ATEC 3327 Intermediate 3D Computer Animation

Course Credit Hours: 3

Time: Tuesdays 7:00 – 9:45 PM

Instructor Matt Battaglia

Email: mbattag@pixelbound.net

Office Hours By appointment only.

Course This intermediate course will establish skills and techniques for
Description texturing, lighting and rendering 3D scenes and objects in Maya.

Course Develop an understanding of the techniques and practices of

Objectives CG lighting.

Develop an understanding of shading and texturing techniques

and applications.

Develop an understanding of composition through lighting,

camera, and color.

Create a collection of still images and materials that

demonstrate student's understanding on the topics covered in
this course.

Create a collection of renders that show student progress

throughout the semester, intended to be used in an online
student portfolio.

Develop an understanding and vocabulary of current techniques

and developments in the CG industry.

Demonstrate the ability to offer both technical and aesthetic

criticisms of the work of peers and self.

Course Due to the limited lecture time every week, students are
Methodology expected to arrive to class on time and be prepared. Also, work
outside of class time is expected.

Class meeting times will be a mix of lecture, demonstration,

hands-on student work, and peer critique.
 Students are encouraged to complete all work at the ATEC
computer labs in order to benefit from collaborative learning with
your peers. Students choosing to use "offsite" hardware and
software must have their current working files on the system and
available for review at the beginning of each and every class.
Problems with "offsite" systems and/or incompatibility will not be
an acceptable excuse for missed assignments.

Tentative Week
Course Lecture Topics Assignment
Date
Schedule Wk 1 Class introduction. Maya
1/10 refresher and tools.
(Course schedule
Wk 2 Digital lights and shadows:
and content is 1/17 Types and uses.
Project 1 assigned
subject to
change at the Wk 3 Three-point lighting, Maya
1/24 cameras and composition.
discretion of the
instructor. Check Wk 4
Lighting effects, gobos, noise
periodically for 1/31
updates.) Wk 5
Project 1 Critique Project 1 Due, Project 2 assigned
2/7
Wk 6 Procedural textures,
2/14 hypershade, UV mapping
Wk 7 UV mapping cont., bump
2/21 mapping, displacement
Wk 8
Project 2 Critique Project 2 Due
2/28
Spring
March 6 – 11
Break
Wk 9
Raytracing Project 3 assigned
3/14
Mental Ray, global
Wk 10
illumination, radiosity,
3/21
caustics
Wk 11
Motion blur, depth of field
3/28
Wk 12
In class work time Project 3 work-in-progress
4/4
Wk 13
In class work time Project 3 work-in-progress
4/11
Wk
Project 3 Critique Project 3 Due
4/18
 Assignments Project 1: Times of day
Project 2: Textures and Shaders
Project 3: Final project

Grading policy Students must demonstrate satisfactory achievement of course

objectives through fulfillment of course assignments and by
contributing to class discussions and critiques. Course
assignments will require students to use software and
equipment available at the ATEC computer labs. Collaboration
between students in the course, other faculty, staff and students
in the ATEC program is encouraged. Course evaluation will be
based upon the following:

• Projects 1 and 2 are both worth 100 points each.

• Project 3 is worth 200 points.
• There will be 5 periodic progress checks worth 5 points
each.
• There will be 25 additional points earned by participating
in class and in critiques.

All students are required to be on time and in attendance for

each and every class. Students arriving to class more than 15
minutes late will be counted as absent. Two (2) absences will
lower a final grade by 1/2 a letter. Three (3) absences will lower
your final grade by one letter. Four (4) absences will result in a
failing grade ("F ") for the course.

Adherence to deadlines is expected. It is the individual student's

responsibility to keep track of the goals and deadlines and to
present the work to the class and instructor on the specified
dates. Late assignments will affect your grade: 10 points will be
deducted from the total score for each day the project is late.
Students will be expected to have some work to show progress
throughout the class.

If you need to drop the class for any reason, you are responsible
for initiating the drop procedure. Contact the Register's Office. If
you do not withdraw by the specific drop date and you do not
fulfill the requirements of the class, you will receive a failing
grade.

Grading Scale Grading will be assessed on a 100 point scale. To determine

your final grade, divide the number of points you have earned by
450 (The total amount of class points).
 Percentage: Corresponding Numerical
Grade: Equivalent:
100 – 98 A+ 4.00
97 – 94 A 4.00
93 – 90 A- 3.67
89 – 87 B+ 3.33
86 – 83 B 3.00
82 – 80 B- 2.67
79 – 77 C+ 2.33
76 – 73 C 2.00
72 – 70 C- 1.67
69 – 67 D+ 1.33
66 – 63 D 1.00
62 – 60 D- 0.67
59 – Below F 0.00

Textbooks Textbooks are not required for this course. However, these
books are highly recommended and will further your study in
lighting, texturing and rendering:

Digital Lighting and Rendering, by Jeremy Birn, New Riders

Digital Texturing and Painting, by Owen Demers, New Riders

Course Notebook/Sketchbook
Supplies Archive Material: writable media such as CDs or DVDs

Accommodation It is the policy of UTD to provide reasonable and appropriate

Process accommodations for individuals with documented disabilities.
This University will adhere to all applicable federal, state, and
local laws, regulations, and guidelines with respect to providing
reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal
educational opportunity. It is the student's responsibility to
contact the appropriate office in a timely manner if s/he desires
to arrange for accommodations.

Scholastic UTD may initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student

Dishonesty accused of scholastic dishonesty. Scholastic dishonesty
includes, but is not limited to statements, acts, or omissions
related to application for enrollment, the ward of a degree,
and/or the submission of one's work of material that is not one's
own. Scholastic dishonesty may involve one or more of the
following acts; cheating, plagiarism, collusion, and falsifying
academic records.
 Cheating is the willful giving or receiving of information in an
unauthorized manner during an examination, illicitly obtaining
examination questions in advance, copying computer files,
copying internet material, using someone else's work for
assignments as if it were one's own, or any other dishonest
means of attempting to fulfill the requirements of a course.

Plagiarism is the use of an author's works or ideas as if they

were one's own without giving credit to the source, including, but
not limited to, failure to acknowledge a direct quotation.

Copyright It is a federal crime to reproduce copyrighted software. Anyone

Violations caught reproducing software from the UTD labs will be subject
to disciplinary action. In addition, anyone caught reproducing
outside software in the lab will automatically lose all lab
privileges and will be subject to other disciplinary action as
deemed necessary.