Course Overview

Learn how to produce, render and manipulate 3D objects. Discover how to create atmosphere through lighting your creations effectively. Explore different camera angles and their visual impact. Acquire the skills to breathe life into organic objects and make them move convincingly.  Practise what you learn with the industry-leading 3DS Max software.

Pre-requisites

No previous experience required.

Qualification

ICS Diploma in 3D Animation

Support and benefits

• Industry-leading 3DS Max Software (education version) supplied
• Five complimentary textbooks
• Demonstration videos guide you through the design process
• Access to a dedicated ICS tutor to mentor and motivate you throughout
• Access to the ICS Online Student Community, allowing you to interact with other students and browse our resource library
  

Key topics

• Basic Principles of Animation

Discover the twelve principles of animation. Explore the 3DS Max Interface and learn the uses of the main tools. Examine the process of planning an animation.

• Creating Basic Models

Discover how to create a variety of 3D primitives and how to use transformation and aligning tools to refine your models. You’ll use the skills that you’ll learn to create a train and a track.

• Key Frame Animation

Examine the basic principles of key frame animation and discover how to use the Track Bar to clone, move, edit and delete keys. Learn how to use the Track View-Dope Sheet and Curve Editor to improve animations. You’ll use the skills that you’ll learn to guide your model train around a path, and you’ll use a Controller to perfect the motion of the train wheels.

• Materials, Cameras, Lighting and Rendering

Discover how to add UVW mapping to a model and how to align textures. Learn how to add a camera to a scene and how to create a camera ‘fly through’ animation. Explore the different types of light available within 3DS Max, and study rendering.

• Modelling Organic Objects

Discover a variety of new techniques, such as extruding, beveling and chamfering, and employ these to create your first 3D character.

• Animating a Character

Develop a bone system for a character. Explore the skinning process and learn how to edit envelopes to make the skin move realistically. Create and render the movements of a character.

• Advanced Animation Techniques

Create a walk sequence. Use motion capture information to create convincing movements. Create lip synchs to imported audio using splines.

Course Code

X10

Hours of study

12 months / 120 hours

Technical requirements

Minimum system requirements: internet ready PC; Intel Pentium IV or AMD Athlon XP or higher processor; 512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended); 500 MB swap space (2 GB recommended); Microsoft Windows-compliant pointing device; DVD-ROM drive. Please note that this software is not supported on Windows Vista.

Outline

You’ll complete seven assessments during your course and a final assessment on completion of your course. These assessments can be submitted to ICS online via the Student Community, or they can be posted to ICS. It is recommended that you submit your assessments online as you will receive your results more quickly this way – in fact, for multiple choice assessments, you receive your results instantly! Please note that, due to their nature, some of your assessments may need to be posted.

Assessment Breakdown

• Assessment 1: 9 multiple choice questions
• Assessment 2: 2 activities, the first requiring you to plan an animation and the second requiring you to create a simple 3D character
• Assessment 3: 7 multiple choice questions
• Assessment 4: 1 activity requiring you to create a 3D Christmas scene
• Assessment 5: 7 multiple choice questions
• Assessment 6: 1 activity requiring you to create a 3D character
• Assessment 7: 1 activity requiring you to plan, design and create your own short 3D movie

Notes

Each multiple choice question comes with four potential answers. Only one of these answers is correct; the others are wrong. You must identify the correct answer.