August 26, 2025

Architecture 5420: Computer Animation And Storytelling
Due: In-class screening September 18,2025 *

* Per our September 11 class discussion, the assignment deadline is extended to September 18. Bring a draft for in-class troubleshooting on September 16.

Exercise 1: a process

Create a 30-second animation featuring simple objects that depict a process with a beginning, middle, and end. This could be a chain reaction, cause-and-effect sequence, a Rube Goldberg-inspired machine, or a more abstract sequence of events open to interpretation.

Instructions:

  1. Use basic NURBS and/or polygon primitives with basic keyframing techniques.
  2. Create one or more sequences at the same resolution.
  3. Work with one or multiple objects.
  4. Render your animation using either Maya Software or Maya Hardware 2.0.
  5. Save your work as a JPEG animation sequence. Compile the sequence(s) in OpenShot (free download at openshot.org) or any video editor you are comfortable with, such as Adobe Premiere.
  6. Upload your final animation to your personal folder within the ARCH 5420 CLASSES submit folder. Email a 1–2 paragraph description of your project to the class instructor, Earl Mark, at ejmark@virginia.edu, before the screening.
The CLASSES server, commonly used within the School of Architecture, can be accessed from anywhere on grounds or remotely by installing UVA's VPN system on your personal computer. Instructions for installing VPN on your computer are available here: UVA's VPN). For full details about using VPN to get onto the CLASSES server and and more general access to resources within the School of Architecture, to School resources, see the computer setup document (requires Netbadge login). Or, if you wish, once you've installed VPN, see these instructions to get onto the CLASSES server. Note two important differences bewteen Mac OS and Windows OS details these instructions:
  1. The Mac OS and Windows OS options for connecting to the CLASSES server are different from one another. For Mac, use the Mac OS “Go/Connect to Server” utility and enter  smb://Classes.arch.virginia.edu/SARC-CLASSES.  For Windows, use the Windows OS “Start  Run” command and enter \\Classes.arch.virginia.edu\SARC-CLASSES .
  2. Furthermore, when logging into the CLASSES server via the Windows OS “Start Run” option, type *eservices* followed by your UVa computing ID (e.g., eservices\ejm9k). The *eservices* prefix is not required for Mac OS.