Prof. Jos van Leeuwen

Keywords: 3D Design, 3D Modelling, Rendering, Lighting simulation, Cinematography

This course is managed through Moodle and the LDMI wiki.

Objectives and Method

The objective of this course is to gain competences in designing and producing 3D scenes and creating visualisations thereof, both still images and animations. Topics include: geometric 3D modelling, CSG, Meshes, light, colour, texture, perception, lighting models and properties of lights, environmental effects, camera properties and camera movement, animation.

At the end of the course, students:

• have knowledge of the various aspects of designing and modelling in 3D, such as modelling techniques, rendering processes, lighting simulation techniques, and animation principles;
• have knowledge of and experience with the creative process of designing and modelling a 3D scene for a specific purpose and target audience;
• have hands-on experience with the development of a 3D scene that has both graphical and technical quality, is technically consistent, and provides a clear and premeditated statement in relation to reality;
• have hands-on experience with creating a short animation of a 3D scene, applying the basic principles of cinematography.

In this course, students will work on individual assignments, but collaborative problem-solving and critiques are an essential aspect of the course. The course will have a pattern of theory classes, each followed by a series of studio classes. Building up from a theoretical basis on the above-mentioned topics, the students’ work concentrates on hands-on assignments to put the theory into practice. Students are encouraged to provide a context or design brief to work on in these assignments.

Assessment

The discipline will be assessed in five parts, each of which take the form of an assignment:

In each of these evaluations, the assessment will be based on the quality of the process, the result, and your reflection on the work. Students are expected to critique each other’s work.

Specific criteria for the assessment are:

• complexity of the design
• quality and accuracy of the model
• quality of the selection and application of materials
• quality of the creation of lighted scenes
• correctness of the choice of modelling approach
• quality of the final renderings
• creative quality of the animation
• cinematographic qualities of the animation
• capability to recognise and describe one’s learning process

Bibliography

Online resources and tutorials provided with 3ds Max.

There are many, many books on 3D modelling, rendering, animation, cinematography. Here are just some I can recommend, but look for others, too:

• Simon Danaher, 2004, Digital 3D Design, Thomson.
• Jeremy Birn, [digital] Lighting and Rendering, New Riders.
• Darren Brooker, Essential CG Lighting Techniques with 3ds Max, Focal Press.
• Simon Danaher, Creating 3D Worlds, Barron’s.

Software used: 3ds Max 2010, see http://students.autodesk.com