Adv App in 3D Interactivity

Attendance and Completed Homework:
Section 001
Section 002
Section 501

DIGM 560, Adv App in 3D Interactivity, The goal of this course is to explore advanced concepts and applications on adding interactivity to 3D environments via an assortment of software packages including 3D Max, Director and Flash. This course will focus on the optimized integration of 3D objects in environments with interactive authoring tools.

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 inculde 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

  • Director MX 2004 for Windows and Macintosh: Visual Quickstart Guide
  • 3D for the Web, Interactive 3D animatin 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.)
  • Head phones (If you want to listen to music while you work during lab time!)
Week 1

01/10.. Introductions.

Lecture: "Graduate class combine all their skills."
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?
Online Resources:
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 for week 1

Due midnight the night before next class:

Submit via email to: jervis.thompson@drexel.edu, subject: "digm560hwk01s###jwt05" [replace ### with your class section number, replace jwt05 with your email account login]
Review 3D web sites (provided/new) and write up quick paragragph explaining which one (with url link) you like the best and why.
Week 2

01/17.. 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
  • 64x64 .. 12k
  • 512x512 .. 768k
  • 1024x1024 .. 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 MX 2004 indepth review
View sample
Download raw media
Download "hotspot" sample movie
Homework for week 2

Due midnight the night before next class:

Submit via email to: jervis.thompson@drexel.edu, subject: "digm560hwk02s###jwt05" [replace ### with your class section number, replace jwt05 with your email account login]
Create an interesting SINGLE MESH object in Maya using the Restrictions/Guidelines covered in class
Export to an 800x600 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 file to class of review
Helpful link: http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/director/articles/char_anim.html [steps 1 and 2]
Week 3

01/24.. Optimizing 3D for interactivity.

Topics:
Homework 02 review
Importing 3D W3D files into Director
Controlling W3D cast members with built in Behaviors
Publishing Director files with 3D content
Preparing 3D content for Shockwave. more info
  • File size
  • Naming conventions. unique models, textures, cameras, etc
Adding "Bones" to your 3D object
Homework for week 3

Due midnight the night before next class:

Submit via email to: jervis.thompson@drexel.edu, subject: "digm560hwk03s###jwt05" [replace ### with your class section number, replace jwt05 with your email account login]
Add "bones" (if necessary) and a short animation to your 3D object created in last weeks homework assignment
Export your animation to a web deliverable format (Animated gif, QT)
Upload animation to your web site and send me the url to the WEB html page that contains said animation
Bring your Maya file to class of review
Helpful link: http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/director/articles/char_anim.html [steps 3 thur 11]
Week 4

01/31.. Importing W3D files into Director.

Topics:
Homework 03 review
Chris Redmann - ZBrush presentation UCROSS room 028 - 7:30 pm
Homework for week 4
NONE.
Week 5

02/07.. Controlling W3D file animation within Director.

Topics:
Import
Position
  • Model
  • Camera
Rotation
Scale
Visibility
Apply textures
Start-Stop 3D Animation
  • bonesplayer
  • keyframeplayer
  • playrate
  • play(motion-model-name, loopFlag, startTime, endTime, Xspeed)
  • playList
Resources:
3D .. resetWorld()
3D .. play()
3D .. pause()
Homework for week 5

Due midnight the night before next class:

Submit via email to: jervis.thompson@drexel.edu, subject: "digm560hwk04s###jwt05" [replace ### with your class section number, replace jwt05 with your email account login]
Export your 3D animation to W3D format
Import your W3D shockwave file into Director
Add a "pause" button to your Director movie that will stop the 3D animation in it's current frame
Add a "play" button to your Director movie that will resume the 3D animation from it's current frame
Add a "resetWorld" button to your Director movie that will reset your 3D cast member
Apply a upper and lower limit to your zoom functionality.
Shock and post to your web site, and send me the url to the html file
Week 6

02/14.. Controlling 3D environments.

Topics:
Homework review
Final project ideas
Maya animation pre-export note
  • Make sure to group the bones and any meshes associated with the bones together, and what you named the group will show up as bones animation in the 3dpi xtra.
Converting 3DPI changes into Lingo commands
  • 3D .. position()
  • 3D .. camera()
  • 3D .. light()
Car driving environment resource:
Homework for week 6

Finalize W3D file, high quailty objects. Director interface buttons, etc.

Week 7

02/21.. Combining 3D Lingo and Behaviors.

Topics:
Director 11 announced - View
Bye bye Havok, Hello AGEIA - Demo
3 cast member buttons and behavior - Download sample
Flash 8 / Director MX 2004, two way communication - Download sample
Homework for week 7

Due midnight the night before next class:

Submit via email to: jervis.thompson@drexel.edu, subject: "digm560hwk05s###jwt05" [replace ### with your class section number, replace jwt05 with your email account login]
URL to Director Alpha prototype
  • All assets imported into Director
  • Complete interface with cursor aware buttons
  • Some 3D functionality
  • Publish and post too your website
Week 8

02/28.. Putting it all together.

Topics:
Selecting individual 3D models within W3D cast member .. View .. Download
Dynamically adding models to W3D cast member .. View .. Download
Havok 3D physics engine RIP!
Animated/Video textures.. View .. Download
Homework for week 8

NONE.

Week 9

03/06.. Beta testing and critique.

Topics:
Course Evaluations
Class review
Last call for trouble shooting and debugging
Homework for week 9

NONE.

Week 10

03/13.. Flexing your digital media muscles 8-)

Final Project turn in, and class crit:

Final project for week 10
Submit via email to: jervis.thompson@drexel.edu, midnight the night before class, subject: "digm560final_s###jwt05" [replace ### with your class section number, replace jwt05 with your email account login]
URL to your final "index.htm" page
Submit via cross platform CDROM at the start of next class...
How to burn true cross platform CDROM's. [view]
Your digital final project with assests
All files MUST be placed in a folder named "digm560final###jwt"
  • [replace ### with your class section number, replace jwt with your initials]