Goals The successful student will...

1. Demonstrate an understanding of
1. Computer graphics hardware and software tools
2. Computer graphics production and compression
3. Computer graphics terms and concepts
4. Historical developments and near future trends in computer graphics
5. The social and economic significance of computer graphics
2. Analyze, discuss, describe, and evaluate
1. Compression methods
2. Color palettes
3. Vector and raster graphics production
4. Animation terminology and concepts
5. Computer graphics developments and trends

Assessments Students will demonstrate mastery of the material through

1. Process assignments: Weekly Learning Log, Storyboard
2. Metacognitive Essay
3. Product: animation sequence

Software:

POV-Ray -- the Persistence of Vision Raytracer
Macromedia Director
Macromedia Flash 5
Jasc - PaintShopPro, Animation Shop

Resources aka Help!

• Classroom library
• http://baltimorecitycollege.org/faculty/techdept/tektools.htm#graphics
  

Movie Animation

• http://www.pixar.com
• http://www.pixar.com/funstuff/how-its-done.html
• http://www.pixar.com/feature/toystory/toystory.html

POV-Ray -- the Persistence of Vision Raytracer

• http://www.povray.org - High quality, freeware Ray Tracing package for MS-DOS, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, SunOS, Unix and... - tutorials, download POV software
• http://library.thinkquest.org/3285/?tqskip=1 - The Online POV-Ray Tutorial - Excellent resource for POV-Ray users, from novice to expert
  
• http://www.ece.curtin.edu.au/~bvk/pov/scenemenu.html - POV-Ray Sample Scenes Menu
• http://www.puzzlecraft.com/cm/ClockMod.html - Advanced POV Animation for Beginners
  ... for those of us who are not programmers and don't understand differential calculus.
  ClockMod by Chris Colefax gives outstanding results. ...
• http://www.geocities.com/ccolefax/clockmod.html - Clock Modifier Include File
  Download CLOCKMOD.ZIP (20 Kb) and extract it to a temporary directory. Includes Clock Modifier include file,
  
• About 8,330 POV tutorials - do a Google search for "POV tutorial"
• About 38 ClockMod tutorials - do a Google search for "ClockMod"
• http://www.chemicalgraphics.com/paul/ - Paul Thiessen's POV work in chemistry
• http://www.umass.edu/microbio/rasmol/othergal.htm - POVChem - molecular visualization

Flash 5 - animation for the web

• http://www.macromedia.com/go/edge_0101_showcase - Flash - professional showcase
• http://www.iboost.com/build/software/flash/ ... shows you how with this step by step Flash 5 tutorial. Morphing Shapes in Flash (You've seen examples of morphing in movies like "T2" and "The Mask .) Basic and intermediate tutorials. Including how to use the Flash editors interface, drawing basics,...
• http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash/leadingedge/ - Macromedia Flash showcase
• http://www.artrampage.com/index_2.htm - Flash Movie and Flash Animation -
  Postscript illustration, Click on wine glass for more Flash Movie, Link to Figurative
  Expressionism Oil Paintings, ... Link to Flash Animation
  
• About 146,000 Flash tutorials - do a Google search for "Flash 5 tutorial"
• http://www.find.com.au/tutorials/macromedia/ - "tutorialfind" - Macromedia tutorials - everything from Introduction to Flash 5.0 to Publishing Flash Movies. 5.0. 3. Macromedia Director 8 ...

Macromedia Director - Digital Adeptness At Simulating The Classic Hollywood Metaphor

• http://hotflashbook.com/director/ - sample Director movies (need Shockwave player)
• http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/multimedia/workshops/dir/ - academic tutorial designed for Mac but useful for PC also
• http://www.fbe.unsw.edu.au/Learning/Director/ - online course in Director, very clear
• http://www.find.com.au/tutorials/macromedia/ - tutorialfind - Macromedia tutorials
  everything from Introduction to Flash 5.0 to Publishing Flash Movies. 5.0. 3. Macromedia Director 8 - Director ...
  
  

Graphics Construction Activity Assignments

1. Storyboard for the animation
2. Animation created using the animation software of your choice - meeting the following minimum requirements:
   - at least three distinct "characters"
   - discernible and complete plot, i.e. it must tell a story and/or convey a socially significant message
   - at least one original graphic element, i.e. not just pre-existing clipart characters
   - at least two minutes long
   - title and credits sections
   - animation must be working on the COW and/or on City's server on or before due date
   
3. Metacognitive essay - 700-1000 words detailing and assessing the production process

Back to Advanced Tech home

E-mail E.S. Dunbar: edunbar@baltimorecitycollege.org

Last updated March 19, 2003