Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Production
Production begins when you start creating models from the boards, model sheets, and
concept art. You model the characters, sets, and props, and then you assign textures (col-
ors, patterns). The animators take the models and animate everything according to the
boards and script. The sequences are rendered in low quality for dailies and checked for
accuracy and content.
The CG production phase can involve a variety of steps. The specific steps are defined
by the needs of the production. Most of the CG techniques you'll learn in this topic are
part of the production phase. To make a long story short, 3D scenes are created, lit, and
animated in the production phase.
Post Production
After all the scenes have been set up with props and characters and everything is ani-
mated, post production can begin. Post production for a CG project is similar to post
production for a film. This is where all of a CG film's elements are brought together and
assembled into final form.
Rendering
Rendering
is the process by which the computer calculates how everything in the scene
should look and then displays it. As you'll learn throughout this topic, the decisions you
make in creating the objects in a scene can make a big difference in how the rest of the
process goes.
Rendering makes significant processing demands on your computer, usually requiring
the full attention of your PC. This can take a considerable amount of time. You can ren-
der one scene while another scene is in production, but asking a computer that is render-
ing to multitask isn't advisable unless you're using a dual-processor machine with plenty
of memory.
When everything is rendered properly, the final images are sorted, and the assembly
of the CG project begins. Rendering is discussed more fully in Chapter 11, “Maya
Rendering.”
We'll take a quick look at three more post-production activities: compositing, editing,
and adding sound. These are advanced topics, and complete coverage is beyond the scope
of
Introducing Maya 2011
. However, a multitude of topics are available on these topics for
further study.
Compositing
Quite often, CG is rendered in different layers and segments, which need to be put back
together. In a particular scene, for example, multiple characters interact. Each charac-
ter is rendered separately from the others and from the backgrounds. They're then put
