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Syllabus Examples

Art_634_sylabus_Aug_2017 Art_648_syllabus_Spring_2018

Adding Unique Textures to Objects in Maya

Setting up a project
Create a folder on you desktop call it Maya_UV_Materials
Open MAYA
File > Project Window
Click New
Name the Project: “Uv_Materials”
Under Location find the folder you created on your desktop
Select Accept
Now go back to your desktop and look at the folder. Maya should have created a bunch of sub folders.
Add the cardboard box image (found on blog) to the folder called Source Images
The file you will be working on is a ‘Scene’
Create a Cube
Create > Polygonal Primitive

Shortcuts
W- Move tool
E- Rotate tool
R- Scale Tool
Space bar – To see 4 camera views

Tap ‘R’ on your keyboard and drag the small blue icon in the center of the cube to increase its size
Tap ‘W’ and move the object to the ground plane

Using the UV Editor to add a Unique Texture

Apply a new lambert to the cube
Right Click on the Cube> Assign Favorite Material> choose Lambert
name it Unique_texture

Go to UV> Editor
You will see that a Shell exists that represents your object.
You will create a unique texture to place here

Go back to your modeling View port, choose object Mode, select the Model.
Go back to UV Editor and then go to Polygons>UV snapshot
Add a name for this file under FILENAME,
Adjust the file settings (make them both 1000)
and change the Image format to PNG
and then hit OK.

Open Photoshop
Open this file in Photoshop.
Create a color fill layer underneath the UV layer.
Lock/Avoid painting on the UV layer.
Create a new layer and start painting and adding textures in photoshop!
Make a backup as a PSD
Turn off the top layer and save the file in PNG format
Go back to Maya , click on your object
Find the Lambert layer you made for your object and load your latest PNG in the Color option!

You did it!

For additional instructions on adjusting the UV shell see the blog!

Animating Text with Trim Paths

Setting up a project
Create a folder on your desktop called Text_Trim_Paths
*It is always a good practice to create folder before you start working in AE to avoid missing files and errors!

In the Project Window, Right Click and Create a new Composition
Name it Text_Trim_experiment
Make it 1000x1000px
30 frames per second
And duration of 5:00 seconds
And choose black for the background
Press Ok

Use the Text tool and Create a Text Layer
Create a version of the text that is Filled and one that is just Stroked
*In the Character window
Use NO FILL just STROKES
Center the anchor center point

Go to the stroked text layer, Right Click > Create Shapes from Text

Open the layer and select the first letter
(you can also add trim paths to all the letters if you select the top of the layer first)
Add TRIM PATHS
Open TRIM PATHS and modify the END and change it to 0% and add a keyframe
then move to the end of your timeline and change setting to 100%
Add Easy Ease to the keyframes if you want
You can also modify the direction of the Trim by clicking on the arrows next to the letter
Move your playhead back to the beginning
Now select both key frames, and press Ctrl/Cmnd + C to copy them
Now select the other letter layers and press paste Ctrl/Cmnd + V
*adjust each letter as necessary
To stagger the Effect
Press U to see all the keyframes
Now move them across the timeline for each letter

Now turn on the filled layer and use it as background for the trim to make the animation more dynamic

Additionally you can use Trim Paths to animate a path.
Create a path wit the pen tool.
Delete the Fill from the path and make sure it only has a stroke.
add TRIM PATHS and use similar setting as above to make the path appear/disappear.
You can also add the Dashed option to the line to give it more life

Experiment with both of these in a new Composition!