Written by the same author as the successful "Essential Virtual Reality fast"
Contains 16 pages colour section and extensive monochrome illustrations
Provides the novice with a state-of-the-art introduction to computer animation
For those who want to learn more about computer animation without being swamped with complex mathematics, this is the book to read! Beginning with the relationship between animation, the human visual system, and computers,
Essential Computer Animation fast takes readers through a broad exploration of the subject. Readers will learn all about computer animation techniques; computer animation hardware; animation software, such as Softimage, Maya, 3D-Studio, MAX, and Lightwave; post-production techniques; and animation applications.|Computer Animation is now worlds away from its early beginnings when programs merely mimicked the hand drawn cartoon process. Its now regularly used for creating wonderful special effects in major movies like Titanic, Toy Story, Antz and Bugs Life.
John Vince tells you all about: The basic principles used in the powerful software products currently available on the market; The terms and processes involved; And in an easy-to-understand way, with no complicated math.
So if you want to learn more about 3D computer animation without being swamped by complex mathematics, then read this book and have fun creating your own animated programs.
Introduction.- What is computer animation?- Who should read this book?- The aims and objectives of this book.- Assumptions made in this book.- How to use this book.- Computer animation.- Introduction.- Animation and Computers.- Animation and the human visual system.- Computer animation.- 3D Computer graphics.- Introduction.- From computer graphics to computer animation.- Principles of computer graphics.- Cartesian co-ordinates.- Modelling simple objects.- Modelling curves.- Surface patches.- Procedural modelling.- Perspective view.- 3D clipping.- Co-ordinate systems.- Transformations.- Rendering the image.- Colour.- Coloured objects.- Light sources.- Illumination models.- Shading models.- Rendering algorithms.- Texture mapping.- Bump mapping.- Displacement mapping.- Environment mapping.- Shadows.- Transparency.- Radiosity.- Ray tracing.- Volumetric lighting.- Shaders.- The RenderMan shading language.- Aliasing.- Anti-aliasing.- Conclusion.- Computer animation techniques.- Introduction.- Interpolation.- Function curves.- Parameters.- Channels.- Keyframes.- Inbetweening.- Motion paths.- Transformations.- Hierarchical animation.- Hierarchical geometry.- Metamorphosis.- Procedural animation.- Forward kinematics.- Inverse kinematics.- Particle systems.- Physical simulation.- Rotoscoping.- Constraints.- Free-form deformation.- Computer animation hardware.- Introduction.- Computers.- Motion capture.- Computer animation software.- Introduction.- Softimage.- Alias/Wavefront.- 3D Studio MAX.- Lightwave.- Other systems.- Plugins.- Post-production techniques.- Introduction.- Scanning.- Compositing.- Colour balance.- Film.- Video.- Computer animation applications.- Introduction.- Television graphics.- Computer games.- Commercials.- Multi-media.- Legal.- Computer aided design.- Virtual environments.- The internet.- Simulation.- Film special effects.- Computer-generated films.- Conclusion.- Glossary.- Appendix A: Useful Web Sites.- Appendix B: Renderman Shader.- Appendix C: MotionCapture Hardware.- References.- Index.
1 What is Computer Animation?.- What is computer animation?.- Who should read this book?.- The aims and objectives of this book.- Assumptions made in this book.- How to use the book.- 2 Computer Animation.- Animation and computers.- The history of animation.- Animation and the human visual system.- Computer animation.- 3 3D Computer Graphics.- From computer graphics to computer animation.- Principles of computer graphics.- Cartesian coordinates.- Modeling simple objects.- Modeling curves.- Surface patches.- Procedural modeling.- Laser scanners.- Perspective view.- 3D clipping.- Coordinate systems.- Transformations.- Rendering the image.- Color.- Colored objects.- Light sources.- Illumination models.- Shading models.- Rendering algorithms.- Texture mapping.- Bump mapping.- Environment mapping.- Displacement mapping.- Shadows.- Transparency.- Radiosity.- Ray tracing.- Volumetric lighting.- Shaders.- The RenderMan Shading Language.- Aliasing.- Anti-aliasing.- Conclusion.- 4 Computer Animation Techniques.- Interpolation.- Function curves.- Parameters.- Channels.- Keyframes.- Inbetweening.- Motion paths.- Transformations.- Hierarchical animation.- Hierarchical geometry.- Metamorphosis.- Procedural animation.- Forward kinematics.- Inverse kinematics.- Particle systems.- Physical simulation.- Rotoscoping.- Constraints.- Free-form deformation.- Skeletons.- Conclusion.- 5 Computer Animation Hardware.- Computers.- Motion capture.- Conclusion.- 6 Computer Animation Software.- A generic computer animation system.- Conclusion.- 7 Post-Production Techniques.- Digital images.- Image compositing.- Rendering and compositing.- Interactive and batch processing.- Conclusion.- 8 Computer Animation Applications.- Television graphics.- Computer games.- Commercials.- Multimedia.- Legal.- Computer-aided design.- Virtual environments.- The Internet.- Simulation.- Digital special effects.- Computer-generated films.- Conclusion.- 9 Computer Animation Jobs.- Modeler.- Artist.- Compositor.- Character animator.- Enveloper.- Technical director.- Conclusion.- 10 Animating.- Weight, mass and inertia.- Center of gravity.- Kinetic energy and momentum.- Bouncing and restitution.- Character animation.- Facial animation.- Conclusion.- 11 Conclusion.- Appendix A Useful Web Sites.- Animation software.- Compositing.- Conferences.- Conversion tools.- Digitizing hardware.- Facial animation.- Magazines.- Motion capture.- Plug-ins.- Programming.- Useful companies.- Time-Slice Web sites.- Other Useful Sites.- Appendix B A Renderman Shader.- Appendix C Motion Capture Hardware.- References.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Introduction.- What is computer animation?- Who should read this book?- The aims and objectives of this book.- Assumptions made in this book.- How to use this book.- Computer animation.- Introduction.- Animation and Computers.- Animation and the human visual system.- Computer animation.- 3D Computer graphics.- Introduction.- From computer graphics to computer animation.- Principles of computer graphics.- Cartesian co-ordinates.- Modelling simple objects.- Modelling curves.- Surface patches.- Procedural modelling.- Perspective view.- 3D clipping.- Co-ordinate systems.- Transformations.- Rendering the image.- Colour.- Coloured objects.- Light sources.- Illumination models.- Shading models.- Rendering algorithms.- Texture mapping.- Bump mapping.- Displacement mapping.- Environment mapping.- Shadows.- Transparency.- Radiosity.- Ray tracing.- Volumetric lighting.- Shaders.- The RenderMan shading language.- Aliasing.- Anti-aliasing.- Conclusion.- Computer animation techniques.- Introduction.- Interpolation.- Function curves.- Parameters.- Channels.- Keyframes.- Inbetweening.- Motion paths.- Transformations.- Hierarchical animation.- Hierarchical geometry.- Metamorphosis.- Procedural animation.- Forward kinematics.- Inverse kinematics.- Particle systems.- Physical simulation.- Rotoscoping.- Constraints.- Free-form deformation.- Computer animation hardware.- Introduction.- Computers.- Motion capture.- Computer animation software.- Introduction.- Softimage.- Alias/Wavefront.- 3D Studio MAX.- Lightwave.- Other systems.- Plugins.- Post-production techniques.- Introduction.- Scanning.- Compositing.- Colour balance.- Film.- Video.- Computer animation applications.- Introduction.- Television graphics.- Computer games.- Commercials.- Multi-media.- Legal.- Computer aided design.- Virtual environments.- The internet.- Simulation.- Film special effects.- Computer-generated films.- Conclusion.- Glossary.- Appendix A: Useful Web Sites.- Appendix B: Renderman Shader.- Appendix C: MotionCapture Hardware.- References.- Index.
Klappentext
Computer Animation is now worlds away from its early beginnings when programs merely mimicked the hand drawn cartoon process. Its now regularly used for creating wonderful special effects in major movies like Titanic, Toy Story, Antz and Bugs Life.
John Vince tells you all about: The basic principles used in the powerful software products currently available on the market; The terms and processes involved; And in an easy-to-understand way, with no complicated math.
So if you want to learn more about 3D computer animation without being swamped by complex mathematics, then read this book and have fun creating your own animated programs.
Written by the same author as the successful "Essential Virtual Reality fast"
Contains 16 pages colour section and extensive monochrome illustrations
Provides the novice with a state-of-the-art introduction to computer animation
