ATEC 4345.001

Motion Capture Animation
Professor: Midori Kitagawa, Ph.D.
Term: Spring 2009
Meeting Time: T 11:30 am - 2:15 pm, ATEC 1.102

Contact Information

Phone: (972) 883-2806
Office: ATEC 1.620
Email: midori@utdallas.edu
Office Hours: R 12:00 am - 1:30 pm or by appointment
Class web address: http://atec.utdallas.edu/~midori/4345/syllabus.htm

Mocap Lab TA

Jason Huang, cxh045000@utdallas.edu

Links to Process Books

Links

Pre-requisite

ATEC 4337

Course
Description

ATEC 4345 is a group project based course in which students learn the motion capture pipeline from setting up cameras and capturing data to editing data and applying data to animated characters. Students follow the 3D computer animation production process to complete short animations. The end products are expected to be animations of quality that will be in professional demo reels.

Learning Outcomes

Understand the 3D computer animation production process. 

Understand the theory and practice of motion capture technology.

Develop an animation to be included in a professional portfolio.

Learn technical terms related to 3D computer animation and motion capture technology.

Enhance the ability to discuss current issues related to 3D computer animation.

Demonstrate the ability to offer both technical and aesthetic criticisms of the work of peers and self.

Create an on-line "process book" in HTML format that documents the conceptual, technical, and artistic development throughout the semester.

Understand the latest technology and develop new applications in motion capture.

Course
Requirements

Attend every class and specified lectures on time.

Complete assignments on time and in a professional manner.

Collect research and document conceptual material in an online process book.

Participate individually and as a contributing member of a team.

Complete reading, study handouts, and assigned tutorials.

Course
Methodology

Class sessions will consist of lectures, demonstration, studio work, critiques, video/dvd viewing, and discussions focusing on class assignments. The class format will take on a variety of styles, as the subject dictates. Examples will be presented and discussed in lectures, dvds/videos and demonstrations. Students will present their work in work-in-progress reviews and critique sessions. Students are encouraged to complete all work at the ATEC computer labs in order to benefit from collaborative learning with your peers.  Students choosing to use "offsite" hardware and software must bring their current working files to the class and have them available for review at the beginning of each and every class. Problems with "offsite" systems and/or incompatibility will not be an acceptable excuse for missed or late or assignments. 

Required Reading

Mocap for Artists: Workflow and Techniques for Motion Capture by Midori Kitagawa and Brian Windsor, 2008, Focal Press / Elsevier

Course
Materials

Notebook & sketchbook
Storage media

Assignments and Academic Calendar
(Calendar is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. Check periodically for updates.)

Assignments

• A1. Planning a capture session
• A2. Data capture (IQ)
• A3. Applying motions to a skeleton (MotionBuilder)
• A4. Applying motions to a skin bound character (Maya) and creating an animatic
• A5. Final animation & breakdown guide

Assignments are the milestones for the animation project that you spend one semester to complete. If (only if) you are taking this class for the second time and if you have an alternative project schedule, have the instructor's approval and post the production schedule in your process book.

Save your work frequently. Change the file name occasionally to keep older versions, instead of saving your work using the same file name over and over. Older versions may be useful when the latest file gets corrupted and cannot be opened or when you mess things up and want to go back to what you had before. Also, backup your work area periodically, e.g., if you are working on your assignment using your hard disc, save what you have on your hard disc onto a CD, DVD, or flash memory. Reasons, such as "We lost my work when Maya crashed." or "We lost my assignment when our hard disc crashed," are not accepted as an excuse to turn in an assignment late without the penalty described below.

Give descriptive names to your motion data files, scene files, and any other types of files. Manage your group project by organizing folders/files and communicating with your project members, i.e., develop project management skills and communication skills. These skills are important not just for the project in this course but for your careers.

Plagiarism: When a student submits a work created by someone else as his/her work, it will be reported to the Judicial Affairs Office and dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism. Read Student Conduct and Discipline below for more details.

Note that copying writing or any other type of work by someone else and submitting it as own work is plagiarism. Types of work subjected to plagiarism include but are not limited: writing, drawing, photography, story idea, script, storyboards, sound, texture, lighting design, 3D model, animation, level design, scripting, and programming.

A failing course grade will be recommended by the instructor to the Judicial Affaires Office as one of the possible penalties. Heavier penalties will be given to a repeated offender by the University.

Even if a plagiary committed in this semester is not discovered within the semester it will be reported to the Judicial Affairs Office when it is discovered in one of the following semesters. Possible penalties include replacing a passing course grade previously recorded with a failing grade.

An individual who is not currently enrolled as a university student remains subject to the disciplinary process for conduct that occurred during any period of enrollment. Thus, students will be accountable for plagiarism and other misconduct even after graduation.

Grading policies

Students must demonstrate satisfactory achievement of course objectives through fulfillment of course assignments and by contributing to class discussions and critiques. Course assignments will require students to use software and equipment available at the ATEC computer labs. Course evaluation will be based upon the following.

Point Required for Grade:

Total Possible Points:

• Assignments 1 - 4: 15% of the course grade each, where 20% of the assignment grade is given to process book research.
• Assignment 5: 20 % of the course grade, where 20% of the assignment grade is given to process book research.
• Pop quizzes from reading assignments: 20% of the course grade,
• Total: 100%.
  

Class Attendance: All students are required to be on time and in attendance for each and every class. Attendance is taken at the begriming of each class. If you arrive at the classroom after the day's attendance is taken, it is your responsibility to let the instructor know of your arrival. If you are not present in the classroom when the attendance is taken and if you fail to let the instructor know of your late arrival within the first 30 minutes of the class period, you will be considered to be absent for the day.

Arriving at the classroom after attendance is taken is considered as tardy. Arriving at the classroom more than 30 minutes late is considered as absent.

Two (2) absences are allowed as personal or sick leave for this semester. Students will receive one letter grade reduction for three (3) absences. Students who accumulate four (4) absences or more should consider withdrawing since four (4) absences will result in a failing grade ("F ") for the course.

Two tardies will be counted as one (1) absence. Every additional tardy will be counted as one (1) absence.

Falsifying attendance is a violation of the UTD standards of conduct. If a student who attends a class falsifies the attendance of another student who is absent, both students will receive failing grades ("F") for the course and their collusion will be reported to the Judicial Affairs Office. As the result, the students may receive academic penalties, in addition to receiving failing grades. Read Student Conduct and Discipline below for more details.

Students may leave early with instructor's permission; however, such occurrences should be very infrequent. If a student leaves before the class is dismissed without the instructor's permission, the student will be considered to be absent for the day.

Students who miss class, with or without school approved excused absence(s), are responsible for all class work and materials covered during their absences.

To receive approval for excused absences (for reasons such as illness or family emergencies) written document must be submitted. See the graduate/undergraduate advisor for more information.

Presentation Attendance: All students are required to attend specified lectures given by guests on the subjects related to this course during the semester. There may be one, two, or three lectures that you are required to attend. The instructor will give information about the lectures (e.g., time & location) as early as possible. If a required lecture is scheduled outside the regular class time and if you will not be able to attend the lecture because of a time conflict with another class that you are enrolled or with your work, submit a written notice to the instructor in advance; Otherwise, missing a presentation will be treated as one absence in the manner described in Class Attendance section above.

Late Assignments: Adherence to deadlines is expected. It is the individual student's responsibility to keep track of the goals and deadlines and to present the work to the class and instructor on the specified dates. Late assignments will affect your grade: 20% will be deducted for each class period. Students will be expected to make a formal presentation of their progress on dates specified by the course timeline. 

Class Participation and Classroom Citizenship:

• Cell phones and pagers must be silenced or powered off during formal class hours.
• Do not talk when others (the instructor, guests, and fellow students) are talking.
• Students will not use the computers for personal reasons (e.g, check personal email, surf web) during class time.
• Participate in critique sessions and class discussions. You can learn a great deal from critique on other students' work as well on yours.
• While the instructor or a guest is lecturing or demonstrating, you should be listening to the lecture or observing the demonstration, instead of emailing or web surfing. Not paying attention to lectures or demonstrations will affect your grade directly or indirectly.

Student Conduct and Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern student conduct and activities. General information on student conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered students each academic year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship. He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.

Copyright Violations

It is a federal crime to reproduce copyrighted software. Anyone caught reproducing software from the UTD labs will be subject to disciplinary action. In addition, anyone caught reproducing outside software in the lab will automatically lose all lab privileges and will be subject to other disciplinary action as deemed necessary.

Email Use

The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.

Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level courses. These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities, of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”). Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the respondent’s School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the respondent, the student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations.

Incomplete Grades

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at the semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:
The University of Texas at Dallas , SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson , Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment requirement may be substituted (for example, a research paper versus an oral presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes enrolled students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities. The college or university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or mobility assistance.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after class or during office hours.

Religious Holidays

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a failing grade for that exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief executive officer or designee.

Off-Campus Instruction and Course Activities

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law and University policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information regarding these rules and regulations may be found at http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional information is available from the office of the school dean.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the professor.