • 3 point lighting setup
        • Shadows
      • Rendering
        • Maya software, hardware, Mental Ray
        • Playblasts

    Homework:

    1. Start shading and lighting your scenes.


    Lecture 13: Putting it all together     - April 17 , 2012 & April 19, 2012

    • Advanced Lighting/Rendering
      • Motion blur, depth of field
      • Ambient occlusion
      • Reflections, refractions
      • Mental Ray in general
    • Lab: Putting it all together
      • Batch Rendering
      • Image sequences
      • iMovie 09

    NOTE: Unfortunately, Thursday class is during Thanksgiving break. Please go through the lab and attend office hours if you can.


    CHECKPOINT Homework (due Tuesday, April 24/Thursday, April 26 at beginning of class):
    1. The final checkpoint is next week! Your group must have most (>75%) of your shading and lighting completed and ready to present at this point to get checked off.

    Lecture 14: Fourth Checkpoint / Work Day - April 24, 2012 & April 26, 2012

    1. Fourth Checkpoint!
      1. Critique final shading and lighting
    2. Remaining lab session to finish your animation

    Homework:

    1. Your final animation will be shown next week! If you have made all the checkpoint, there shouldn't be much more work to be done. Your group must have your project done by the beginning of the viewing party.
    2. Make sure your animation adheres to the following format:
      1. Quicktime movie file(with .mov extension)
      2. 720p (1280 by 720), square pixels
      3. h.264 Video/AAC Audio compression
      4. Awesome.

    Lecture 15:  Viewing Party! - Week of April 30 during RRR week (TBA)

    • Kick back, relax, and watch some movies! You've made it!!

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