NASON'S CLASSES READ READ READ READ READ

class.

this is kinda long, so don't give up or you'll miss out. and read the details again if you have any doubts as to what, when and where things are due!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! call or email me for any help you may need, but only after you know this email in-and-out and still need help.

here are some tips for possible animations:
.01_walk through. the easiest way to do this is in the 'top' view place a camera. 'click the set frame' button as we did when i showed you the object evolution-type animation. then click 'key frame' as we did in the same example and move the camera and time line accordingly. this will move the camera in sync with your animation time line. when done switch your view to the appropriate camera and click play. watch the simple beauty unfold.

if your camera needs to change levels when you are moving it in top view have a side view visible in another window [alt-w] and you can adjust it there. the camera will initially be placed on the ground plane level. move it up about 5 - 5.5' unless this is an ant's walk through. i don't want to know how your toes would experience the building while you run through it in flip-flops. the 5'-5.5' is to put the camera at about eye level.

another thing to consider is the timing. the filming occurs at 30 frames per second. if you are leaving your frames at 100, that is 3.33 seconds long. that's to short, and the animation will be flying through the space. "dat's no goot!" instead click on the time clock icon down by the animation time line and out in more frames. this will drastically elongate your rendering, but make it a much better and longer video. you can also slow the speed down to 1/4speed here. that alone changes the length from 3.33 seconds, to 13.33 seconds. shoot for at least 30- 45 second animations [at normal speed that is 900 - 1350 frames and at 1/4 speed that is 225 to 338 frames].

.02_fly around. basically the same steps, just instead of moving the camera through the space you move it around the building's perimeter. the camera level and timing hints apply to all rendered animations from viz or max [and generally speaking formz, too]. remember you can also produce any animation in wire frame [by clicking 'force wire frame' in the render parameters box].

.03_parametric camera. this is the one where we exported an adjustable camera view to quicktime player from max. this allows the viewer to look around your space from a specific stand point. we did this one as an interior, another option is to do one of the exterior as well. we went over the steps in class, so i won't repeat them here.

.04_camera path. this one you can play with, but i would recommend the others first. you can draw a spline [circle, oval, etc.] in the top view, then create a camera and look for the option to 'set camera to path'. with some tweaking these can be pretty nice, but the the speed is harder to get right.

.05_inclusion animation. this is the gem, especially for those of you with small gallery spaces. this is where you show how your alien vs. predator comes to being. what you would do is a lot like options .01 and .02. here, you place a camera that would show well a specific point where your gallery and collage come together. start with just the gallery and one by one move a piece of your 'alien' into vie while sliding the animation time line over. this will record how each piece comes into the gallery as if it is being constructed there on the spot. it is also possible to do this by turning your collage off and turning it on one piece at a time until it all shows up. if your collage imported as one big piece you may have to be a bit more creative, but by sliding things, moving planes [such as the ground plane], etc. so you can show this process.

there are many other ways you can do creative animations of your own device. feel free to experiment a little bit. these should then be linked to your website under the 'final composition' heading. i don't think these will actually fit into the gallery [i may be wrong here], but either way, they can be linked below.

as far as animations go, i want to see at least two. three or more is extra credit, which some of you could use to your advantage. for example, you do 12 animations, you get credit for 10 extra credit assignments, which would put pretty much anyone in the 'a' category. however, for them to really count, the need to be useful renderings. i'm going to ignore animations that do not really show your work.

speaking of grades, here's how i am calculating them...

2d phase: 30%
3d phase: 30%
final submission: 25%
class participation: 15%
this is your 100% grade.
here is where I add points for extra credit and subtract for absences [in excess of 3]. if you have more than 3, you will need some extra credit help to counter weigh those. absences also affect your class participation grade, so you coming to class will really pay off 100-fold.

remember the absolute last time you can turn anything in is this sunday night at 11:59 pm [meaning website and server]. by that time you must have all images and videos posted to your web page and in your network folder you should have a folder that is entitled "000_final submission" in that folder there should be four sub-folders, all named identically to the four section headings on your web page. in these sub-folders there should be a copy of all images and videos on your website and any files[form_z, max, illustrator, etc] that contain the images and/or videos in that section. ANYTHING TURNED IN BY THE ORIGINAL DUE DATE OF FRIDAY NIGHT BY 11:59 PM, WILL BE BLESSED NUMERICALLY AS TURNED IN 'EARLY'. saturday and sunday submissions will be considered on-time. monday will be too late.

my earlier email about web-posting is included below as a refresher!

good luck and good work! if you have any questions, please let me know and i will do my best to help.

please have a great and SAFE summer. if you can only have one of the two, choose safe over great.


joshua m. nason

graduate part-time instructor / master's degree candidate
the college of architecture / texas tech university
w:: 806.742.3136x258
c:: 806.789.2381
e:: joshua.nason@ttu.edu
faculty page:: http://www.arch.ttu.edu/people/faculty/nason_j/
student page:: http://www.arch.ttu.edu/courses/2006/fall/5395/391/nason/
From: listAdmin@edsel.tosm.ttu.edu [mailto:listAdmin@edsel.tosm.ttu.edu]Sent: Thu 5/10/2007 1:08 PMTo: COMPT ASSIST DESIGN DEVELOPSubject: [arch2354_090_spring2007] final submission

dearest class.

i apologize for the delay in sending this. i have been slammed with my own stuff, not thtat that is an excuse. for the sinal submission you now have until sunday night 11:59 pm at the latest. nothing will be accepted later than this due to the fact that i submit your grades monday morning.the class website where you post your final stuff is located at:

http://www.arch.ttu.edu/courses/2007/spring/2354/nason's_babies.htm

go here, click on your name select to edit with microsoft frontapage [for new internet explorer versions it is under the 'page' tab at the top right.] and just drop your images into the appropriate gallery by double clicking. you then select each image and enter a short descriptive caption that will appear below each image. your animations can be posted below the images in the 'final composition' gallery.once you click on edit with frontpage you will have to sign in to edit.

below is your user name, password example.

ttu\eraidereraider password

if you cannot log in send me an email with your eraider username and i'll fix it, i had to guess on them.this is very simple, you just need to categorize every thing you have into these categories: 2d, 3d, final and extra. only use image files [jpegs work best] and put them in order so the gallery makes sense.let me know if you have any problems. also, you do not need to be on the network to do this, any internet connection will work.have an enjoyable and safe summer break!josh