Computer Animation: Algorithms & Techniques

CSCI 712  (Fall 2025)

Schedule




Week
Dates
Topic
Assignment/Project Info
Animations
1
Aug 25 - Aug 29
Course Intro / Creating Animations

 
Making of Snow White (in class)
The Making of Toy Story (in class)

2
Sept 1 - Sept 5
Animation Framework
Rotations / Quaternions
Animation Framework (Assn 0)  given Luxo, Jr
The Adventures of Andre and Wally B

3
Sept 8 - Sept 12
Interpolation / Cubic Curves
Interpolation of Quaternions
Project Proposals due TRON
The Last Starfighter 
4
Sept 15 - Sept 19

Interpolation Review

Dynamics - Part I

Animation Framework (Assn 0)  due
Keyframe (Assn 1) given

Rigid Body Dynamics
Laws of Cartoon Physics


5
Sept 22 - Sept 26

Dynamics - Part II - Forces

Dynamics - Part III - Collisions

 

Mathematica
The Mechanical Universe


6
Sept 29 - Oct 3

Numerical Integration / Billiards

Particle Animation

Keyframe (Assn 1) due
Billiards (Assn 2) given

Star Trek II

 

7
Oct 6 - Oct 10

Behavioural Animation

R: Interview Day

Flocking / Particle systems (Assn 3) given

Breaking the Ice
8
Oct 13 - Oct 17

T: No class (October Break)
MIDTERM FAST FORWARD

Billiards (Assn 2) due  
9
Oct 20 - Oct 24

Articulated Figure Motion

Inverse Kinematics

 

Eurythmy

10
Oct 27 - Oct 31

motion capture / Sampling

Animation as Optimization / Genetic Programming


Flocking / Particle systems (Assn 3) due

moCap (Assn 4) given

Brilliance
Don't Touch Me
11
Nov 3 - Nov 7

Levels of Control / Facial Animation


Tony DePeltrie
Bingo
12
Nov 10 - Nov 14

Deep Learning in Animation

moCap (Assn 4) due

The Chub-Chubs
Alien Song
13
Nov 17 - Nov 21

Frameless Symposium (Friday)

 
14
Nov 24 - Nov 28
W: No class (Thanksgiving Break)
R: No class (Thanksgiving Break)


15
Dec 1- Dec 5 Sound and Animation
More Bells and Whistles
Pipe Dreams
Finals Week Thurs, Dec 11
Student Presentations (1:30pm - 4pm) - GOL 3520
FINAL DUE

last updated 11/7/2025