Course Overview

Class Description:

This recorded class is an introduction to giving creatures life by creating nuanced organic animation. Learn a simple and straightforward approach to adding soft-body simulated movement to animated objects using the FEM solver. Our focus will be on combining elements of keyframed animation, procedural animation, and simulated animation all onto one object. We’ll dive into multiple methods of animating with FEM including forces and constraints. The class will also go over a comparison of FEM to Vellum and the use cases for each. 


Learning Outcomes:

You’ll come away from this class with an understanding of how simulation can enhance animation for organic creatures/objects and be able to evaluate methods of blending animation with simulation for different use cases. You’ll have a trained eye for the believable detailed organic movement, and knowledge of how to create it with the FEM solver. Afterward, you’ll either be creating your own simulated creatures or adding simulated elements to previously animated creatures.


Course curriculum

    1. Files

    2. Discord

    1. 1. Introduction

    1. 1. What are Tetrahedrons?

    2. 2. Marching Cubes Algorithm

    1. 1. Tetembed Node

    2. 2. Why should the Mesh be Deformed?

    3. 3. Difference between Tetconform and Tetembed

    1. 1. Initial Setup

    2. 2. Finish Setup

    3. 3. FEM Settings Explained

    1. 1. Adding Point Deform

    2. 2. Using DeltaMush

    3. 3. Prepping the Geo for Render

About this course

  • $45.00
  • 39 lessons
  • 2 hours of video content

Course Teaser

Simulated Animations

Briefly create a semi-procedural creature to set up for simulated animations. Learn various methods of adding procedural animation to it, then add simulated movement with the FEM solver.

  • Set up a simple organic meat cube
  • Add eyes and other features grafted from other models
  • Optionally, bring in your own creature to use
  • Animate these features with procedural techniques
  • Introduction to the FEM solver and preparing geometry for simulation
  • Adding the meat cube to a basic simulation and tweaking settings
  • Explore multiple techniques for constraining simulated objects to animation
  • Explore multiple techniques for blending simulated objects with animation post-sim
  • Create flipbook render

Instructor

Matthew Taylor

3D Artist and Animation Director

Matthew Taylor is a 3D Artist and Animation Director currently at Futuredeluxe using Houdini as his main tool. He graduated from the Royal College of Art with a MA in Experimental Animation and now mostly directs animated music videos, and commercials, and creates motion graphics for international brands. You can find more of his work on Instagram @humanballoons.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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REFUND POLICY:


Multi-Session Courses
Students may request a refund up to 1 day before the start of the course. Students may also withdraw from Multi-Session Courses at any time and are entitled to a pro-rated refund. The withdrawal date must be 1 day before the next class they intend to drop.

On-Demand Courses
All on-demand courses are non-refundable.

How to Drop a Class
Please send a request to drop a class via email to [email protected].
Your written request to drop any or all of your classes must include:
  1. Student’s full name
  2. Name of the course(s) being dropped

See you in Class!