CMPT 766: Computer Animation

(Fall 2025)

Introduction
Prerequisite

Course Staf f
Resources

Course Schedule

Introduction

Topics and techniques in computer animation, including: The history of animation, traditional animation, animation production pipeline, 3D model representation, kinematic animation, motion capture, particle systems, physics-based animation, character animation, soft objects and deformation.

Prerequisite

Good-to-have background: Computer Graphics, Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, Numerical Analysis, Ordinary Differential Equations, Probability, Data Structures and Algorithms, Fundamental Physics.
Good-to-have skills: strong in programming; comfortable with math.

Course Staff

Principal Instructor: KangKang Yin
Guest Lecturers:
Teaching Assistant: Arsh Khokhar

Resources

Recommended Textbook: "Computer Animation: Algorithms and Techniques (third edition)", Rick Parent. Morgan Kaufmann, ISBN 9780124158429. The first edition of this book is available online here.

The movie and game industry has strong presence in Vancouver:
Electronic Arts Atmosphere Sony Imageworks Relic Entertainment CD Projekt Red

Publication venues for animation research:
Siggraph Eurographics SCA Motion, Interaction and Games CHI Pacific Graphics I3D

Some cool confereces you wanna check out:
GDC GTC

Course Schedule (tentative, subject to changes, check regularly)

The classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays @ 11:30. Instructor's office hours Thursdays 12:30-13:20am. TA's office hours TBD.
The Maya Labs will be in ASB 9840. Most machines should have Maya installed. Alternatively you can bring your own laptop, but make sure to install a free strudent version of Maya prior to the classes.
There is no exam for this course. All students need to do an individual/group term project.
Lecture notes will be available before classes. Please do not circulate the notes electronically, however, as I don't have time to contact the original authors to obtain proper copyright for all the images and videos I use. We need to follow the fair use principles.
Evaluation and Grading: Programming Assignment: 40% (C# in Unity); Animation Assignments: 10% (Maya); Term Project (individual/group project): 50%.

*Week*	Tuesday (11:30-13:20) SWH10061	*Thursday (11:30-12:20)* *AQ5016*
1		Sep 4 Introduction to Animation Siggraph on YouTube Graphics Papers on the Web Graphics Gems The 5 Types of Animation
2	Sep 9 Animation Production; Principles of Traditional Animation Dreamworks Animation Pipeline Chapter 1.3 (before 1.3.1) Chapter 1.4 and 1.4.1; Chapter 1.3.1 Principles of traditional animation The cartoon animation filter 12 Principles of Animation 12 Principles of Animation in Games	Sep 11 Maya Basics (ASB 9840) Maya Interface Tour
3	Sep 16 Review: Coordinates and Transformations; Interpolation and Smoothing Chapter 4.1 Chapter 2.1.2-2.1.4 Appendix B.3.1 and B.3.2	Sep 18 Unity Tutorial https://unity.com/ https://learn.unity.com/
4	Sep 23 Curves and Splines Chapter 3.1; Chapter 3.4.3 Appendix B.5 First Programming Assignment Out	Sep 25 3D Rotations Chapter 2.1.5 and 2.2 Appendix B.3.3 and B.3.4
5	Sep 30 No Class (Truth and Reconciliation Day)	Oct 2 Building a Character in Maya (ASB 9840) Maya Basics - Shaping and Positioning Objects Maya Basics - Building Your First Model
6	Oct 7 3D Rotations (continued); Interpolation of 3D Rotations Chapter 3.3; Chapter 2.2.3 Visualizing Quaternions Maya Gimbal Lock Explained	Oct 9 Skeletal Animation and Forward Kinematics Chapter 5.1; Chapter 5.2
7	Oct 14 Motion Capture; Inverse Kinematics Chapter 6 Chapter 5.3 Damped Least Squares Method Second Programming Assignment Out	Oct 16 Maya Assignment (ASB 9840) Maya FK and IK Maya Assignment Out
8	Oct 21 Inverse Kinematics (continued); Physics-based Animation Intro Chapter 7.1; Appendix B.7 Chapter 7.3; Appendix B.8	Oct 23 Particle Systems and Dynamics Differential Equation Basics Particle System Dynamics
9	Oct 28 Rigid Body Dynamics Chapter 7.4 RIgid Body Dynamics Third Programming Assignment Out	Oct 30 Articulated Rigid Body Systems
10	Nov 4 Physics-based Character Animation Chapter 9.1; Chapter 9.3.3; Chapter 9.3.4 SIMBICON	Nov 6 Introduction to Deep Learning; DL-based Animation Methods Deep Learning: A Crash Course The Theory of Everything
11	Nov 11 No Class (Remembrance Day)	Nov 13 DL-based Animation Methods (continued)
12	Nov 18 Introduction to Deep Reinforcement Learning; DRL-based Animation Methods Learning to Move CS285 at UC Berkeley Forth Programming Assignment Out	Nov 20 Particle Systems in Maya (ASB 9840) Creating Passive Colliders in Maya Fluid simulation with nParticles
13	Nov 25 Project Presentations	Nov 27 Rigging and Skinning
14	Dec 2 (last class) Project Presentations Term Project Due at 23:59:59