Storytelling Through Computer Animation
Assignment A5 on methods
Objectives- Learn about the thesis in the context of animation
- Learn to use methods and comments in Alice
Alice Properties and Methods
Properties help to describe objects while methods are things that an object can do.
Chapter 2 told us about the vehicle property which can be used to synchronize the movement of two objects. The vehicle sets what the object is "riding on." i.e. Technically it sets the object that the it moves relative to
For most objects, we want the vehicle to be the world because we want the object to move relative to the world. We can change the vehicle to make an object move along with another object (e.g. ride in a car).
Last time, we used the move method and learned the difference between the methods do in order and do together.Move changes the object's position relative to its vehicle, which is usually the world. Objects can move forward, backward, left, right, up, or down.
In Chapter 2 of our textbook, we were introduced to a large number of additional methods in Alice:
- Using the set method to change a property like color during runtime... This could be good for making a character blush or turn green with envy for example.
- Turn pivots the object around its center point. Most ojects can turn left, right, forward, or backward. So, basically, we can use the turn method to create a somersaulting movement.
- Roll also pivots the object around its center point, but in the other axisi direction. Thus, we can use the roll method for a cartwheeling motion.
- You can change the orientation of an object's bounding box relative to the bounding box of another object with orient to (make orientation the same), turn to face (turn right or left only), point at (turn any direction so front face points to object).
- Thus, we can use the orient to to align the orientation of one object to another, and we can use the point at method to make one object turn its entire body to face the other. While the turn to face method can be used to turn one object to turn in the direction of the other.
- You can make your object's orientation follow another object with constrain to face or constrain to point to.
- The move to object moves the center of one object to the center of another object.
- In addition, we will add comments to our animation programs.
The main thesis
When readers read an essay, they look early in an essay for a one or two sentence condensation of the main point that is to follow. One refers to this condensation as a thesis statement.With an animation, the thesis or primary point may not be as obvious, but it is typically still at least hinted at early in the animation.
Your task: (which is to be completed individually, though consultations are encouraged...)
Your primary task to use Alice to create a short animation as follows:
The goal of your animation should be make a point by showing an animated scene which has more complex movements than we have been able to create before without these new methods. So, you are required to select a scene for which movement in all directions would make sense. Some obvious examples would be planes flying in the air or fish swimming in the water, but you need not restrict yourself to these. Many people and animals are capable of acrobatics, after all!
Use ALL of the following methods in some ways that make sense in the scene. Use at least one of these methods on a subpart, rather than on the whole object.- Use the move method
- Use the turn method to create a somersaulting movement.
- Use the roll method for a cartwheeling motion.
- Use the orient to method and/or the turn to face and/or the move to object method and/or the point at method the constrain to face method and/or the constrain to point to method meaningfully to display a relationship among objects.
- Use the vehicle property and/or the set method to change a property like color during runtime.
Example:
If one were to create a thesis for this short animation, what would it be?
As a class example, let's consider the following:
Alarm from Meteorix007 on Vimeo. In one sentence, describe the primary thesis and explain how it is intoduced early.
In addition, type an Artist's Statement in Microsoft Word. Save this as yourusername-A5.As you know, an artist's statement helps the audience to understand what the artist believes to be the most important aspects of his/her art and the techniques used to make it. Again, a paragraph of three to five sentences should certainly suffice which answers the following questions:
- Describe the main thesis of your animation. i.e. What primary point are you attempting to convey.
- What methods have you used and how does each support your primary thesis?