Digital Special Effects Resources

 

Applications

Autodesk Maya

Apple Shake

Adobe After Effects Professional

 

Sample Tests

Quiz: History, Early Techniques, Optical and Digital Compositing

Quiz: Matchmoving and High Dynamic Range Imaging

Quiz: Particles, Tracks, and Scripts

 

Python Resources

The official Python website.

A well-organized set of Python tutorials.

A well-organized set of PyQt tutorials.

Python Tutorials by Guido van Rossum.

Information on PyQt by Guido van Rossum.

 

Documents

Class notes on the history of special effects.

Notes on optical techniques for special effects.

Quick outline of ideas for miniatures and other effects.

Quick notes outline for compositing theory and basic image manipulation.

Compositing exercise notes with example for After Effects and Shake.

Notes on animation expressions, basic particle expressions, and MEL scripting (updated MEL scripts).

MEL scripts in .txt file (copy and paste each script into Maya's script editor).

Shake manual.

Storyboard Template in .pdf and .tiff.

 

Links

• PBS Nova Special Effects Web Site includes historical information, interviews, and activities.
• PBS Nova's Second Special Effects Web Site with a history timeline, glossary, and other resources.
• An afficianado's website with some interesting and useful information.
• The Blue Screen Page contains some information about Chroma Keying.
• Highend3d.com -- look under the Maya menu at the top for tutorials, tips, shaders, etc.
• Learning-Maya.com -- lots of great tutorials.
• Alias (now owned by Autodesk)-- the brilliant people who bring you Maya.
• PIXAR -- the brilliant people who bring you RenderMan as well as all those great films.
• GNOMON -- providers of some good educational materials for Maya and 3-D work.
• Similar courses at other universities:
  • CPSC 815: Special Effects Production (Fall 2004), (Fall 2005), and (Fall 2006 in progress). (Go Tigers!) -- Check out the links to student project websites to see their work . Yes, they're grad students, but you can do just as well or even better ;-). Also, look over the how-to pages that some of the students have made that even include images of their Shake composites, etc.
  • CS 4480: Digital Video Special Effects (click on the different years at the bottom to view earlier student work).
  • CS 440/MDST 375: Computer Graphics for Film Production (click on the Final Videos link to checkout student work).
  • Cognitive Science 290: Special Visual Effects (not quite as related but still interesting).