3-D Human Modeling and Animation [Hardcover]

Peter Ratner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1997

"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.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

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 Gilbert

Topics 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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Van Nostrand Reinhold (December 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0442025084
• ISBN-13: 978-0442025083
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,320,406 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Our students use this book to create stunning animations..., October 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: 3-D Human Modeling and Animation, First Edition (Paperback)

Our Computer Animation students use this book to create stunning character animations. As a result, our alumni have been very successful in finding jobs at major studios such as PIXAR, MetroLight Studios, ABC Interactive, Encore Productions, etc.

Peter Ratner's book outlines the process of modeling and animating male and female human models in easy to follow steps. His illustrative directions guide one through every aspect of the human anatomy; all the way down to minute details such as modeling the fingernails. The author assumes nothing of the reader and therefore goes to great lengths to explain everything as clearly as possible. There are hundreds of illustrations that show each step in the modeling and animation process. In fact, there isn't one page in the book that doesn't have at least one illustration in it.

Professor Ratner's exquisite 3D illustrations are his own and exemplify the fact that he is an accomplished artist as well as author. As a 3D artist he understands the problems that face 3D modelers and animators. Unlike other authors who depend on outside artists to supply illustrations and techniques for their books, Professor Ratner is able to create his own. The numerous color illustrations from his former students are a significant testimonial to the effectiveness of his teaching methodology.

Our department has found it very easy to adapt this book to the various software packages that we are using. For example, even though the book is geared toward spline and NURBS based software, the students who are using LightWave have successfully adapted it for polygon modeling, boning and animating. The book is geared toward mid-level to high-end modeling software packages. Animators using low-end modeling and animation packages that do not have deformation tools might find it difficult to work with this book due to the limitations of their software. In any event, this type of software most likely lacks the tools for any kind of character modeling and animation.

This book's descriptive instructions, brilliant color and black and white illustrations and easy to follow layout practically guarantee improved results for the 3D artist. It has played an important role in our computer animation curriculum. I highly recommend this book to any student or professional interested in learning more about the exciting field of 3D character modeling and animation.

Professor Gary Chatelain, Design Department, James Madison University

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book for beginners, November 24, 1999

By 

Jon Campbell (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 3-D Human Modeling and Animation, First Edition (Paperback)

3-D Human Modeling and Animation is a great book for beginners starting in the 3-D field. It gives step by step instructions to model every body part, even down to the finger nail. This book involves spline modeling which is a great tool for modeling organic objects, especially humans. Best is the generality of the book; the book is not software dependant and is very usefull with any software that uses spline modeling.

20 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Outdated, April 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: 3-D Human Modeling and Animation, First Edition (Paperback)

A word of warning. . .computer graphics books age like milk, not wine. The graphics here are considerably _worse_ than what you'd get out of a consumer grade product like Metacreations Poser-- not to mention 3D Studio or Softimage.

At the time this was written, it may have been useful, but you can spend your time and money more productively now.