3-D Human Modeling and Animation, First Edition Ratner, Peter

From Amazon Never forgetting that "the human form is the most valuable and challenging resource in fine art," 3-D Human Modeling and Animation helps make the transition from 2-D to 3-D--working with height, width, and now depth--easier. Student artists and animators learning or expanding their skills for modeling and animating digital humans will find this book a great resource. Lessons and instruction begin by modeling the feet, progressing upward through the body, and then ending with the head (the head being the most complicated to create). The modeling approach you'll use involves skinning cross-sectional splines and contours, a system that uses a series of curved or straight outlines and then connects them. Students will find the various procedures used here helpful, no matter what software or hardware setup they're using. In an example on human motion, you consider the movement of clothes on the human body, which tend to move separately--the swing of a skirt as it twirls opposite the human figure, for example. Animate your characters with secondary actions, the book suggests, so that their movements look more realistic and dramatic. While there is no companion CD-ROM, this book offers plenty of illustrations, step-by-step instructions, and student exercises. Whether you're just learning to model or want to expand beyond your 2-D skills and make the leap into the 3-D arena, you'll find 3-D Human Modeling and Animation a good place to start. --Brooke GilbertTopics covered: the basics of modeling, seamless models, how body parts move, visual dynamics (rhythm, tension, direction), composition, directing the viewer's eyes, scene outlines, understanding lighting configurations, and animating humans. Product Description "3-D Human Modeling and Animation fills a tremendous void that has become even more evident with the successful use of 3-D in movies like Disney's Toy Story. While there has been much written about drawing the human form in relation to art, commercial design, and 2-D cartooning, the subject of 3-D modeling and animation of the human form has been neglected at the same time that the use of 3-D tools has been exploding. It is my judgment that [this] book will become the reference that professional and student artists and animators turn to in order to master one of the most challenging yet exciting subjects to model and animate-the human form." -Nick Pavlovic, CEO, Visual Information Development, Inc., Monrovia, CA Ideal for graphic designers, artists, and others, 3-D Human Modeling and Animation builds a bridge from traditional figure drawing, painting, and sculpture to the creation and animation of figures using computer technology. With a step-by-step approach, the book leads readers through the process of modeling human figures, with specific yet flexible techniques that can be applied to many different hardware/software setups. Separate chapters cover different areas of the body, and contain everything readers need to know about proportion, basic design strategies, 3-D construction methods, and other essential information. The final chapters show how to prepare figures for animation and get them up and running-and jumping, walking, turning, and twisting! Complete with illustrations, helpful exercises, and more, 3-D Human Modeling and Animation opens up a whole new world of creative possibilities to explore. From Library Journal This how-to art book covers the basics and theory of 3-D modeling and animation. It is not a book about using any particular application. Ratner explains general design approaches for complete figure building, from seamless models and body construction to preparation for animation and creating human motion. Liberal graphics include 40 full-color illustrations of models. This book will have a wide audience and a long shelf life; a first choice along with Callihan.Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review With the advent of apps such as