Computer Animation

• Teachers
• Weekly hours
• Competences
• Objectives
• Contents
• Activities
• Teaching methodology
• Evaluation methodology
• Bibliography
• Web links
• Previous capacities

Teachers

Person in charge

• Nuria Pelechano Gomez ( )

Others

• Alejandro Beacco Porres ( )
• Antonio Susin Sanchez ( )
• Imanol Muñoz Pandiella ( )
• Jose Luis Pontón Martinez ( )
• Oscar Argudo Medrano ( )

Weekly hours

Competences

Technical Competences of each Specialization

Computer graphics and virtual reality

• CEE1.1 - Capability to understand and know how to apply current and future technologies for the design and evaluation of interactive graphic applications in three dimensions, either when priorizing image quality or when priorizing interactivity and speed, and to understand the associated commitments and the reasons that cause them.
• CEE1.2 - Capability to understand and know how to apply current and future technologies for the evaluation, implementation and operation of virtual and / or increased reality environments, and 3D user interfaces based on devices for natural interaction.

Generic Technical Competences

Generic

• CG1 - Capability to apply the scientific method to study and analyse of phenomena and systems in any area of Computer Science, and in the conception, design and implementation of innovative and original solutions.

Transversal Competences

Information literacy

• CTR4 - Capability to manage the acquisition, structuring, analysis and visualization of data and information in the area of informatics engineering, and critically assess the results of this effort.

Basic

• CB7 - Ability to integrate knowledges and handle the complexity of making judgments based on information which, being incomplete or limited, includes considerations on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgments.
• CB9 - Possession of the learning skills that enable the students to continue studying in a way that will be mainly self-directed or autonomous.

Objectives

1. When completing this course, students will understand the concepts behind animation and simulation in computer graphics applications. More specifically they will be able to understand and program algorithms for:
   Related competences: CB7, CB9, CTR4, CEE1.1, CEE1.2, CG1,
   Subcompetences:
   • Crowd simulation methods.
   • Navigation techniques to have multiple characters wandering virtual environments in real-time with different models that abstract away the geometry of the environment (roadmaps, cell and portal graphs, cellular automata)
   • Character animation (skin deformation, joints transformation to achieve animations, and real-time techniques for handling animation of multiple character).
   • Animation of rigid bodies, mass-spring models, and articulated chains.
   • Particle systems with collision detection and physical forces.

Contents

1. Particle systems and collision handling
   Particles are introduced as the simplest animation objects. General features like state vector, forces, energies, numerical solvers, etc., are defined together with interactions (collisions) with other scene objects. Simulation examples are explosions, fireworks, smoke, fountains and rain.
2. Mass-spring models
   The mass-spring model allow us to animate more complex objects built from interrelated particles. Definition of the internal deformation forces. Examples are combined in their 1-dim (rubber-band, rope, etc.), 2-dim (cloth, flags, curtains, etc.) and 3-dim (soft bricks, jelly, etc.).
3. Rigid bodies and articulated chains.
   Animation of single rigid bodies (spheres, dice, etc.) and their interaction. Articulated rigid body chains. Interaction between solid and deformable objects.
4. Navigation.
   Cell and portal graphs, path finding, roadmaps.
5. Character Animation.
   Keyframing, skinning, motion capture and motion graphs.
6. Crowd simulation.
   social forces, rule based models, cellular automatas, precomputed search trees.

Activities

Activity Evaluation act

Teaching methodology

Evaluation methodology

Bibliography

Basic:

• Virtual crowds: methods, simulation, and control - Pelechano, N.; Allbeck, J.M.; Badler, N.I, Morgan Claypool, 2008. ISBN: 9781598296419
  https://discovery.upc.edu/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma991003540459706711&context=L&vid=34CSUC_UPC:VU1&lang=ca

Complementary:

• Game physics - Eberly, D.H, Morgan Kaufmann/Elsevier , 2010. ISBN: 9780080964072
  https://discovery.upc.edu/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma991000947489706711&context=L&vid=34CSUC_UPC:VU1&lang=ca

Web links

• Current research in computer graphics animation techniques http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~van/sca/sca.html
• Current research in computer graphics real-time animation techniques http://www.motioningames.org/

Previous capacities