3D Animation Essentials

The essential fundamentals of 3D animation for aspiring 3D artists 3D is everywhere—video games, movie and television special effects, mobile devices, etc. Many aspiring artists and animators have grown up with 3D and computers, and naturally gravitate to this field as their area of interest. Bringing a blend of studio and classroom experience to offer you thorough coverage of the 3D animation industry, this must-have book shows you what it takes to create compelling and realistic 3D imagery. Serves as the first step to understanding the language of 3D and computer graphics (CG) Covers 3D animation basics: pre-production, modeling, animation, rendering, and post-production Dissects core 3D concepts including design, film, video, and games Examines what artistic and technical skills are needed to succeed in the industry Offers helpful real-world scenarios and informative interviews with key educators and studio and industry professionals Whether you're considering a career in as a 3D artist or simply wish to expand your understanding of general CG principles, this book will give you a great overview and knowledge of core 3D Animation concepts and the industry. 3D Animation Essentials 1 Acknowledgments 6 About the Author 7 Contents 9 Introduction 15 Who Should Read This Book 15 What Is Covered in This Book 16 Chapter 1: 3D Animation Overview 19 Defining 3D Animation 19 Exploring the 3D Animation Industry 20 The History of 3D Animation 28 The Essentials and Beyond 37 Chapter 2: Getting to Know the Production Pipeline 39 Understanding the Production Pipeline’s Components 39 Working in 3D Animation Preproduction 40 Working in 3D Animation Production 51 Working in 3D Animation Postproduction 61 Using Production Tools 63 The Essentials and Beyond 70 Chapter 3: Understanding Digital Imaging and Video 73 Understanding Digital Imaging 73 Understanding Digital Video 89 The Essentials and Beyond 99 Chapter 4: Exploring Animation, Story, and Pre-visualization 101 Using Principles of Fine Art and Traditional Animation 101 Building a Good Story 123 Using Pre-visualization Techniques 131 The Essentials and Beyond 150 Chapter 5: Understanding Modeling and Texturing 153 Modeling 153 Texturing 176 The Essentials and Beyond 192 Chapter 6: Rigging and Animation 195 Rigging 195 Animation 211 The Essentials and Beyond 228 Chapter 7: Understanding Visual Effects, Lighting, and Rendering 231 Creating Visual Effects 231 Lighting 243 Rendering 255 The Essentials and Beyond 264 Chapter 8: Hardware and Software Tools of the Trade 267 Choosing a Computer 268 Using Monitors/Displays 278 Working with Graphics Tablets 279 Using 3D Scanners 280 Setting Up Render Farms 282 Finding Data Storage Solutions 283 Choosing Software 286 The Essentials and Beyond 290 Chapter 9: Industry Trends 293 Using Motion Capture 293 Creating Stereoscopic 3D 296 Integrating Point-Cloud Data 299 Providing Real-Time Capabilities 300 Working in Virtual Studios 306 The Essentials and Beyond 307 Appendix A: Answers to Review Questions 309 Chapter 1 309 Chapter 2 310 Chapter 3 310 Chapter 4 311 Chapter 5 312 Chapter 6 313 Chapter 7 314 Chapter 8 314 Chapter 9 315 Appendix B: Gaining Insight into 3D Animation Education 317 Linda Sellheim 317 Larry Richman 321 Steve Kolbe 325 Appendix C: Learning from Industry Pros 331 Brian Phillips 331 Jim Rivers 334 Rosie Server 339 Index 345 "The essential fundamentals of 3D animation for aspiring 3D artists: 3D is everywhere--video games, movie and television special effects, mobile devices, etc. Many aspiring artists and animators have grown up with 3D and computers, and naturally gravitate to this field as their area of interest. Bringing a blend of studio and classroom experience to offer you thorough coverage of the 3D animation industry, this must-have book shows you what it takes to create compelling and realistic 3D imagery. Serves as the first step to understanding the language of 3D and computer graphics (CG) -- Covers 3D animation basics: pre-production, modeling, animation, rendering, and post-production -- Dissects core 3D concepts including design, film, video, and games -- Examines what artistic and technical skills are needed to succeed in the industry -- Offers helpful real-world scenarios and informative interviews with key educators and studio and industry professionals. Whether you're considering a career in as a 3D artist or simply wish to expand your understanding of general CG principles, this book will give you a great overview and knowledge of core 3D Animation concepts and the industry."--Provided by publisher Looks at the fundamentals of 3D animation and computer graphics, with information on such topics as the production pipeline, modeling and texturing, rigging, visual effects, lighting, rendering, and industry trends