CSE 458 - DIGITAL CHARACTER ANIMATION

 


 
Below is a brief description of the characters available for you to use.  Since each character has its own set of pros and cons, it is recommended that you go through all the tutorials to help you decide which character would be appropriate for which exercise.

 

MACK

 Mack is a simple character. Mack does not have facial expressions and does not have fingers. Mack is rigged like Earl. Mack is a good character to start learning motion. Look at Earl's tutorial.

tutorial    

maya file

ADAM Adam is a good overall character.  The good thing about Adam being clothes-less is that you can see his positioning much better than if he had clothes on.  His rigging is more complicated but the result is a character that is more adept and easy to use.  He has no facial expressions except for eye movement, so he cannot be used for lip synching.

 

tutorial  

maya file

EARL Earl is a humorous character whose physical appearance already makes him a much more interesting character than Adam is.  He is rigged somewhat similarly to Adam.  He also has a minimal range of facial expressions and the only human character with talking "capabilities".

 

tutorial    

maya file

MIRA Mira is already an international celebrity from her starring role in Mira and the Wind.  She is a character with the ability to show emotions well through her facial expressions and movements.  When you use Mira, you have to remember to always animate her braids and how they follow-through no matter what she is doing.

 

tutorial    

maya file

ABBY Abby is also an international celebrity from her starring role in The Last Lift .   She is a character with the ability to show emotions well through her facial expressions and movements. She is rigged like Earl. Look at Earl's tutorial.

 

tutorial    

maya file

THE ELK This elk is the animal to be used for the four-legged animal walk exercise.

 

<no tutorial>    

maya file

 

THE FISH A fish that can talk?  You don't say!  I do say!  You can use this fish for the lip synch exercise.  Just because it is simply rigged doesn't mean that it would be easier to animate it talking.  Its simplicity means you'll have to work harder to convey emotion and intent.
<no tutorial>    

maya file

CAT The cat is fully rigged. If someone is going to use it ask Michael and he will show you how.
<no tutorial>    

maya file