20 Credit Modules

Module title:	Advanced 3D Design
SCQF level:	10:
SCQF credit value:	20.00
ECTS credit value:	10
Module code:	IMD10103
Module leader:	DR GREGORY LEPLATRE
School	Computing
Subject area group:	Digital Media and Interactive Design

Prerequisites

Module code IMD09103 or IMD09130
Module title Intermediate 3D Design or 3D Character production or equivalent
This module requires students to be proficient Maya users and have experience in modelling, texturing and lighting.

Timetables

Click here to view the trimester 2 teaching timetable

Click here to view the trimester 3 teaching timetable

2013/4, Trimester 1, Face-to-Face, Napier University

Occurrence:	001
Primary mode of delivery:	Face-to-Face
Location of delivery:	NAPIER
Member of staff responsible for delivering module:	DR GREGORY LEPLATRE
Module Organiser:

Learning, Teaching and Assessment (LTA) Approach:

Learning & teaching methods including their alignment to Los
The concepts of the module will be taught in lectures, while techniques will be mainly demonstrated through videos. There is on average a one hour lecture every week, covering the theoretical aspects of the modules. Practical elements are taught predominantly with videos. Students are expected to work with these materials during weekly 2-hour labs and independently for the remainder of each unit. The technical skills taught through videos will generally be directly applicable to the coursework project. Therefore, a large part of the workload in each unit will be dedicated to coursework project work (around 128 hours in total for the whole module).

LO1 is taught in Unit 1 and students continue to develop relevant skills independently until Unit 4.
LO2 is taught in Units 6 (2 week Unit) and 7.
LO3 is taught in Units 2, 3, 4 and 5.
LO4 is taught in Units 7 and 8.
LO5 is taught throughout the modules, and more specifically in Units 9 and 10

Embedding of employability/PDP/scholarship skills
The module focuses on advanced 3D modeling,lighting, texturing and rendering techniques. All the concepts and techniques learnt are industry-driven and the pieces produced by students during the module will be significant additions to their portfolios/showreels.

Assessment (formative and summative)
The learning outcomes are assessed by assignments produced throughout the semester, focusing on individual learning outcomes. Students are expected to complete assignments weekly and will receive formative feedback during labs throughout the course of the module. This applies to all LOs.

Research/ teaching linkages
This is a predominantly practice-based module. The emphasis will be on up-to-date 3D development practices. References to latest developments in the industry will be made as appropriate.

Supporting equality and diversity
The practice of 3D authoring is visually intense and requires many hours of practice using two-handed interaction with the keyboard and mouse or graphic tablet. Although we do our utmost to accommodate the needs of every student, students are advised to contact us if in doubt regarding their physical ability to complete this module.

Internationalisation
The tools used in the module are standard across the world and the teaching materials include references to work by artists recognised internationally.

Student Activity (Notional Equivalent Study Hours (NESH))
Mode of activity	Learning & Teaching Activity	NESH (Study Hours)
FACE TO FACE	Lecture	12
FACE TO FACE	Practical / Labs	24
Independent Learning	Individual Learning Activities	36
Independent Learning	Individual Learning Activities	128
	Total Study Hours	200
	Expected Total Study Hours for Module	200

Assessment
Type of Assessment	Weighting %	LOs covered	Week due	Length in Hours/Words
Project	100	1,2,3,4,5	15	HOURS= 128 WORDS=
Component 1 subtotal:	100
Component 2 subtotal:	0
Module subtotal:	100

What you will learn and what this module is about:

In this module, you will learn techniques that will enable you to produce photorealistic 3D scenes. The module will reinforce your knowledge of modelling techniques covered in previous modules and will then focus on advanced shading, lighting and rendering techniques that will allow you to achieve photorealistic renders.

Description of module content:

- Modelling: you will continue to develop your hard-surface modelling skills through project work. The emphasis will be on attention to detail and tessellation control.
- Shading models: Your knowledge of common shading models such as Lambert, Blinn or Phong will be reinforced and new models will be introduced.
- Shading techniques: You will be taught how to create various shading models by hand, as well as to use advanced Mental Ray shaders. As a result, you will be able to create complex shading networks creatively and/or in a physically accurate fashion.
- Texturing: You will learn a photograph-based texturing workflow that will allow you to produce high quality texture maps.
- Lighting techniques: Indirect illumination techniques will be reviewed and Image-Based Lighting will be covered in-depth. In particular, you will learn to produce and use HDR images for lighting and rendering purposes. The aesthetic aspects of lighting will also be discussed.
- Rendering: Multi-pass rendering techniques will be covered, and you will learn how to debug and optimise your renders.
- Post-production: Basic compositing techniques will be presented and will allow you to combine your render passes and produce a high quality illustration for your portfolio.

Learning Outcomes for module:

On completion of this module, students will be able to:
LO1: Use relevant modelling techniques to create detailed hard surface models.
LO2: Identify and use a range of techniques to paint/produce seamless photorealistic texture maps.
LO3: Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of shading models and an ability to produce complex shaders using Maya and Mental Ray.
LO4: Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of lighting techniques using Maya and Mental Ray.
LO5: Use multi-pass rendering and compositing techniques to produce photorealistic images.

Indicative References and Reading List - URL:

T1:.Livny, B (2007). Mental Ray for Maya, 3ds max, and XSI: A 3D artist’s guide to rendering,.Sybex.
T2: Dacol et al. (2010). D’artiste Character Modeling 3. Mylor: Ballistic Publishing.
T3: Wade, D. (ed.) (2007). Essence - the Face. Mylor: Ballistic Publishing
T4: Eat3D (2011). Portrait Production - Creating a Realistic portrait in Maya (DVD)
Click here to view this module's reading list.

Related information

Modules