MIDTERM: None.

FINAL: Graduate students will create an 3D Interactive Multimedia “experience”; This 3D experience will be delivered via the web as well as on a Hybrid (WIN 2000/XP & MAC OSX) CDROM. Students will balance the issues of real-time rendering, realistic frame rates, quality -vs- performance, number of objects, polygon and face count, texture size, Animation, textures, shadows, reflections, deforming objects, etc. in order to deliver a complete interactive 3D multimedia experience to the end user. Experience should include dynamic 3D navigation, zoom, texture control, animation, and object swapping.

GRADING:

• 20% Class attendance & participation
• 35% Homework (functionality, content, creativity)
• 45% Final (functionality, content, creativity) [15, 15, 15]

EQUIPMENT:

• 3D for the Web, Interactive 3D animation using 3ds Max, Flash and Director – Carol MacGillivray and Anthony Head ISBN: 0-240-51910-8
• At least one form of external media to to backup your work (i.e. CDROM, Flash drive, Firewire drive, etc.)
• Headphones (If you want to listen to music during lab time)

Extra Credit

• Visit http://shockwaveeducation.hqforums.com
• 1 extra point if you post and/or reply in a MEANINGFUL way
• MEANINGFUL is determined by instructor (me)
• 10 point maximum

Lecture: “Graduate students combine ALL their skills in this class.”

Topics:

• What you need to know for this course:
  • Maya
  • HTML
  • Flash
  • Director
  • Problem solving skills (a.k.a programing/coding)

• The real power of 3D?

• What makes 3D so great?
  • http://www.shockwave3d.com/
  • http://www.forgefx.com/casestudies/prenticehall/
  • http://www.pbs.org/wnet/brain/3d/
  • http://www.secretlevel.de/submarine.htm
  • Speed Racer game

• Online Resources:
  • Backstage with Director
  • Director Example: Showmes
  • Director Sample Movies
  • Adobe 3D Topic Center
  • Lingo: Working with 3D in Director
  • Character animation for Shockwave 3D
  • Adobe 3D Partner List
  • Noise Crime 3D Tech Demos
  • 3D Property Inspector

• 3D faculty support:
  • If you have any questions and/or need assistance with your 3D models, be sure to contact 3D whiz/instructor Chris Redmann to schedule a meeting(s).
  • Email: cpr25@drexel.edu
  • Office phone extention: 2401
  • Online calendar

Homework 01: Due midnight the night before next class:

• Submit via email to your instructor, subject: “digm560hwk01s###jwt23″ [replace ### with your class section number, replace jwt23 with your drexel email account prefix]
• Review shockwave 3D web sites (with embedded shockwave) and write up 5-10 sentence paragragph explaining which one (with url link) you like the best and why.

How much control over your 3D objects do you really want to have?:

Topics:

• Flash vs Director, when is comes to 3D interactivity
• 3D objects
• 3D environments
• Pre-Rendered 3D images
• Pre-Rendered 3D animations
• Real-time 3D environments
• Restrictions/Guidelines:
  • 25,000 polygons total / 1,000 per object
  • Use bitmap images to fake 3D detail
• Texture map:
  • 64×64 .. 12k
  • 512×512 .. 768k
  • 1024×1024 .. 3mb
  • Tile whenever possible
  • Bitmap .. Good
  • Procedural .. 2D .. OK
  • Procedural .. 3D .. not supported in shockwave
• Texture animation:
  • Sequence of images
  • Video file
  • Move texture across a model via coordinates (lingo)
• Shadows:
  • Raytracing high quality but very slow
  • Soft edge shape with alpha transparency
  • Incorporate into textures (room environments)
• Reflections:
  • Raytracing not supported in Shockwave
  • Use reflection map instead
• Deforming object “morphing”:
  • Mesh Bones / Biped
• Model animation techniques:
  • Linked hierarchies
  • Deforming Mesh with Bone or Biped

Director 11 Review Homework 02: Due midnight the night before next class:

• Submit via email to your instructor, subject: “digm560hwk02s###jwt23″ [replace ### with your class section number, replace jwt23 with your drexel email account prefix]
• Interface
  • Create your multi-layer interface in Photoshop, canvas no larger than 800×600
  • Keep in mind that your 3D environment will be 320×240 -> 640×480
  • Required items:
    • Background
    • Header/Title
  • Buttons to control 3D objects and environment
  • Reserved area for 3D environment
  • Export interface to jpeg format, under 1024 kb
  • Upload image to your web site and send me the url to the WEB html page that contains said image
  • Bring your Photoshop file to class for review
• 3D Mesh Object
  • Create an interesting SINGLE MESH object in Maya 8.0 using the Restrictions/Guidelines covered in class
  • Export to an 800×600 image, jpeg format, under 1024 kb
  • Upload image to your web site and send me the url to the WEB html page that contains said image
  • Bring your Maya 8.0 file to class of review
  • Helpful link: Character Animation for Shockwave 3D [steps 1 & 2]

Optimizing 3D for interactivity: Topics:

• Homework 02 review
• Turn on Maya 8.0 shockwave exporter plugin
  • Select Window->Settings/Preferences->Plug-in Manager…
• Importing 3D W3D files into Director
• Controlling W3D cast members with “3DPI” Xtra
• Publishing Director files with 3D content
• Preparing 3D content for Shockwave. more info
  • File size
  • Naming conventions. unique models, textures, cameras, etc

Homework 03: Due midnight the night before next class:

• Submit via email to your instructor, subject: “digm560hwk03s###jwt23″ [replace ### with your class section number, replace jwt23 with your drexel email account prefix]
• Finalize your Maya 8.0 file (lights, camera, x-y-z, textures, etc. so that it can be manipulate and viewed within director via the 3DPI xtra.
• Import your W3D shockwave file into director and intergrate into your static interface
• Publish and post your shockwave movie and send me the url to the html page

Importing W3D files into Director: Topics:

• Importing
  • Positioning
  • Model
• Camera
• lights
• Controlling W3D cast members with built in Behaviors
  • Zooming
  • Rotation
  • X, Y, Z

Homework 04: Due midnight the night before next class:

• Submit via email to your instructor, subject: “digm560hwk04s###jwt23″ [replace ### with your class section number, replace jwt23 with your drexel email account prefix]
• Finalize your Maya 8.0 file (lights, camera, x-y-z, textures, etc. so that it can be manipulate and viewed within director via the 3DPI xtra.
• Import your W3D shockwave file into director and intergrate into your static interface
• Apply built in Behavior so that the user can do the following
  • Zoom camera in and out via the “w” and “s” keys.
  • Either rotate the camera around your main object (horizontally and vertically) OR rotate your main object (horizontally and vertically).
• Publish and post your shockwave movie and send me the url to the html page

Flash – Director Communications: Topics:

• Homework Review
• Flash SWF Player 8 – Director 11.5 Communication
  • Download working sample
• Limit zoom parameters
• Invert mouse scrub – object rotation
• Using arrow keys to rotate 3D object
• Control Box technique
  • Create a “control Box” object around your models and group your models to that “control box”
  • Make sure that your X, Y, Z and camera perspective are in sync for proper W3D export
  • More Info (Page 206)

Homework:

• No official Homework – Recommend that you start working on animating your 3D model(s).

Controlling 3D Animations: Topics:

• Visibility
• resetWorld()
• Swapping textures
• Start-Stop 3D Animation
  • bonesplayer
  • keyframeplayer
  • playrate
  • play(motion-model-name, loopFlag, startTime, endTime, Xspeed)
• Resources
  • View Sample
  • Download “dancing bobby” raw director file for class walk through

Customizing 3D lingo Behaviors: Topics:

• Bye bye Havok, Hello AGEIA – Demo
• Selecting individual 3D models – View – Download
• Dynamically adding models – View – Download
• Animated/Video textures – View – Download

Homework 04: Due midnight the night before next class:

• Submit via email to your instructor, subject: “digm560hwk05s###jwt23″ [replace ### with your class section number, replace jwt23 with your drexel email account prefix]
• Finalize your Maya 8.0 file (lights, camera, x-y-z, textures, etc. so that it can be manipulate and viewed within director via the 3DPI xtra.
• Import your W3D shockwave file into director and intergrate into your functional interface
• Apply built in Behavior and lingo so that the user can do the following
  • Limited camera zoom in and out via the “w” and “s” keys.
  • Rotate the camera around your main object (horizontally only) OR rotate your main object (horizontally only).
• Publish and post your shockwave movie and send me the url to the html page

Putting it all together: Topics: Work on final project.

• Detailed homework review

Alpha Testing and Critique: Topics: Work on final project.

• View sample of Director to javascript communication
• Download working sample

Beta Testing:

• Control W3D animation with Lingo .. Visit
• Download Dancing Bobby with W3D preloader

Final Project: Due midnight the night before next class:

• Submit via email to your instructor, subject: “digm560finaljwt23″ [replace jwt23 with your drexel email account prefix]
• URL to your final project

Due the START of class (first 30 minutes) during final week:

• Cross platform CDROM labeled “digm560finaljwt23″
• Replace jwt23 with your drexel email account prefix
• dir, dcr(s), w3d(s), (x)html, css, Maya 8.0 file, etc.
• How to burn true cross platform CDROM’s. [View]