Introduction to Procedural Methods in 3D Computer Animation Dr Midori Kitagawa In class Pay attention Take notes Learn Be ready for a pop quiz Lecture 1 Introduction What is procedural ID: 652013
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Slide1
Procedural AnimationLecture1: Introduction
Procedural Methods in 3D Computer Animation
Dr. Midori Kitagawa
Last update: 8/13/2020Slide2
In class
Pay attention
Take notes
Learn
Be ready for a pop quizSlide3
Lecture 1: Introduction
What is procedural animation?
Why Houdini?
History of digital computers and human computer interface (HCI)
Program vs. script
Scripts vs. graphical user interface (GUI)
So, why Houdini?Slide4
History of digital computers and human computer interface (HCI)
Analog computers existed before digital computers.
Abacus 2700 -2300 BC
Antikythera mechanism 150 – 100 BC
Napier’s calculating tables
around 1680Slide5
History of digital computers and human computer interface (HCI)
In 1946 the first programmable general-purpose computer
ENIAC
was revealed. Slide6
Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer ENIAC
Occupied 1,000 square foot space.
Performed 5,000 operations per second.
IPhone 5s’s A7 chip (20,500
MIPS
) would have cost more than $3.5 million in 1991.
IPhone X’s neural network hardware alone can perform 600
billion operations for second
.Slide7
Programming
ENIAC
Plugs and switches were used to rewire and restructure the machine.
Thus, ENIAC’s
hardware
had to be altered in order to program it. There was no
software
.Slide8
ENIAC’s I/O
Punched cards
were used for input/output. Slide9
ENIAC’s HCI
The user punched
binary code
on punch cards.
ENIAC read and processed the cards and punched results on other punch cards
The user deciphered the output on the cards.Slide10
Harvard Mark II (1947)
On 9/9/1947, the first
computer bug
in the Harvard Mark II was recorded. The bug was actually a moth stuck between relay contacts in the computer.Slide11
IBM SSEC (1948)Selective Sequence Electronic Calculator
Equipped with paper tape readers and a printer.Slide12
BNIAC Binary Automatic Computer (1948)
Manchester Mark I (1949)
Used teleprinters (electro-mechanically controlled typewriters) for input and output. Slide13
MIT Whirlwind (1951)
Debuted with a cathode ray tube (monitor) and
magnetic
tape.Slide14
1970’s
Keyboards were introduced to mainframe computers.Slide15
Macintosh 128k (1984)
128 KB memory
400 KB single-sided 3.5” floppy disk drive
B/W monitor resolution 512 x 342
Single button mouse
Keyboard with no arrow keys, function keys or numeric keypad
Ignited desktop publishingSlide16
PC, Mouse and GUI
Introduction of PC, mouse and GUI (graphical user interface) accelerated the development of sophisticated graphical applications in late1980’s.
Photoshop 1988
Wavefront 1988 (Maya 1998~)Slide17
Program vs. script
Difference between program and script is becoming blur
.
Program’s
source code
(ASCII) is
compiled
into an
executable
in a binary format.
Hello World
Hello World
Hello WorldHello WorldHello World
Source code
Executable
Compile
ExecuteSlide18
Program vs. script
Script is
interpreted
but not compiled.
Script runs inside a program, e.g., scripts in Python and Hscript in Houdini, C# in Unity and MEL in Maya. Slide19
Script vs. GUI
Both script and GUI are ways that the user communicate with software (OS and applications).
User
Applications
OS
Hardware
Scripts
GUISlide20
Script vs. GUI for common graphics applications
script
GUI
form
text
graphics
Input
keyboard
mouse,
pen, tablet
repeatability of complex procedure
high
low
automation
easierhardercustomization
easier
harderSlide21
Houdini’s node based approachbridges between scripting and GUI
script
node
based approach
GUI
form
text
text, graphics
graphics
Input
keyboard
Keyboard,
mouse
mouse, pen, tablet
repeatability of complex procedure
high
high
low
automation
easier
easier
harder
customiza-tion
easier
easier
harderSlide22
Why Houdini?
Houdini’s node based approach allows the user to create a
complex
procedure by building a network (chain) of nodes that looks like a flowchart by connecting a node to other nodes using GUI.Slide23
Why Houdini?
Houdini’s node networks can be linear or non-linear.
Non-linear
networks allow procedures to be more complex than linear networks. Slide24
Why Houdini?
Node network can be
automated
and
repeatable
.
Node network can be easily modified to produce variations.
Houdini is highly
customizable
. Slide25
Why Houdini?
Houdini has a
higher learning curve
than other comparable 3D animation tools (e.g. Maya) due to its node based approach.
Benefits outweigh drawbacks especially in the special effect industry where procedural methods prevail.