Syllabus: CS22/122 Intro to 3d modeling - Fall 23 Term
Class Times: 3A (Mondays and Wednesdays 3:30-5:20 PM plus X Hours Mondays 5:30-6:20 PM)
X-hours: All X-Hours are Mandatory
Classrooms: ECSC 008 and ECSC B007
Instructor: Lorie Loeb
Email: lorie.loeb@dartmouth.edu
Office Hours:
Mondays 11-12:30 and Tuesdays 3-5 pm (in person)
in Lorie’s office, ECSC 015
in person (drop in or sign up via calendly)
Thursdays 2-4 PM (online)
on Zoom only
use calendly to book
Additional times are available in person on Mondays and Wednesdays, just ask!
Class Final: FINAL PRESENTATION DAY: MARCH 12TH 10AM - 1PM
Special Maya Session for those new to Maya:
Wednesday, January 3rd 6:00 PM (dinner provided)
in Emerging Tech Lab (B007) in ECSC
Kedari Chowtoori F23 Term
Biped and animation by Kewen Huang S22
Required
Everyone who is new to Maya (or who needs a refresher) must attend the Maya Bootcamp:
Wednesday, January 3rd, 6 PM (dinner provided)
In the Emerging Tech Lab, ECSC B007
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Course Description
This course teaches the principles and practice of 3D digital modeling, with some instruction on materials, textures, lighting, rigging, and rendering. You will gain a fundamental understanding of polygons, subdivision surfaces, NURBS and splines along with deformations and editing in order to create models using Maya’s 3D software. You will develop skills in 3D design and apply these in a series of assignments that will end in the creation of a fully rigged biped model complete with skeleton, inverse and forward kinematics and motion controls. In addition to class time, you must spend a significant number of hours in the lab completing homework and gaining proficiency with the tools.
Class will meet in person
Students are required to follow Dartmouth’s COVID guidelines
TA’s will offer TA Hours every week and during the X-Hour
Dist: TLA.
All students are required to attend TA Office hours for at least 15 minutes per week. Attendance is taken.
Maya Bootcamp:
Everyone who is new to Maya (or who needs a refresher) is required to attend the Maya Special Session during the XHour. It is recommended that everyone attend, btw
Class Schedule
To see all due dates, see the Class Calendar
To see the full schedule for each assignment, including what is due, when it is due, and where to turn it in, look at the Assignment Page for the Assignment:
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Course requirements and grading
The goal is to learn as much as you can. In order to do that, you need to keep at it. There is no way to learn how to model and conquer Maya without regular practice.
You are given weekly lab assignments that are completed during the week and turned in for review. Assignments are evaluated against a set of technical criteria as well as on aesthetic quality. Late assignments will put you behind and lower your grade. Instead of asking for an extension, turn in whatever you have on time. You can always improve on assignments.
Assignment revisions are accepted all the way up until the final presentation.
How to succeed in this course
Do the work
keep up with the assignments
Do the work early
don’t wait until the night before it’s due
Do it regularly
better to work some every day than to do one long session in the lab
Turn stuff in on time
late assignments will result in a lowered grade and
late assignments keep you from having your work reviewed in class
Show up
ask questions
join class ready to work
go to TA hours
meet with Lorie
watch the class videos
available on the class Slack channel asynchronously
do the tutorials every time
available on this website asynchronously
be here now
resist temptation to email, check social media, or work on other courses during class time
revise your work
I accept revised work up until the end of the term and will revise grades accordingly
in fact, everyone is encouraged to revise work as it is the best way to learn!
have fun (you know how to do it).
Learning Objectives
A solid understanding of the principles and practice of 3D modeling.
Know what makes a model "good", including a clean topology and edge flow, project structure, and texture-mapping.
Gain proficiency at the techniques of environment modeling, lighting and rendering.
Gain comfort working in Maya software to create a model, texture and rig.
Design and execute a character model that is fully rigged and ready to animate.
Teaching Methods And tools
Our class sessions will consist of short lectures, critiques of your work, demonstrations, workshop and play.
The lectures will be about concepts underlying the work we do in class. You are encouraged to ask questions. I have always found that if one person has a question, others do to; asking your question will benefit the entire class.
Critiques are a critical part of the digital arts courses. We use this time to look at each other’s work, discuss what works, why it works, what doesn’t work, why it doesn’t work, how it could be improved. These are a central part of the course and attendance at critiques is mandatory. It is during this process that you will learn the most.
Demonstrations allow you to follow along and try new things. These will usually be accompanied by an online tutorial. You are encouraged to follow along during these demonstrations as many new bits of information will arise during these times.
Play provides a way for you to practice skills while having fun. There will be the puzzles and quick model challenges offered periodically during the course. Prizes are awarded. Surprise yourself with all you have learned!
Tutorials specific to this class are available through the class website. Tutorials walk you through methods and techniques. They are available HERE for the Room Assignment, HERE for the Abstract Assignment, and HERE for the Biped Assignment.
Class Video recordings are available on the class website. The password will be provided to all students.
X-Hours and TA-Hours provide opportunities to deepen your technical skills and get assistance on your class homework. There may be additional times when you can work in class on your own projects. X-Hours are mandatory. TA’s will be available during class, X-Hours, and TA-Hours for you to get advice and extra assistance. You must meet with a TA for 15 minutes per week…any TA.
Your Personal Yoda will be a TA who pays particular attention to you and your learning. You will each be assigned a Personal Yoda who will be your personal mentor. You can always ask for help from any TA. This is just someone who is paying particular attention to you—someone who will be particularly available to you and knowledgable of your work.
Slack will be our primary communication method. There will be a tips and tricks channel, a video recordings channel, a general channel, an opportunities channel (where you can learn about work, internships, and cool stuff on campus), and a staff channel that allows you to contact the TA’s and me with questions.
Attendance
As this is a hands-on course, much of the learning happens during class-time. Attendance is required at every class and XHour. Absences happen for a variety of reasons, many out of your control. You are responsible for working with TA’s and Lorie to get caught up on missed materials.
Class Culture
We expect everyone to participate fully and to take risks with the work. This means trying things that may not work. To that end, it is expected that everyone is treated with respect and civility. You should conduct yourself professionally, help each other, and refrain from impolite language. Students come into this class from a mix of backgrounds, skills, and interests. Please acknowledge the different viewpoints and state biases up front when possible. Feedback should be provided as a source of learning and feedback should be received in the spirit of learning, too.
NOTE:
It is ok to take a chance and fail, but it is not ok to put in minimal effort. As a result, it is important that you come to class ready to work and learn, keep up with assignments, start work soon after it is assigned and keep working regularly until the due date, seek help from Lorie and the TA’s, work on homework in the lab, complete every tutorial, turn work in on time even if you aren’t completely finished or satisfied with your work, rework assignments, try not to get frustrated when Maya crashes, and take responsibility for your own learning. If you do that, you are practically guaranteed of receiving an A.
Grading
Environment modeling assignment: 35%
Abstract project 20%
Character model and animation: 35%
Class Attendance, Practice Sheets, and Participation 10%
What is a “good” model?
A good model is:
Made with a good, clean, optimized geometry:
Rounded corners when appropriate
Clean edges that flow through the model
Made with quads or triangles
Includes “enough” detail for the intended use
But not too much detail so that it is needlessly heavy
The surface normals all point in the correct direction
You have eliminated unnecessary faces
Made with a good workflow
Built with the final use in mind.
Textured so that the image is not stretched and there are no unnecessary seams.
Textured nicely to add detail and life to the model.
Uses shading materials in ways that add to the aesthetic design.
Includes displacement maps, reflection maps, etc.
Is lit in a way that adds emotion to the image, creates a sense of time, place, and 3d space.
Rigged properly for motion
Books (optional) worth reading
Digital Lighting and Rendering (3rd Edition) (Paperback) ISBN-13: 978-0321928986
Rig it Right! Maya Animation Rigging Concepts ISBN-13: 978-0240820798
The Artist's Complete Guide to Facial Expression (Hardcover)
Anatomy for 3D Artists: The Essential Guide for CG Professionals ISBN-13: 978-1909414242
COVID-19 Information
Attendance:
You are expected to attend class in person unless you have made alternative arrangements due to illness, medical reasons, or the need to isolate due to COVID-19. For the health and safety of our class community, please: do not attend class when you are sick, nor when you have been instructed by Student Health Services to stay home.
You will be able to view recordings of class in Canvas if you are unable to attend.
For each class, a present student will write a summary of the class discussion in Canvas. You may participate by responding to that summary if you are unable to attend in person.
Safety:
In accordance with current College policy, all members of the Dartmouth community are required to wear a suitable face covering when indoors, regardless of vaccination status. This includes our classroom and other course-related locations, such as labs, studios, and office hours. If you need to take a quick drink during class, please dip your mask briefly for each sip. Eating is never permitted in the classroom. (The only exception to the mask requirement is for students with an approved disability-related accommodation; see below.) If you do not have an accommodation and refuse to comply with masking or other safety protocols, I am obligated to assure that the Covid health and safety standards are followed, and you will be asked to leave the classroom. You remain subject to course attendance policies, and dismissal from class will result in an unexcused absence. If you refuse to comply with masking or other safety protocols, and to ensure the health and safety of our community, I am obligated to report you to the Dean’s office for disciplinary action under Dartmouth’s Standards of Conduct. Additional COVID-19 protocols may emerge. Pay attention to emails from the senior administrators at the College.
I will communicate any changes and their resulting implications for our class community.
Accommodations:
Students requesting disability-related accommodations and services for this course are required to register with Student Accessibility Services (SAS; Getting Started with SAS webpage; student.accessibility.services@dartmouth.edu; 1-603-646-9900) and to request that an accommodation email be sent to me in advance of the need for an accommodation. Then, students should schedule a follow-up meeting with me to determine relevant details such as what role SAS or its Testing Center may play in accommodation implementation. This process works best for everyone when completed as early in the quarter as possible. If students have questions about whether they are eligible for accommodations or have concerns about the implementation of their accommodations, they should contact the SAS office. All inquiries and discussions will remain confidential.
Honor Code
Dartmouth follows a strict honor code as described here. In this class, it is expected that all work is original—you made it. If you use any models that aren’t yours, you must cite them clearly and make note of it during any in-class critiques or discussions about that work. In other words, if you use a model from an online source or from a classmate you must cite it and be clear during class discussions about your work. As proof that you did the work yourself, you should easily be able to show your work process for your models (incremental saves and scene versions) and by turning in works in progress along the way.
Religious Observance
Some students may wish to take part in religious observances that occur during this academic term. If you have a religious observance that conflicts with your participation in the course, please meet with me before the end of the second week of the term to discuss appropriate accommodations.
Wellness Services on Campus
The academic environment at Dartmouth is challenging, our terms are intensive, and classes are not the only demanding part of your life. There are a number of resources available to you on campus to support your wellness, including your undergraduate dean (http://www.dartmouth.edu/~upperde/), Counseling and Human Development (http://www.dartmouth.edu/~chd/), and the Student Wellness Center (http://www.dartmouth.edu/~healthed/). I encourage you to use these resources to take care of yourself throughout the term, and to come speak to me if you experience any difficulties.
Accessibility
Students requesting disability-related accommodations and services for this course are encouraged to schedule a phone/video meeting with me as early in the term as possible. This conversation will help to establish what supports are built into my online course. In order for accommodations to be authorized, students are required to consult with Student Accessibility Services (SAS; student.accessibility.services@dartmouth.edu; SAS website; 603-646-9900) and to email me their SAS accommodation form. We will then work together with SAS if accommodations need to be modified based on the online learning environment. If students have questions about whether they are eligible for accommodations, they should contact the SAS office. All inquiries and discussions will remain confidential.
Confidentiality
I will not record any office hours! If I think that a question or answer from office hours would be good for the entire class to see, I will prepare a separate note or video, or include it in the next lecture.
Class Recordings Agreement
NOTIFICATION TO STUDENTS
(1) Consent to recording of course meetings and office hours that are open to multiple students.
By enrolling in this course, a) I affirm my understanding that the instructor may record meetings of this course and any associated meetings open to multiple students and the instructor, including but not limited to scheduled and ad hoc office hours and other consultations, within any digital platform, including those used to offer remote instruction for this course. b) I further affirm that the instructor owns the copyright to their instructional materials, of which these recordings constitute a part, and my distribution of any of these recordings in whole or in part to any person or entity other than other members of the class without prior written consent of the instructor may be subject to discipline by Dartmouth up to and including separation from Dartmouth.
(2) Requirement of consent to one-on-one recordings
By enrolling in this course, I hereby affirm that I will not make a recording in any medium of any one-on-one meeting with the instructor or another member of the class or group of members of the class without obtaining the prior written consent of all those participating, and I understand that if I violate this prohibition, I will be subject to discipline by Dartmouth up to and including separation from Dartmouth, as well as any other civil or criminal penalties under applicable law. I understand that an exception to this consent applies to accommodations approved by SAS for a student’s disability, and that one or more students in a class may record class lectures, discussions, lab sessions, and review sessions and take pictures of essential information, and/or be provided class notes for personal study use only.
If you have questions, please contact the Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.