Site design and maintenance by Steven Chan mr_chan@uclink.berkeley.edu.
CS 294-7: The Art of Animation is taught by Brian A. Barsky & Laurence Arcadias.
[UC Berkeley]
[Computer Science]
[Brian A. Barsky]
[Laurence Arcadias]
The Fall 2002 semester is over.
Please bring your lightboxes on Dec. 9 to return them and to retrieve your depoist checks.
I am making arrangements to have the Olympus digital camera be available to shoot your animations.
The instructional support staff cannot lend the digital camera; they have to staff the lab if the digital camera is to be used. They will staff the room at certain times, but only if some students have confirmed with them that they will be there. To be clear, they will not be there with the camera unless students have scheduled it with them ahead of time. They need time to borrow the camera, if it is available.
They were there at these times:
Tue Oct 15, 1-2:30pm Fri Oct 18, 3:30-5pm
Tue Oct 22, 2-3:30pm Fri Oct 25, 3:30-5pm
Tue Oct 29, 1-2:30pm Fri Nov 1, 3:30-5pm
and they staff the room (if confirmed in advance) at the following
times:
Tue Nov 19, 1-2:30pm Fri Nov 22, 3:30-5pm
Tue Nov 25, 1-2:30pm
Tue Dec 3, 1-2:30pm
Students should schedule a time with the instructional staff so that they will know that the students will be coming.
In addtion, of course, students can also use the WEBcams or their own cameras in 111 Cory at any time.
Okay, we can have the final project party on Monday 9th December around lunch time. I am working on the exact time and place but it looks like 11-1 in 380 Soda. The other possibility is 5-7, so try to keep both time slots open ...
Instead of having class on Monday 2nd December, students may email questions to Laurence and me. If you have large files, it would be better if you could provide a URL rather than directly attaching it to your e-mail.
The final projects are due in exactly three weeks. For those groups who have not yet emailed a project proposal to both Laurence and me, please do this ASAP.
In evaluating the final projects, we will be looking for strong extremes, good timing , good staging/ composition within the screen frame, good characters, and clear concept for story. Each piece should include a title and credits.
HAPPY ANIMATING!
At the very end of our already-overtime class on Monday, several of us chatted about the final project details, so let me cover that in this e-mail.
The final projects will be screened in a special "last class" party on Monday December 2nd. We'll probably shift the class time to be something like 5-7 that day (would that be a hardship for anyone?).
Unfortunately, this coming Monday is a university holiday (the university only recently started having Veteran's Day be
a university holiday, so I keep forgetting this), so we can't go over the project proposals in class. Due to the very limited time available, time is of the essence, so we would like you to get going on this final project ASAP. Please form groups and have one representative of each group e-mail a project proposal to both Laurence and me.
There is now just under four weeks to do the project, so please do send us those project proposals very soon (within the next few days would be good).
Alternatively, if you have all your assignments on a webpage with a single URL or a directory index of your movies, you can e-mail that to <mr_chan@uclink.berkeley.edu>.
By Monday (28 Oct.)'s class, please put your files for:
in the public_html subdirectory in your class UNIX/MacOS home directory.
(Once again, http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/setup.html explains how to set up web pages. Students should read their account forms for references.)
Also, please start thinking about the final project. During class on Monday (28 Oct.), we would like to brainstorm about the final project. It should be about 30 seconds of animation in any technique (except computer 3d/2d). Students can shoot the animation either with their own equipment or school equipment. The groups may comprise 1, 2, or 3 people. Each project should have a title and credits. A soundtrack is optional. Keep it simple – no more than 3 characters or 10 backgrounds. Line test quality is acceptable.
For the following week (4 Nov.), you will need to submit a concept fpr your final project. This should take the form of a few sentences, some thumbnail sketch ideas of the project, and rough sketches of the characters. In class on that day we will have a guest lecture from Pixar about story and storyboarding.
The due date on the "Head Turn and Take Assignment" is erroneous – it is due on Monday 28th October 2002.
During class next week, we would also like to brainstorm about the final project. The final project should be done in small groups (the exact number of people per group is flexible, and even individual projects would be all right). The final project should be around 30 seconds long. Keep in mind that the longer the piece, the more work you will have to do :-) The project should be simple – no more than three characters, no more than 10 backgrounds. Each project should include a title and credits. Sound would be good but that is optional. Line test quality is acceptable. Keep it simple.
For the next class, we would also like to critique student work.
To reiterate, please put your files in the public_html subdirectory in your class UNIX/MacOS home directory. Each of these directories is now accessible via the web, for example: http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~cs294-7ap/
http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/setup.html explains how to set up web pages. Students should read their account
forms for references.
For next class, we would like to have the morph video completed. Would the remaining student(s) please put his/her video in the public_html/group-share directory in cs294-7.
With this weeks staffed lab sessions, everyone should finally be able to complete the shooting of the assignments.
We would like to spend some of the class time this Monday having you show your work.
In addition, as discussed in class yesterday, everybody should copy his/her morph video into the group-share directory.
Here are the instructions for handing it in:
We would like to have all the morph videos copies by this Friday, so that the "directors" can work putting it together.
Based on discussion in class yesterday, the Instructional support staff will be in the lab in 111 Cory to help you during the following six sessions:
We are borrowing an Olympus digital camera with tripod.
Note that the first session is TODAY at 1:00.
I hope that this will be helpful.
There is a list of the image edittng software that has been installed in 111 Cory. The information is on the "multimedia" page from http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/software.
For those of you who have access to your own digital cameras, you can try plugging in your own camera in 111 Cory at any time. Many cameras are already supported. Apple publishes a list in http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106523 .
The instructional computing facilities staff has agreed to be in 111 Cory for CS294-7 for three hours a week, on Mon, Tue or Fri afternoons. In class, let's pick the time period.
We have borrowed one Olympus digital camera and one tripod that will be made available during these three hours.
There is now a public_html subdirectory in every UNIX/MacOS home directory. Each of these directories is now accessible via the web, for example: http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~cs294-7ap/
http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/setup.html explains how to set up web pages. Students should read their account forms for references.
There is now a directory called public_html/group-share in cs294-7, that is, a directory called ~cs294-7/public_html/group-share . It is accessible on the web as http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~cs294-7/group-share. All CS294-7 students can read, write (and delete) files in it.
'group-share' is connected to Win2K logons as "S:". There will be automatic connection when logging into MacOSX, but that may or may not be ready.
Some information about this is available at: http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~cs294-7/group-share/INSTRUCTIONS
When logging on to Win2K, you will now find 3 direcrories:
1. the U: drive = your Win2K home dir
2. the M: drive = your UNIX/MacOSX home dir
3. the S: drive = the ~cs294-7/group-share dir
This may or may not yet be enabled for the MacOSX accounts yet. If not, in the meantime, you can use the instructions in "MacOS" under http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/software.
You each have 60MB quotas on Win2K and 40MB on UNIX.
After testing the new Pic Epson Perfection 1650 Color USB Scanner, it was found to be slower than the HP flatbed scanner in 111 Cory, so maybe the present scanners aren't that bad after all. With the HP flatbed scanner in 111 Cory, scanning an 8x11 color page to a file takes 15-30 seconds. Also there are three scanners available, and they are available, unsupervised, at any time; directions are on top of the scanners.
Since it is a somewhat tedious to have to scan each drawing, we are exploring alternatives with digital cameras. But in the meantime, the scanners that are in place are available and will do the job.
Students with their own cameras may photograph their images
Instructions for copying files between the Win2K, UNIX/MacOSX and home computers are in http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/connecting.html and in http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/software.html.
The student accounts are being set up so that Win2K, UNIX/MacOSX and the shared directory are all available on the desktops upon login.
Select a topic about animation and prepare a 20 minute presentation for the class. This is to be in done in groups of three students. Confirm the topic with the instructors on Monday Oct. 14. Some possible suggestions for topics include sound in animation, Russian animation, differences between Japanese and American animation, villains in animation, landscapes and backgrounds, claymation, puppetry, "The Making of" some piece, biography of a particular animator, .... Show examples, discuss what you like or dislike, and explain what you think about the topic.
We have set up frame capture from a Sony video camera on one PC in 111 Cory.
Also, if you have your own digital camera, or access to one, that would be a solution.
In addition, the web cams (iBOTs), as well ast BTV Pro and Toonboom are now all working on the Macs in 111 Cory.
Also, we have got the new version of Premiere (6.5) on all 6 Macs and 8 PCs.
For those of you who have managed to shoot/scan your animation exercises, if you could save them as small Quicktime files (no larger than 1.5 MB) by Monday then we can try to post the best ones on the web....
This is a free software equivalent to BenSoftware but for PC. It grabs pictures frame by frame from a digital camera. Perhaps some of you might want to try this at home with your own digital cameras.
http://www.animateclay.com/capture.htm
Viet's introductory tutorial to Adobe Premiere — which you can use to compile your animation into a neat movie file — is located at http://www.ucbugg.org/tutorials/premiere/.
When I said that the leaf/log/string and heavy/light square assignments should be "animated" by 30 Sept., I meant that you should have the drawings done. Subsequently we will shoot (digitize) the
drawings.
The additional lightboxes arrived and are ready for students to borrow. As usual, you should please contact William (william@cs, 333 Soda, 642-1637) to arrange a time. He will take a refundable deposit in the form of a post-dated personal check ("Dec 22, 2002") for $30 payable to "UC Recents".
For those of you who are managing to scan, don't worry about high resolution and color depth. The animations that Wil and Lila showed in class were 640X480 with only 1 bit per pixel (no gray tones, no color).
I would like to clarify the due dates for the assignments.
The leaf/string/log assignment should have been animated by today (23 Sept.) Due to the scanner difficulties, this can slip until next week (30 Sept.)
Today's assignment (heavy / light square) should be animated by next week (30 Sept.)
The first assignment (flipbook morphing) should be SHOT within two weeks, that is, by 7 Oct.
For those of you who left early, there has been some discussion about technical details for coordinating on the first assignment (flipbook morphing). Recall that we are expecting 30 frames per second; if done in "twos" that means 15 drawings per second. Please coordinate with your co-directors Karen Lin <kalice@uclink4.berkeley.edu>
and William Sinclair <wllm@hotmail.com> <wllm@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU> on details.
To summarize:
1. 640 x 480 resolution, ~72-75 dpi (or ppi)
2. ~30 fps
3. Either scanned or photographed from directly overhead
4. Use any colordepth, but be consistent across your video
5. .avi format
6. Due 7 Oct.
I just want to be sure that there is no confusion – both assignments are due tomorrow. We will go to the lab and examine scanning.
Due to the increase enrollment in the course, we have ordered more light boxes. Some students have purchased their own. In case any of you would like to do likewise, let me pass on to you that they bought LightTracer light boxes for $30 at "The Art Store", located at 811 University Avenue at 6th Street in Berkeley.
Next week during class, we will go over to the lab in 111 Cory to learn about scanning in drawings.
Yesterday during class, I handed out the class account forms ("cs294-7aa", etc). Every student should now have a class account.
The accounts enable you to login to the UNIX computers and to the Macs in 111 Cory, which use the same passwords as the UNIX computers. They can also login to UNIX in 199 Cory and from over the net.
The accounts also let you login to the Win2K computers in 111 Cory. Don't forget that when logging into the Win2K systems, you must select the "EECS" domain on the login screen.
The ititial passwords are the same for UNIX/Mac and for Win2K, but those 2 domains are not in synch, so you can have a different password for each if you change them.
When you first login on a UNIX system, you'll be prompted for your names and SIDs. This will "register" them and keep track of who is using which account.
Information about using the computers:
Note that:
All labs mentioned above are unlocked when the building is unlocked (7:30am-6:30pm weekdays). Students can get a cardkey from 391 Cory or 387 Soda for access at other times. Cardkeys cost $20 ($15 refundable).
Should there be any problems with the computers, please contact the EECS Instructional Support Group (ISG) in 378, 384 & 386 Cory, 333 Soda, inst@eecs.berkeley.edu, 643-6141, 642-9543 http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~inst/.plan
Sorry for the delay in getting the light box information to you, but this has taken some work.
We are ordering more light boxes and the idea will be that each student can check out a light box for the duration of the semester. Please bring it to class.
Please email to inst@eecs.berkeley.edu or call William at 642-1637 to schedule a time to pick up a lightbox.
The intructional facilities folks will require that you leave a deposit in the form of a personal check (not cash) for $30, made out to "UC Regents" and post-dated with the date Dec 22, 2002.
You will get a form as a receipt and your check will be returned to you if you return the equipment on time and undamaged.
Only those people who are enrolled in the class will be lent a light box.
If you have any questions regarding this procedure, please contact Kevin or William since they will handle the details.
I want to remind you please bring your materials (pegbar, field, punched paper, pencils, eraser, sharpener) to class on Monday, as well as your light box.
William Chen is handling the light box distribution so please get in touch with him to schedule a time to pick up a lightbox. He is in 333 Soda Hall, tel. 642-1637, e-mail "william@eecs.berkeley.edu".
But note that we currently do not have enough light boxes for everyone, due to the higher than anticipated enrollment. A few people have their own, and we have the three big ones that cannot be checked out, and I am hoping a few people can arrange to share for a little while, until the extra ones that we have ordered arrive.
