'Final Aim and Objectives'

'Investigate the ways in which scientific and artistic methodologies can inform a technical artist in the production of credible rigs for 3D creature animation.'

1.0.              Identify the processes used by scientists and artists to define the movement and behaviour of fictional and non-fictional creatures.

1.1.              Investigate the process by which scientists work through the available evidence base of animals; both living and extinct, to determine how their structure and environment affects their movement and behaviour.

1.2.              Research the methods used by scientists to establish the appearance of extinct animals.

1.3.              Study how existing designers approach the creation of 3D creatures and how they make the characters appealing to the audience.

2.0.              Identify any rules and establish important steps involved in the progression of rigging a 3D character with focus on non-humanoid characters.

2.1.              Find existing examples of animated creatures and examine/deconstruct their methods for rigging and animation.

2.2.              Discover the needs of current animators and what effect this has on the rigging process.

3.0.              Investigate how the information gathered in Objectives 1 & 2 can be applied to the production of credible rigs for 3D creatures.

3.1.              Evaluate methods discovered and identify processes to be used for best practice research.

3.2.              Create a series of case studies exploring the different techniques and theories preferred.

3.3.              Generate trial rigs testing elements of different types of creature characters.

4.0.              Perform subjective and objective evaluations of the preferred methodologies, refining the process for the final creature creation and present the subsequent outcomes.

4.1.              Interpret observations implemented in activities 3.2 & 3.3 and make a subjective evaluation to define the methodologies to be used for the development of the final creature concept.

4.2.              Submit proof of concept rigs to an outsourced animator and receive feedback.

4.3.              Revise planned methodologies to accommodate feedback from the subjective and objective evaluations.

4.4.              Produce the final creature character informed by previous evaluations.

4.5.              Submit final creature to an outsourced animator and receive concluding objective evaluation and animation sequences.

4.6.              Overall evaluation and referral back to the extent in which scientific and artistic methodologies can inform a technical artist's production of rigs.

4.7.              Exhibit rigs in the form of a showreel.