BVW: Assignment #0: Learn Your Tools
Part 1 Due: Tuesday, August 29 th at
Part 2 Due: Monday,
September 4 th at
Before you can build anything, you must become comfortable with your tools. This assignment, to be done individually, will allow you to learn the basics of the tools you’ll be using in this course. You are expected to start early, and finish early, as we have constrained resources. You must complete this assignment on time to stay in the course. We strongly recommend you finish early, and if you want to keep working to “make things better,” then periodically update your solutions.
You will have lots of help if you need it:
All resources will be available at the course WWW page: http://www.etc.cmu.edu/bvw/resources.html
TA's will be reading email around the clock at bvw-pgh-support@lists.andrew.cmu.edu
How to Hand Things In:
All of your files this semester will be handed in through the source control software Perforce. The instructions to use Perforce are here: http://www.etc.cmu.edu/bvw/perforceInstall.doc
Read your email at least once a day; we will email any logistical changes.
Part 1: Everyone: This is due by the end of class on Tuesday. Yes, this is due your first day of class! Put a file named after yourself, using the convention “JaneSmith.txt” , telling us three interesting facts about yourself. This is to make sure that you know how to put a file on the Perforce server. So if Jane Smith was a scripter she would submit the following file and folder:
assignment0/Scripting/jsmith/Jane_Smith.txt
Part 2: is specific to your role…
Painters:
On your computer (not through the Perforce client) copy the box.mb, ground.mb, bear.mb, and book.mb files from the Painter folder to the personal folder you created.
Unwrap their UV's and Paint a red “F” on each of the objects. (Painting red F’s is really, really important. Get used to it; it will save you a lot of wasted time in this course.) Confirm with a TA you did all this correctly and then check them into Perforce. Now take your 3 objects and paint them as beautifully as you can, try to do the following.
- The ground should be using a tiled texture
- The book should have an inside as well as an outside
- The book should use more than one texture
- The bear should have at least one body part that is sharing texture space and one body part that isn't
- The box should be painted into something else with transparency. This could be anything.
- Try to paint shadows in, this will greatly enhance your textures
- Try to have as little texture distortion as possible.
- Your texture should be a png file and applied to the model.
When you are finished, check the files back into Perforce to complete the hand-in.
Modelers:
First, model a lunchbox in Maya matching the above diagram. Model it so it could open and close properly. Then prepare the asset for submission. As soon as you are finished, show it to a TA, check it into Perforce, and move on to the next step.
Next, model a dragon using no more than 1,500 polygons. Give it a mouth that could open and close. Be creative as possible. Before you begin, show a rough concept sketch to a classmate and TA for a critique. While modeling, pay special attention to areas that will have a lot of articulation, such as armpits/shoulders, necks, jaws, claws, and wing bases. Make sure that the geometry in these areas is clean and even This will make binding and skinning easier later. Now, create a skeleton and smooth bind the dragon to it. Then, create a 1 or 2 second looping animation. Be creative! When you are finished, convert the model and animations to .egg files and check the Maya and .egg files into Perforce to complete the hand-in. Make sure to preview your model and animation prior to submitting them.
Scripter Assignment:
Create a Panda3D World. You can get models for your world from http://alice.etc.cmu.edu/pandagallery/ (use the .egg files and textures from the "panda version" zip files) and http://www.panda3d.org/artcats.php. If you are ambitious you can convert other 3dsmax or maya files to egg files.
Your world should be creative, interesting, and entertaining. These will be shown in class, so make something your classmates will enjoy--yes, even the non-CS ones. Interactive worlds are encouraged.
Create a world using the following elements of Panda3D:
- loading models
- loading/playing sounds
- intervals (use Sequences, Parallels, and Lerps)
- tasks
- simple lighting
- actors
- FSMs
- collision detection
Bonus:
- message handling
- DirectGUI
Remember, entertaining is important!
As you create the world, check revisions into Perforce periodically, so that if you break something that used to work, you can always revert to an earlier version. When you're finished, make sure that all *.py files, models, textures, and sounds that you used for your world are in Perforce. Create a batch file called "runWorld.bat" that launches your world, and put that in Perforce as well. Be sure to test syncing your world on someone else's computer, to make sure that it works. If it doesn't work on another person's computer, it's not going to work when we show it in class.
Model Gallery:
http://alice.etc.cmu.edu/pandagallery
http://www.panda3d.org/artcats.php
Links to Quick References:
http://www.panda3d.org/wiki/index.php/Introductory_Tutorials
http://www.panda3d.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Sound Assignment:
Developing Sound For Short Clips
In this assignment, you will choose one short movie trailer and create a soundscape (including sound effects and ambience) and a soundtrack to match the visuals. The movie clips will be in the assignment0/Sound/ folder on your machine. Copy the clip you want use to your personal folder. For the music you have the option of using any music (as long as you edit it to fit the visuals), or composing your own piece. Using Adobe Audition and, if you wish, Audacity, ProTools, Cubase SX 2.0, or Digital Performer 4 (whichever you prefer) you will sync the sounds and music to the videos and export it as a final product.
You will have access to a Sound Effects library (located at \\swordsmith\sfx_library\ and \\swordsmith\sfx_library2\) to pull sounds from. However, if you feel that you cannot find what you are looking for, there are many more CDs in the Hunt library on the Main Campus. You can also record more sounds in the studio itself.
Please check in a movie file (.avi or .mov) based on your name, using the convention that if your name is “Jane Smith,” your file will be
JaneSmith.mov (or JaneSmith.avi)
REMEMBER: If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to ask.
And HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!