teaching
3D animation, virtual worlds, graphical interaction

The 3Space Lab
A Shared 3D Graphics Lab

The Concept of the 3Space Lab
The 3Space Lab is a new facility devoted to learning and production with 3D computer graphics applications for animation, product design, and virtual worlds.Ê This facility will support BA, MA, and MFA degree program classes as well as independent undergraduate and graduate projects.Ê It began serving classes fall semester, 2001. The 3Space Lab is hosted by the Department of Design and Industry and shared by the DAI Product Design and Visual Communication emphases and with other departments within the College of Creative Arts, including the Cinema Department Animation emphasis and the Art Department Information Arts emphasis.

Jane Veeder, Coordinator

The 3Space focus identifies our common territory of learning, creative thinking, design, and production in the vocabulary of 3D computer graphics, regardless of content or output medium.

This plan offers real utility in a time of limited resources:Ê We can use a common hardware platform with specialized but overlapping software applications and we can leverage the expertise of student teaching and lab assistants from all participating programs to support lab operations and student access.

3Space Resources
The 3Space Lab is newly equipped with an initial collection of 15 Dell Dimension Workstations (1.33 Ghz P3, 40GbHd, 512 MbRAM, Quadro 2Pro Graphics Board) funded partly by a grant from Doc Martens Shoe Company and partly by the College of Creative Arts.

We are seeking donations for additional workstations, peripherals, and software to complete this facility. Our immediate development needs are $9000 for software and $1000 for accessories.

Rethinking Digital Media
Interdisciplinary lecture/discussion course engaging digital visual media (computer animation, interactive multimedia/internet, virtual worlds) viewed through the lenses of history, cultural influences and impact, technology and production techniques, content, creative roles, and application areas.

Design of Virtual Worlds
This class has received much appreciated support from Mindavenue of Montreal, Canada (www.mindavenue.com) which develops AXELedge Web3D authoring software.Ê

Integrated research, design theory, and production practice of interactive virtual worlds for CDROM and internet. Virtual worlds (variously called virtual reality, virtual environments, articificial reality, realtime worlds, interactive immersive simulations, telepresence) are proving widely useful to a range of fields from medical imaging to online museums to computer games.Ê This course will integrate an investigation into the design theory of virtual worlds in general with the production practice of a specific subset, that of desktop/online interactive 3D environments.

Design Computer Graphics: Intro 3D Motion Graphics
Introductory studio course to develop basic conceptual, technical, and design skills in 3D computer motion graphics. To learn the software and gain a working overview of 3D motion graphics design considerations and production process, students work through a progression of basic technical/design problems.Ê Students then design and execute a personal creative project in consultation with the instructor.Ê Various works will be shown and discussed for content/design analysis and to gain an overview of the field.

2D Motion Graphics for Digital Media
Focus on the intersection between the basic principles of animation, motion perception, and graphic design for the digital screen. Techniques for bitmap and vector animation and basic digital video. Design practice focuses on a range of screen-based applications including dynamic web page interfaces, animation in information design, interactive non-linear animations, experimental animation, narrative "webisodes", titles and banner ads.

Graphical User Interface Design
Design and prototyping of graphical interfaces for human-computer interaction. Audience research, information structures, interaction design, visual theme, media. Analysis of applications: Internet, software, instructional media, on-line communities.