The good news?
You no longer need a programming degree or enormous bank account to build and animate
sophisticated 3D characters-modeling and animation software has never been friendlier or
more affordable.
Until now, the
bad news has been the scarcity of the information required to take full advantage of the
awesome power of today's more accessible programs. Thankfully, here's the book that
remedies this. Inside, you'll find nearly two dozen step-by-step tutorials covering key
character animation techniques. Focusing on interactivity, behaviors, and environmental
cohesiveness, all these tutorials have been specially designed to let you teach yourself
using the application of your choice.
Whatever your
character animation aims, Creating Interactive 3D Actors and Their Worlds is the
key to gaining the technical proficiency that will help your creativity flourish.
Features
- Devoted to the
growing number of tools that let you achieve sophisticated results using drag-and-drop
code modules.
- Easily accessible
to beginners but filled with valuable information for more experienced animators.
- Helps you teach
yourself to build and populate Web-based virtual environments, assign tasks to actors,
develop and test interactivity, implement artificial intelligence, and carry out real-time
3D rendering.
- Covers
development of human-like behaviors, interactivity between characters and virtual cameras.
- Open to a wide
range of Web-based animation uses: games, architectural and medical applications,
real-time visualization, scientific research, story telling, virtual reality, and more.
- Includes numerous
full-color illustrations.
- Includes
tutorials with Macromedia's Director 3D 8.5
On the CD
The enclosed CD
features full-featured, time-limited copies of three of today's most popular
modeling/animation programs: Life Forms 3.9 (Mac and PC), Virtools 1.01 (PC), and Deep
Paint3 D (PC). You also get all the files relating to the book's 22 tutorials-including 3D
models, textures, behaviors, and motion files-plus links to a rich selection of software
and user resources on the Web. Included are textures from Marlin Studios.
Authors:
Jean-Marc
Gauthier is a 3D artist, architect, designer, and programmer who has been involved in
interactive 3D applications since 1992. His clients include NYU's Institute of Fine Arts,
the Academy for Educational Development, the Cousteau Society, the Institute for
Environmental Studies at the University of Houston, the Four Oaks Foundation, and the
Chapin School. Previous projects have focused on 3D designs for the Web, online 3D
interactive puppet theatre, real-time simulation of environmental phenomena, robotics, and
online intelligent digital 3D actors. He is the creator of www.tinkering.net, an online
resource for 3D artists and interactive designers.
304 pages;
CD-ROM included