Diploma in Graphics Design Cohort: DGD/07/FT Examinations for 2007-2008 / Semester 1 MODULE: BASIC 3D ANIMATION MODULE CODE: GRPH1104 Duration: 2 Hours Instructions to Candidates: 1. Answer any four questions. 2. Questions may be answered in any order but your answers must show the question number clearly. 3. Always start a new question on a fresh page. 4. All questions carry equal marks. 5. Total marks 100. This question paper contains 5 questions and 8 pages. Page 1 of 9
QUESTION 1: (25 MARKS) ANSWER ANY FOUR QUESTIONS a) Describe three situations where basic 3D animations can be used? [2 marks x 3] b) Three dimensional animation involves three steps namely modeling, animating and rendering. Explain these three steps in detail. [2 marks x 3] c) Principles of animation are the same for traditional animation and computer animation. Making reference to a bouncing ball, explain what you understand by the following principles of animation: I. Squash and stretch II. Slow in and out [2 marks x 2] d) Explain the following principles of animation I. Exaggeration II. Timing III. Anticipation IV. Staging V. Follow Through [1 mark x 5] e) Two approaches to drawing animation are the straight ahead action and pose-to-pose action. Explain the difference between these two. f) One of the quotes of John Lasseter, famous animator at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation studios is "Technology doesn't make the motion picture, people do. You're not an animator just because you can move an object from point A to point B. (You're) someone who breathes life into a character, which is something the software and technology can't give you." Comment on the following quote. Page 2 of 9
QUESTION 2: (25 MARKS) a) Explain what is 3D modeling? b) Explain what is a wireframe model by making reference to a cube. [3 marks] c) Briefly explain some steps that might be helpful in planning your model that will be used later for your animation. [2.marks] d) Explain what is morphing? e) Explain two factors that need to be considered when determining the level of detail of your model that will be used for your computer animation? f) A fundamental decision you will need to take in planning your model is to choose the appropriate modeling method. Maya can define a model in 3 ways: I. Polygons II. NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines) III. Subdivision surfaces. Briefly explain these three techniques. [2 marks x 3] g) If you had to model a basic LCD screen in Maya, which of the three techniques mentioned in question 6 would you choose and why? Refer to diagram below. (Continued) Page 3 of 9
Question 2 : (continued) h) Do you believe that using polygon modeling as the only technique would be appropriate to model a jellyfish? Explain your answer by referring to diagram below. i) Explain one disadvantage of using subdivision surfaces as compared to polygon modeling. j) Making reference to Maya, explain a particular situation where you can use the Split Polygon Tool. Page 4 of 9
QUESTION 3: (25 MARKS) a) After you model your objects, Maya assigns a default shader to them. What is the colour of this default shader? [1 mark] b) What is the shortcut key in Maya to get the modeled object into a default shaded mode? [1 mark] c) Making reference to Maya, briefly explain what is the Hypershade and what is its use? d) For which type of material is the Blinn s model particularly suitable for rendering? [1 mark] e) For which type of material is the Phong s model particularly suitable for rendering? [1 mark] f) Maya has several light types, each of which illuminates a scene differently. A typical scene combines a number of different light types. Explain the following: I. Spot Light II. Directional Light III. Point Light IV. Area Light V. Ambient Light [2 marks x 5] g) According to you, which type of lighting has been used in the picture below? Justify your answer. h) Briefly explain the following light attributes: I. Intensity II. Decay III. Penumbra Angle [1 mark x 3] i) Briefly explain what is grayscale? j) Surface relief, such as bumps and scratches, helps add a realistic look to a surface. Explain how this can be achieved in Maya. Page 5 of 9
QUESTION 4: (25 MARKS) a) Briefly explain what is a frame? [1 mark] b) With reference to Maya, explain the purpose of a time-slider. c) Explain what is a massing model? d) Explain the use of a massing model. e) When character animation is being done in Maya, how would you ensure that the bones behave in a realistic way during motion, for example the knee cannot rotate more than 180 degrees? f) Explain what is kinematics as applied to a character moving in Maya? g) State two types of kinematics h) Briefly explain what is lip synching? i) Briefly explain what is a graph editor animation curve in Maya? j) Briefly explain two situations where Particles can be used to create animation in Maya? [2 marks x 2] k) Briefly explain the use of the Toolbox in Maya? l) Briefly explain two situations where you can be using the attribute editor in Maya. Page 6 of 9
QUESTION 5: (25 MARKS) Briefly explain how you would proceed to carry out the following animations in Maya. Your answer need not include every detail but it should include the technique that has been used for modeling and animating. a) Water flowing from a shower head into a tub in a water-like motion. [6 marks] b) A small animation in 3D showing the nine planets in our solar system revolving around the sun. [6 marks] (Continued) Page 7 of 9
Question 5 : (continued) c) Creating a missile animation in Maya where smoke is simulated to come out from the rear. [7 marks] d) Simulating the movement of a curtain due to wind. [6 marks] ***END OF QUESTION PAPER*** Page 8 of 9
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