Gnomon, Inc.
Los Angeles, California, United States
http://www.gnomonschool.com/

Character Creation for Games

Even with today’s video game technology, model resolution is always limited to a specific poly-count. To succeed at game companies, character modelers must know how to design geometry within the limitations set by game technology, without sacrificing the integrity of the conceptual design. Technical restrictions also affect the creation of textures, lighting and even animation. Many tec......
 

This course takes the tools covered in Character Animation I and goes deeper into lip-sync performances and different animation styles ranging from realistic to cartoony. Using fully-rigged models provied by Gnomon, students expand on what they learned in the previous couse and begin pushing themselves to create knock-out demo reel pieces. Projects explore producing animal movement, while keepi......
 

Working with the tools Maya has to offer, this class addresses how to translate acting and movement in 3D. From the graph editor to the dope sheet, from inverse kinematics to forward kinematics, students will learn how to take poses and create fluid movement through timing\and spacing. Projects range from cycles (bi-pedal, quadra-pedal) to pure performance-driven animation. Students will take t......
 

This course covers advanced topics related to body and head deformations in Maya. Topics include: rigid/soft binding, Artisan, softbodies, stitching and advanced facial deformation setup. Techniques demonstrated will be applied to models suitable for film, television and games including patch-based, trim/blend and polygonal models. Instruction and projects will improve the students ability to s......
 

Advanced topics related to kinematic character set-up are covered in this course. Topics include: Skeletons, forward/inverse kinematics and custom control panels. Examples demonstrated include Bipeds, Quadrapeds, Multi-Peds, Serpents, Fish and Birds. The goal of this course is to aid the student in their own ability to set up a character for a wide range of complex body movement. Techniques ......
 

This course begins with volumetric particle rendering techniques, then moves on to dynamics-driven rigs, where the end result is not always the rendering of particles, but of geometry. Using the instancer we can design a swarm of locusts, using goals we can get hundreds of insects crawl over and devour a character, using rigid bodies we can design a rockslide, using softbodies we can create han......
 

One of Maya’s core assests is it’s functionality as an effects animation tool. With a dynamics engine which has been used in production for over 15 years, there is little that can not be accomplished. From the pod race in Episode One, to the myriad effects of Final Fantasy or Lord of the Rings, hundreds of studios rely on Maya’s flexibility and power every day. Dynamic Effects......
 

Image-based technologies can both speed up content creation and add to the overall realism of a project. This course addresses the creation and usage of three photographic technologies: Panoramic Photography, Photogrammetry and High Dynamic Range Imagery (HDRI). Techniques covered include the photographic-capture process, software manipulation and integration into the production workflow. St......
 

All aspiring 3D artists should understand the concepts and techniques of merging digital elements with live-action material. Production tricks and techniques will be thoroughly addressed through in-class demonstrations and student projects. A variety of effects work from film and television will be analyzed, focusing on how the final result was achieved. Students will experience the process ......
 

From script to screen, this class examines the digital effects previsualization process. Tradionaly, storyboards have been the method for planning special effects in film and television. Previs or ¡° Animatics¡±, is an extension of this method. Using computer animation and modeling techniques, directors can now watch complicated sequences before they are ever shot on film. Instructor: Kyle J......
 

The Animation and Visual Effects courses expose students to the methodologies by which high-quality effects can be digitally achieved. Through discussions and lectures, the tools will be taught in context of how they are actually used within a production environment. This first course in the series focuses on the core tool set for producing motion keyframing, procedural modeling, dynamics and s......
 

Digital sets are growing in importance in the effects extensions of physical sets. The creation of truly successful digital sets is difficult, requiring utmost modeling efficiency, an eye for architectural design, extensive texturing, and subtle and realistic lighting. This course will provide the fundamental strategies and techniques to achieve rich, believable environments. Topics covered wil......
 

Lighting is an art. It defines mood, focus, atmosphere, time of day and drama. Its roots are in lighting for the theatre, but more importantly, in cinematography for film. By understanding the importance that light plays in the successful telling of a story, a 3D lighter’s skills will emerge. Photography and film cinematography constantly deal with technical and aesthetic issues. It is thr......
 

The ability to create custom-made 2D texture maps is fundamental for a 3D artist. In this course students learn about different artistic styles, levels of craftsmanship (handmade, manipulated scanned imagery and 3D compositing), repetition structures, and tileable and seamless motifs. Learn also the secret behind any good texture art: the layering technique, where overlapping elements form rich......
 

Assuming a familiarity with basic texture parameters and techniques, this course focuses on the development of advanced shading networks and techniques to push realism, flexibility and speed for artists. Topics covered in class include expanding the palate of rendering tools through the technical setup for nodes, replication of 2D imagery into 3D representations and vice-versa, controlling text......
 

Good texture mapping techniques allow for successful merging of 3D-rendered objects into film or video applications. Even a perfect model will not appear real without correct textures and lighting. This class is designed to expose students to the various techniques available for mapping models. Students will learn to use texture techniques as tools to achieve a level of complexity that would be......
 

Modeling realistic organic forms is one of the most challenging tasks an artist can face. This becomes substantially more complex when the creature or character must appear ’seamless’. The meaning of this is that while the character appears, when rendered, to be constructed out of a single surface, it is actually built from a patchwork of surfaces which all maintain tangential continu......
 

Studios and game developers are increasingly using polygon modeling tools in the creation of their projects. This course is a comprehensive look at the complete suite of Maya’s polygonal and subdivision surface modeling tools. Instruction introduces the entire work flow of surface and character modeling techniques, beginning with primatives and working into complex, finished models. Lec......
 

An extension of Poly Modeling 1, this course focuses on developing specific workflows as they pertain to organic and hard-surface modeling. Class lectures and demonstrations will cover the construction of bipeds that are animation and texture efficient. Particular emphasis will be paid to the character structure, specifically addressing edge-loop construction and detailed attention to hands ......
 

Studios and game developers are increasingly using polygon modeling tools in the creation of their projects. This course is a comprehensive look at the complete suite of Maya’s polygonal and subdivision surface modeling tools. Instruction introduces the entire work flow of surface and character modeling techniques, beginning with primatives and working into complex, finished models. Lec......
 

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