Lynda.COM Character Animation Fundamentals with Maya

Author:
George Maestri

Duration:
06h 06m

Released on:
5/20/2011

Exercise files:
Yes


In Character Animation Fundamentals with Maya, author George Maestri employs the basic principles of animation to bring to life simple 3D characters in Maya. Starting with an overview of the character rig, the course provides guidelines for arranging stock characters into strong poses and explains how to generate locomotion between poses in a modular fashion. The course includes step-by-step instructions on animating realistic gestures, walks, runs, facial expressions, and dialogue, and culminates with an animated scene built entirely from scratch. Exercise files accompany the course.

Prerequisite courses: Maya 2011 Essential Training.
Topics include:

    Using screen-drawing tools for Windows and Mac
    Quickly posing characters with custom MEL scripts and layers
    Understanding forces and their role in creating lifelike animation
    Sequencing and timing pose-to-pose animation
    Fine-tuning transitions
    Animating a character's gait and run
    Crafting realistic facial expressions
    Syncing speech to animated dialogue





Introduction
Introduction           01m 10s
Using the exercise files           01m 08s
Character rig overview: Simple character           06m 19s
Character rig overview: Full character           07m 30s
Using other rigs           00m 48s
Using screen drawing tools for Windows           03m 09s
Using screen drawing tools for the Mac           02m 14s

1. Posing Digital Characters
Creating strong poses           03m 27s
Creating custom MEL scripts to help pose characters           04m 39s
Using layers to select characters           01m 10s
Learning the basics of posing characters           10m 07s
Creating stock poses           04m 24s

2. Animating Characters in Motion
Understanding forces and character motion           02m 13s
Understanding drag           05m 51s
Working with secondary motion           05m 33s
Bringing the character to life           04m 21s
Refining the animation           07m 13s

3. Creating Pose to Pose Animation
Keyframing initial poses           04m 21s
Creating the blocking pass           07m 42s
Moving holds           05m 27s
Animating weight shift           04m 21s
Animating pose to pose transitions           07m 46s
Animating a wave           09m 53s

4. Animating Walks
Analyzing a walk           05m 43s
Setting up a character for a basic walk           01m 22s
Animating a walk: The feet           05m 55s
Animating a walk: The lower body           08m 23s
Animating a walk: Making the cycle symmetrical           03m 10s
Animating a walk: Working with the spine           05m 59s
Animating a walk: Arm motion           07m 28s
Animating a walk: The head           04m 15s

5. Adding Character to a Walk
The importance of the passing position           04m 52s
Working with foot placement           03m 50s
Adding character to a walk: Contact position           05m 10s
Adding character to a walk: Passing position           03m 20s
Adding character to a walk: Finalizing           07m 03s

6. Animating Runs
A run in four poses           02m 39s
Animating a run: The first pose           04m 31s
Animating a run: The second pose           07m 17s
Animating a run: Mirroring the basic poses           10m 59s
Animating a run: Hip and foot motion           05m 12s
Animating a run: The upper body           05m 02s
Animating a run: Left arm motion           05m 31s
Animating a run: Right arm motion           04m 39s
Animating a run: Cycling the animation           06m 37s

7. Facial Animation and Dialogue
Animating blinks           07m 56s
Animating changes in eye direction           05m 06s
Animating a head turn           04m 35s
Working with audio           03m 38s
Overview of mouth controls           02m 44s
Animating vowels           15m 14s
Animating consonants: B, D, and G           07m 02s
Animating consonants: F, M, and S           08m 22s
Animating lip sync: Assigning phonemes           10m 43s
Animating lip sync: The head           09m 44s
Animating lip sync: The body           05m 10s

8. Animating a Scene
Creating the main poses           04m 18s
Blocking poses to dialogue           07m 01s
In-between blocking pass           03m 27s
Animating moving holds           05m 19s
Creating weight           06m 19s
Adding secondary motion           10m 00s
Animating dialogue           08m 12s
Finalizing the animation           11m 19s

Conclusion
Goodbye           00m 24s