Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:21:43 -0500 (CDT)
   From: Mark Jacobson <jacobson@cns.uni.edu>
     To: 810-088-11-fall@uni.edu
Subject: Quiz Two followup - try it out in MAYA to review SDK...

Hi 088 Maya students,

    Here is the link to the QUIZ TWO question.  It would be excellent
practice to try it out in MAYA to gain more experience with the SDK,
which is short for Set Driven Key.

    http://www.cs.uni.edu/~jacobson/maya/quizTwoSDKconcepts.jpg

    Get started on the Boiler Engine assignment.  You might want to
experiment with the different things that are involved with the
assignment, such as                                 _

                    Edit menu >> Duplicate Special | |
                                                    -
                       and

                    Selecting a collection of faces

                       and
                                                        _
                    Edit Mesh >> Insert Edge Loop Tool | |
                                                        -
                       and
                                             -
                    Create >> CV Curve Tool | |
                                             -

                                                to create profile curves
                                                that can be REVOLVED to
                                                create a SURFACE.
    Working on these things separately an in isolation
    from the entire project is liking working on making

        the letter      A      till you get the feel for it, and then

        the letter      N      till you can do it pretty good, and then

        the letter      I      so you can do that.

    All three letters are just 3 lines.

    I is made up of two lines in parallel.
    N is made up of two lines that are parallel to each other.

    A has two lines that form a TENT.  Can you draw a tent for me?

    Now can you make it look like a rope is tied around the tent about
    halfway up?  That is what the letter A looks like.  cAnAdA had
                                                        lots of tents, A?

    Once you get a feel for the separate tasks. you will then put them
    together in the algorithm (step by step recipe) for creating the
    boiler engine with its 5 plates and its 216 bolts and its
    two edge loops and narrower circumference front portion and its
    NURBS Front Cap created from a PC (Profile Curve).

    That is like being able to write your entire first name, when you
    are just a very young child and there were parents and parents
    friends and relatives cheering for your accomplishment after the
    fact looking at the recording of it on a card or drawing they
    got in the mail or seeing a live concert of you writing your
    first name when in the presence of the the cute little child that
    I can safely assume all of you definitely were.

    You don't learn cursive in Maya until AFTER the 10th week of a 15 week
    long class, cause learning.

    We are in the PRINT your name phase and just the UPPER CASE letters
    right now.  Pre-cursive, pre character animation, but this phase
    is a PRE-requisite foundation for being able to effectively doing
    anything stunning in MAYA 3D graphics later on, like the character
    LEON or the Squirrel or the Catfish character in the animated short
    movie Moongirl..

    Mark