Advanced Computers and Art 4460 Fall2011: Introduction to Maya
Tuesday and Thursday 1:30-4:15 pm
Instructors: Alan Hashimoto & Rhaelene Lowther
Office Hours: TBA
Course Description:
This class will focus on the art and technology of Maya. Basic usage of Photoshop, AfterEffects & sound editing software will be required. The course will concentrate on introductory modeling, 3D animation, rendering and other aspects of Maya.
Class Participation:
Students are expected to participate in discussions, interact with the instructor and other students during class time, and present finished projects to the rest of the class for review.
Attendance:
Successful completion of this course will depend on good attendance. A great deal of technical information will be covered in class. Attending class time allows students to receive individual help from the instructor and benefit from other students in the class. There will be no help outside of scheduled class time. Assignments will not be accepted late.
10% of your grade will be based on attendance and participation. If you are absent it is your responsibility to follow up on assignments and topics covered in class. If you miss more than 2 class periods, it will affect your grade unless you have spoken to me beforehand and made prior arrangements.
Projects:
There will be two main project deadlines: Midterm and Finals. Milestones have been set throughout the semester to help you accomplish these projects. You will have the choice to create a character or work on product design.
Character: Create a character, texture, light and render by midterm. Rig, skin, animate, and render animation by Final.
Product Design: Create 2, one for each project deadline. Texture, light and render each project. Final project must demonstrate a greater mastery of Maya than the first, using more complex aspects of modeling, materials and/or lighting and rendering.
Project Completion:
Project evaluations will be based on meeting the assignment goals, demonstration of technical skills, quality and design of the finished work.
Class Blog: http://usumayafall2011.blogspot.com/
I have set up a class blog with a digital copy of the syllabus and calendar. Part of your participation grade will require that you post an image and brief description/questions or comments about your progress weekly. This will be checked before class on Tuesdays so that I can address any issues and tailor instruction to meet your needs.
Class Presentation:
Also included in the grade breakdown will be one short class presentation on an aspect of Maya that you research and present to the class. This should be something that interests you and you think will benefit your project and hopefully others in the class. A short write up and links to any online tutorials you used to learn this will need to be posted to the blog.
Expectations:
I expect students to be on time and ready to learn. Students should stay focused on the lecture. Anyone who is not participating in the lecture will be asked to leave and will lose attendance points. This includes, but is not limited to working on other class assignments, checking email, browsing the internet, talking, etc. We have a wealth of material to cover and cannot get sidetracked!
Grade Scale:
10% of your grade will be based on attendance and participation
10% Class Presentation
40% Midterm Project
40% Final Project
Ex: A=95-100/ A-=90-94/B+=86-89/B=83-85/B-=80-82/C+=76-79/C=73-75/C-=70-72/D+=66-69 /D=63-65/D-60-62/F=59
Back Up:
Be sure to always back-up your files on a regular basis. You should have at least 2-3 backups at all times!! Unfinished or lost projects due to data loss or mismanagement will not be accepted.
Required Materials :
-Sketchbook
-Pencil & Notepad
-removable Storage (ie. portable hard drive 100 GB or larger)
--Digital Tutors Titles...(explained in class)
Strongly Suggested Materials and Text:
-Textbook: Learning Autodesk Maya 2011 and/or Character Modeling with Maya and Zbrush
And/Or...Subscription to Lynda.com for tutorials
-Valuable resources can be found online. For example: YouTube, digitaltutors.com, cgtalk.com, gnomonworkshop.com, etc.
*Bring required materials to every class!!!
