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Course "Character Animation" (WS 2009/10)

Lecturer: Alexis Heloir

Abstract

Character animation is the art of creating moving characters with the use of computers. It is a subfield of computer graphics. Until recently, crafting animation was a manual time expensive process. The arrival of new interactive medias like video games and on-line application established new requirements and constraints to the animation production process in terms of realism and flexibility.

This course will first introduce the essentials of computer animation: how traditional animation principles have been applied to computer animation an how interpolation techniques has increased animation productivity.
It then presents the major breakthrough observed in the field during the last decades: Automatic motion generation using forward ,inverse kinematics and physical simulation, realistic motion playback through motion capture and the subsequent data driven animation trend.
It finally give an overview of current trends and perspectives: hybrid motion generation methods and high level description languages for character animation.

Because know how is essential to computer animation, course slots will be punctuated by short practicals demonstrations. Discussion is encouraged during these interactive slots. You are encouraged to bring your laptop and experiment on place to enrich the discussion.

Please note that there is another course from the EMBOTS group called "Interface Design and Usability".

Math Prerequisites

• trigonometry
• matrix algebra
• 3D geometry

Informatics Prerequisites

• basic computer graphics
• basic computer programming
• basic C++ programming

Time, Place and Credits

The course will be given in English. There will be no exercises or tutorials. Students are nevertheless encouraged to bring their (fully charged) laptop for short practical demonstrations during course slots.

• Time: Mondays 14-16 h, weekly
• Place: Building E1.3, room 001
• First Meeting: 19 October 2009
• Credits: 3 CP
• Written or oral examination at the end of the term

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