The course is taught in Italian.

This course aims to provide students an overview of techniques and methodologies used to design and develop computer graphics animations. Starting from 3D scene modeling, light positioning, camera movements, character pose and animation, rendering and video coding will be introduced.

The main goal of the course is to provide students skills to design and implement a video in computer animation by means of modeling, animation, and rendering tools. In particular, students will learn the:

- knowledge of direct and inverse kinematic and the ability to pose a virtual character
- knowledge of main techniques for motion control and the ability to apply them in controlling the motion of a virtual character
- ability of manage non linear animation techniques for video production
- ability of analyzing and developing constrained systems
- knowledge of main deformation and morphing techniques and the ability of applying this knowledge to implement malleable bodies
- knowledge of particle systems and the ability of applying this knowledge to simulate phenomena such as: gas, fire, smoke, rain, etc.
- ability of simulating soft bodies and fluids
- knowledge of main video formats

Students have to know techniques of modeling and rendering. Therefore, students should be attend to a course of fundamental of computer graphics before this course of computer animation.

The list of topic teached and the corresponding involvement in credits is as follows.
- Motion control techniques and collision detection/management (2CFU)
- Pose and animation of virtual characters by kinematics chains (1CFU)
- Deformation techniques for deformable body simulation (1CFU)
- Soft bodies and fluids (1 CFU)
- Particle systems and flocking (1 CFU)

Experimental laboratories will be aimed to develop video clips in computer animation. Several laboratories will be scheduled during which the best part of topics introduced during theoretical lessons will be considered. Laboratories are preparatory to a project activity, to be performed individually or in group, which will contribute to the final mark.

- R. Parent. Computer Animation, Third Edition: Algorithms and Techniques , Morgan Kaufmann, ISBN-13: 978-0124158429 . (reference textbook)
- Materiale e documentazione su Blender: http://www.blender.org
- Dispense del corso sul sito della didattica: http://didattica.polito.it (additional material such as slides)

The exam consists in a written examination, during which students have to both answer to a set of questions and solve some exercises, and an oral examination, during which students have to present their project (the project will concern the implementation of a video clip in 3D computer animation). In general, the following rules are valid:

- students have to enroll for the exam;
- a personal document is necessary for the student identification at the exam;
- it is not possible to use books and nots during the eam.
The written and the oral parts provide an equal contribution to the final mark; both parts have to be sufficient (e.g., 18/30) in order to pass the exam.