Creating Stereoscopic 3D Images

Recreating Cameras and Lights in Maya

Actual Photo:

Maya re-creation:

Different angle:

Extra Credit: Lighting a Scene in Maya

1-point lighting:

2-point lighting:

 3-point lighting:

Building a Scene in Maya

Second Term Paper

No term paper is being submitted.

Outline for the Second Term Paper

Live Action Movies: Wave Goodbye to Realism

I. Introduction:
- Many live action films struggle to make some concepts believable in real life. A concept several films fail to capture realistically is the concept of waves.
- Transformers attempts to bring robots and danger into reality, but the physics of shockwaves fall flat and fail to convince the audience of any danger or realism.
- Mortal Combat: Annihalation is a sci-fi film, but could have still pulled off believable supernatural powers if they used waves realistically.
- Watchmen is the most realistic of all the movies, however the explosion in the ending does not behave as it should in reality.

II. Waves in Transformers
- In the opening scene, the helicopters shoots beams and missiles causing explosions. A shockwave results from such explosions and hurls cars into the sky, yet the humans remain on the ground still running away. They should be flying as well.
- After Bumble Bee's rejection at the dealership, Bumble Bee sends out a frequency that shatters all the car windows. It is unlikely that the same frequency could cater to all the different densities and and materials of the dozens of cars. If it did occur, a increasing frequency would be needed to cause resonance in all the cars and they would shatter at different times.
- When an autobot crash lands to earth, the shockwave goes through a building destroying glasses, however no one inside is harmed.

III. Waves in Mortal Kombat
- High frequency soundwaves are difficult to feel physically. In Mortal Kombat, Sindel uses her high pitch scream as a weapon to explode landscape and destroy people.
- She destroys mountain landscape, but leaves mere mortals unscathed.
- Even if it were possible, the effects would occur in intervals due to wavelength, but there is a constant stream of impact on the mountains.

IV. Waves in Watchmen
- The explosion in the ending scene is believably powerful, however the behavior is irregular.
- Usually a wave will have a large explosion, cause a shockwave that pushes out, then it creates a vacuum inward.
- In the explosion, the sequence of the blast begins with a shockwave, creates a vaccum effect, creates a stronger shockwave, then the explosion follows the shockwave.

V. Conclusion
In conclusion, live action movies have a difficult task of bringing fiction into a world of realism. Some effects can succeed even if it is not possible by having correct physics. Most films did a good job with their effects, but some did not do well in displaying waves. Films like Transformers, Mortal Kombat, and Watchmen each showed an aspect of waves that were done wrong. By studying these mistakes, film makers can better fix them and get the audience to buy into their universe.

Character Animation

In order to do this clip, I took my nephew's action figure which had many joint I could use to bend the figure into walking poses. On the ground, I taped painter's tape to track where my figure must be in all frames. I also taped 2 extra lines to put the glue stick and chapstick. On the lines I measured inches and moved the glue stick 2 inches in each shot to give relative distance. The chapstick was suppose to be moved an inch per frame to make it appear far away, however the shots got mixed up and it appears at random distances. I tried to exact my camera position due to lack of a tripod, but it still could have turned out much better. I can't imagine making a full motion picture doing stop motion, and respect animators and special effect artists even more every time I do stop motion.

Reverse Video Reference of Walking

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Video 3:

Video 4:

The Law of Physics in Animation Universe

****************** If links to “clips” have an advertisement, please close and re-click until advertisement does not show in order to view video at proper time of example.*************

Physics of Watchmen: Can Superheroes Exist Without Super Powers?

In Watchmen, one of the many themes is what makes a hero? In order to answer this question in a shallow but physical sense, the rules of physics in the Watchmen universe will be compared to reality. As Watchmen is set in an alternative reality, the rules of physics in this world are very similar to today’s world. Though there are many similarities, there are instances in which certain rules have a different set of rules. Some of these rules include the movement of fluid, direction of force, and gravity. Many would argue that this is a film about superheroes, however only one of the characters actually has super powers. As many of the regular humans have super strength and speed in the movie, it can be determined whether super strength and speed can exist in today’s world through this comparison.

Among the similarities between the Watchmen reality and today’s reality is movement of fluid. Water behaves similarly in both realities and share the same rules. The waves of water create complex pathways (see fig. 1 below), which are properly shown when CGI is used to animate water in the movie. For example, in order to tame a fire the Nite Owl uses his ship to shoot down a large water storage tank. As the water spills out, the fluid hits one wall and quickly fills the rooftop. As the waves collide with one another, they create several directions of force within the water, similar to reality. Some contradictions to Watchmen’s rules of fluid are the friction in water and Rorschach’s mask. In the film, water seems to have no difference in friction than the friction in air. In one scene, the Owl Ship dives into water, travels through it, then exits the water. During this entire sequence it appears as though the ship moves with a constant velocity. In reality, the ship should have slowed down upon impact of the water, remained at a slower rate within the water, and then gained speed upon exit. Another contradiction is Rorschach’s mask which has ink-like fluid. This fluid moves in random patterns and at random speeds whether he is moving or is stationary. In reality, the fluid should settle to the bottom when he is stationary, and should compact then bounce depending on which direction force is applied (Garcia, L10_SquashStretch2, Slide 30, 2012). One scene where his mask behaves realistically is during the last fighting scene where he gets kicked in the face and the fluid compacts accordingly to force (clip). The film’s universe shares the same properties as fluid in reality, with only a few contradictions.

Although fluid has the same rules, the Watchmen universe does not share the rules of inertia. More specifically, the Watchmen universe does not follow the inertia and drag principle. In their universe, each character seems to have a small gravitational field keeping objects toward them. This theory is shown to be true in several scenes. For example, in the final fighting scene Ozymandias jumps in the air, and at the apex of his jump his cape should go up due to inertia, follow-through, drag, and air resistance (Garcia, L07_Action, slide 18, 2012). However, it stays down as if external force has no influence on it. One more example of this is when the Comedian is thrown across the room in the first fighting scene (clip). His robe should have a drag, but it stays close to his body. An explanation is that the characters have a field of gravity that overpowers the forces of inertia. Dr. Manhattan’s super powers include a magnified gravitational field that keeps electrons compacted to form his shape.

Another difference from reality is that all of the Watchmen seem to have super strength although the film clearly acknowledges none of them have super powers. This means in the universe of Watchmen, humans are able to produce much more force than in reality. Some examples of these include Silk Spectre kicking a person in the back to send them back-flipping forward, the Comedian being tossed far across the room (clip), and the Nite Owl clothes lining criminals high into the air. Though they exhibit exceptional strength, one moment is contradictory. Nite Owl punches Ozymandias in the end of the movie several times. Based on seeing his strength in previous scenes, Ozymandias should no longer have a face however Ozymandias only has a few scars. Ozymandais seems to exhibit a large amount of force when he stops a bullet. When he catches the bullet, he goes against the reality that an object with large momentum cannot be stopped with a short amount of time and force (Garcia, L09_SquashStretch, slide 46, 2012). In the gun shot scene (clip), he is able to catch a bullet from gunpoint just inches away. In reality, the large momentum of the bullet would need far more time in order to stop at his hand. This example shows he has extraordinary force which he applied in a short amount of time.

Next is the law of gravity which can explain how people can get tossed far horizontal distances. In the universe of Watchmen, gravity is a force that propels objects and organisms toward the center of the earth. The difference from reality is the rate of acceleration of gravity. In Watchmen, their gravity has random rates for different objects, and all the rates are less than that of reality’s (9.8 m/s). The reason it is random for each object is because no matter what size or weight of the object, all objects fall at different rates. For example, when the Comedian gets thrown out of the building in the first scene, he falls before his pin does. In reality, the pin should have fallen first since they fell from the same height (Garcia, L10_SquashStretch2, slide 34, 2012). Another example of this is when the building on Mars crashes down. Random sizes of shards fall at random moments. The gravity on Mars is different from Earth, but all shards were affected by the same rate of gravity. Gravity is also shown to be less in their universe in several scenes. First is the Comedian’s fight scene and second is Rorschach’s. Both of them get easily tossed across the room by a human with no powers. For this to happen a human would need superhuman strength (already explained above), and the amount of force gravity has on an object needs to be less. Gravity also seems to be at earth’s standard force on all planets. When Silk Spectre is teleported to Mars, she is suffocating due to a lack of oxygen, however she walks as if she is still on Earth. Mar’s gravity should be 38% that of earth’s so Silk Spectre should appear to be gently gliding along with every step (Ask an Astronomer for Kids, 2012).

Now with those laws of physics explained, can those superhero attributes (super strength and speed) be possible in reality? Perhaps looking at the examples can explain if superhuman powers can exist in reality. One argument for superhuman strength might be the character’s uses of long motions. For example, during the fighting scenes every character uses dynamic poses before an action. Upon throwing a punch kick or toss, each character squashes and contorts their body then uses a long distance to generate large force. In this sense, a lot of momentum and force can be generated from the torque of their core area. This can generate enough force to break bones, punch through walls, and potentially throw a body across the room if an individual is in great physical shape. Obviously one area aspect that restricts this in reality is Earth’s relative high gravity compared to that of the Watchmen’s. Of course in order to generate those forces, planning and prediction of each movement must be made, rather than reacting to the opponents blows. As for Ozymandias catching the bullet, it should be humanly impossible since the average reaction time is .215 milliseconds, far less than the speed of a bullet being shot within inches (Reaction Time Statistics, 2012). Furthermore, his hand does not have enough force to stop the bullet on impact. The comics had explained that it was his intelligence that enabled him to catch the bullet (fig. 2 below). First, he calculated Silk Spectre’s reaction time for the trigger, the speed of the bullet, and the reaction time he needed in order to catch the bullet. Second, he put his hand out, but moved toward the direction of the bullet. As previously explained, momentum can be safely stopped if there is small force within a relatively long length of time. By doing so he was able to “catch” the bullet, although he did end up bloodied due to minor penetration. His super speed was actually a representation of his enormous intelligence and logic. Though the rules such as gravity and fluid were different in this universe, it seems as though super human strength and speed are possible through the knowledge of physics, a strong body, and an amazing ability to process information.

In conclusion, Watchmen has many rules of physics that follow reality’s rules, but some that slightly differ. The film portrays the same rules with fluids, but the rules that differ are force and gravity. Each of their principles are different with many examples to prove so. Since there are similarities as well, it can be studied if super powers can exist in reality. By understanding physics and being in excellent physical shape, the super powers that the Watchmen exhibit can be obtained to a certain degree in real life. Perhaps in the near future a super physics man will society’s hero.

figure 1:

figure 2:

References

Ask an Astronomer for Kids (2012). Cool Cosmos. Retrieved from: http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_kids/AskKids/mars_gravity.shtml

Garcia, A. (2012). L07_Action [PDF document]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Website: https://canvas.instructure.com/courses/595872/files#Physics%20of%20Animation

Garcia, A. (2012). L09_SquashStretch [PDF document]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Website:https://canvas.instructure.com/courses/595872/files#Physics%20of%20Animation

Garcia, A. (2012). L10_SquashStretch2 [PDF document]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Website:https://canvas.instructure.com/courses/595872/files#Physics%20of%20Animation

Reaction Time Statistics. (2012). Human Benchmark. Retrieved from: http://www.humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime/stats.php

I have made changes from the outline. The outline was based on what the movie did wrong, however my essay defines actual rules I have observed. The outline for this essay was essentially an introduction, how fluid is similar to reality with minor contradictions, regular people are far more stronger in Watchmen, There is less gravity in Watchmen, if it is possible to exhibit super speed and strength in reality, and a conclusion. I was able to use the same examples presented in the outline in a more orderly fashion.

Outline Paper 1

Physics in Watchmen

I. Intro

a. Though the only person with actual super powers in this movie is Dr. Manhattan, many of the other characters exhibit unrealistic physics.

b. There are other instances in the world of Watchmen that is unrealistic.

II. Body 1

a. Rorschach has a mask with fluid in it that constantly moves.

b. It moves without any kind of force (unlike fluid).

c. When he falls or quickly moves in a direction, the fluid does not compact.

d. In the final fight, he gets kicked in the face and the fluid compacts and moves in the direction of the force (contradiction).

III. Body 2

a. Ozymandias catches a bullet, but it does not pass through him, but rather maintains its shape and hardly penetrates the skin. This goes against the egg and blanket example of impact.

b. Ozymandias gets punched in the face from a human to receive scars and bleeds (contradiction).

IV. Body 3

a. Dr. Manhattan is the only superhero, and has the ability to do many things.

b. He can negate gravity

1. When he arrives for the first time after the accident, everything around him raises into the air with random complex paths, however they do not go toward the floor or him (if he was to have his own gravitational field).

2. He can take apart objects and float the materials in uniform circular motions.

c. He can make objects float, but he obeys earth's gravity. For example, he enlarges himself to reach high places rather than levitating himself.

V. Body 4

          a. There are flaws of physics in the world of watchmen itself

b. A lot of twinning occurs (Nite Owl’s ship leaves water, Rorschach explodes, Dr. Manhattan dissembles a car, etc.)

c. A constant acceleration of gravity does not exist (jumps, drops, and tosses, move with constant distance in the vertical and horizontal axis)

1. Large objects fall faster than small objects even if they fall at the same height (ex: pin and the Comedian, Mars structure crashing down, etc.)

d. Silk Spectre cannot breathe on Mas, however she exhibit’s the gravity on earth even though Mars is 38% of that gravity.

e. Capes do not continue in the direction of applied force (ex: Ozymandias jumps up and at the apex the cape should flow above his head, but it does not)

VI. Conclusion

a.      Watchmen is a great movie with a base around science, but does exemplify realistic motions.

b.     Even though they are super heroes, only one has superpowers and each character has their flaws.

c.      The world itself has flaws.

d.     Though there were many flaws, it helped to give the movie a comic book feel.

Stop Motion Animation of Falling

Stop Motion Video

I created this video by taking numerous photos. First I found a reference video of a slinky falling. I noticed the top portion of the slinky moves and shrinks into its collapsed state before the bottom of the slinky starts moving. Once I saw that, I wanted to do a bit more. I took a strip of paper and folded it over a few times into a spring resembling a slinky. I then planned to drop it on a drawn button that when slammed on, pushes an adjacent button propelling a ball into the air. I tried my best to mimic the fall of a slinky, and drew several backgrounds with the buttons moving (drew them as if they were elastic in transferring energy). I then got a skittles candy and pretended the momentum from the button going up, pushed the skittles up until it bounced and came to a rest.

Video analysis of path of action

Reference:

Tracker Image:

Path of Action Video:

Tracker Video Analysis of Falling

Tracker video:

Original Video:

Video Reference

Here is my video of me throwing the ball 5 times.

I am not great with digital images so I used a Google Docs, Windows Movie Maker, and Snipping Tool. I was not able to separate it by frame, but I was able to do it by time (which is shown in the picture). I took the total time from apex to catch (same height as it was released), and showed the clip at the halfway mark. It still dropped a quarter of the way. I hope this is sufficient for the assignment.

Mini-portfolio

              My name is Vien and I am in my 4th year at San Jose State University studying Kinesiology. I am hoping to get into a doctorate program for physical therapy in 2014. Aside from the GE's I have taken at SJSU, I have taken Anatomy, Physics (2a,2b), Chemistry (30a,1a,30b), and Pre-calculus. I have also taken a few Kinesiology classes (Intro to KIN, Measurement and Evaluation, Sport History). Lastly I have taken many physical activity classes, mainly to understand the movement and technique better (weightlifting, swimming, golf,  swing dance, and enrolled in kayaking). I have not had any formal classes or teaching in art/animation/illustration. I have just loved to draw and create since I was young. I am taking this course because I would like to better understand movement and be in a class regarding art and animation. Below are two of my my favorite drawings that also relate to animation and physics, and a video that I enjoyed watching. 

The rest of my work can be viewed at: 

https://picasaweb.google.com/117397279802987543352/VienVu?authkey=Gv1sRgCJzVnqOlmIbcmQE

Woody and Buzz from Toy Story in alternative costumes. Woody is in a more sinister outfit and Buzz is in a Tony Stark (Ironman) outfit.

A gift to Dr. Jay Johnson. A proud Canadian and also one of my most influential Kinesiology professors.

An awesome flip book video that I love, and after the first lecture in class it is more interesting to watch for a timing and spacing.

First Post

This is my homework blog and my first homework assignment.