Animation

For students who are new to 3D animation this beginner’s course will jumpstart your career. This course focuses on the basics of 3D computer graphics using Autodesk Maya. Students are introduced to 3d philosophy and the Maya interface as well as 3D modelling, texturing, lighting, and basic rendering. Skills learnt will be applied in creating simple objects and 3D logos. The course is devoted to instruction and homework, with one-on-one help from the instructor. The final 2 days will be devoted to your personal project. Click on the button below to download the course brochure for all the details about cost, duration, timing, course outline and more.

Who is this course designed for?

This course is designed for beginners with little or no basic knowledge of Maya. This class covers the core concepts, approaches and techniques required for starting a career in 3D animation.

What system configuration will I need?Students should bring their laptops which should meet or exceed the following hardware configurations.

• Windows® 10, Windows® 8, Windows® 7 or Mac OS
• 32-bit/64-bit Intel or AMD multi-core processor
• 2 GB of RAM minimum (8 GB recommended)
• 16 GB of free disk space for installation
• Qualified hardware-accelerated OpenGL® graphics card
• 3-button mouse

Will I get a certificate at the end of my training?Students will qualify for a certificate of training only if the pass the assessment exam at the end of the training course. Final score is based on attendance (10%), tests (30%) and a final examination (60%) based on the standard grading system.

COURSE OUTLINE
This course is a great start for students who are new to Maya or transitioning from different 3D software packages. We adopt a simple production-based training methodology and our students gain valuable inside knowledge from our years of hands-on experience in 3D animation.

INTRODUCTION TO ANIMATION & MAYA
• User Interface, Files And Projects
• Basic 3D Concepts, Menu Sets, Panels, Navigation, Transformation
• Working With Primitives
• Nodes And Attributes
• Production Pipeline

POLYGONAL MODELLING
• Modelling of simple objects (chairs, tables, house, cups spoons, etc) which will form their assessment for graduation
• Quads vs Triangles or n-Gons
• Poly Count and good Topology
• Controlling Surface Quality Using Mainly Polygon Modelling Tools, Curve Tools/Snapping, Revolving, History, Grouping/ Duplicating, Combining Polygons, Split Polygon, Lofting, Extruding

INTRODUCTION TO ANIMATION
• Keyframing/Time Slider
• Attach Objects to Motion Path
• Graph Editor
• Playblast for Review

TEXTURING AND SHADING
• Surfaces (Metal, Wood and Plastic etc.)
• Hypershade
• Materials
• Connecting Textures As Bump/Specular/Diffuse Maps
• Basic UV Unwrapping
• Maya 3D Paint Tool

LOGO CREATION/DYNAMICS
• Creating 3D Logos from Adobe Illustrator Files
• Creating 3D Text
• Maya 2D Canvas (Paint Effects)
• Fire, Smoke, Fireworks and Lightning

LIGHTING AND RENDERING
• Render View
• Camera, Render Settings
• Introduction to Render Engines: Software And Mental Ray Renderers
• Types Of Lights
• Basic 3 Point Lighting Setup
• Creating Shadows, Reflections, Refractions, Rendering Out And Rendering Images

Final exam, Student assessment and graduation