MA C126 Advanced Web Animation

CATALOG COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is an advanced study in web animation production. This course explores the relationships between; arrays, ASP, collision detection, custom controls, databases, dynamic elements, forms, wireless applications, and externalizing content with XML through a balanced combination of exercises, individual and group projects.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. Examine and categorize the significant events in the evolution of web animation in e-commerce.
2. Evaluate selected commercial web animations, addressing; social content, historical significance and artistic technique. .
3. Select, edit, and employ action-scripted elements to create an advanced interactive web animation.
4. Visualize and implement a production plan that visually depicts the treatment, outline, navigation map and determines the art style of the interactive web animation.
5. Visualize and construct controls, collision detection and arrays for vector based media.
6. Create and edit the art, motion, and sequence of a Flash animation.
7. Select original media and organize a portfolio, including; sketchbooks, storyboards and web based animations.

DETAILED TOPICAL OUTLINE

1. Introduction
   • Action-scripting and server operations for e-commerce
   • Marketing and entertainment production
2. Animation
   • Action-scripted animations
   • Using Trigonometry; Sine and Cosine functions to calculate movement
   • Advanced pre-loaders
3. Arrays, Variables
   • Lookup arrays
   • One- and two- dimensional arrays
   • Associative arrays
   • Randomizing arrays
   • Initializing and setting variables
4. Controls and Cursors
   • Audio controls
   • Scrolling controls
   • Creating custom cursors
5. Forms, Databases, and Server Side Scripts
   • Creating form elements
   • Database design fundamentals
   • Administration tools
   • ASP server side scripts
   • Building, showing, hiding, and switching data
   • Back end integration
   • Cold Fusion and JavaServer Page Servers
6. Dynamic Elements, Collision Detection, Randomizing
   • Creating dynamic text, color, menu, and variables
   • Associative arrays and Action-scripted collision detection
   • Creating random tiling, rotation, and alpha transparency
7. Functions
   • Passing arguments
   • Recursive functions
8. Input
   • Keyboard capture
   • Keyboard-controlled steering
   • Mouse speed
9. Externalizing Content and XML
   • Adding content to an XML document
   • Action-scripting loading, interpretation and formatting
   • Extracting data from parsed XML
   • Reading external text files

READINGS

Macromedia Flash MX: Training from the Source, by Chrissy Rey, Macromedia Press, ISBN 0-201-79482-9

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Reading Assignments: The text book reading assignments will be discussed in class (or in the online discussion forum if the class is online) to solidify concepts and help students to apply those concepts to their projects.
   
2. Tutorial Assignments: Tutorials will be assigned to help students learn the advanced features of web animation design software tools.
   
3. Typical Outside Assignments: Drawing flow diagrams of proposed interactive site layouts, designing a set of icons for specified interface functions, organization of content from varied sources, design and production of Flash animation.

TYPICAL EVALUATION AND GRADING SCALE

Students will be evaluated on discussion participation, weekly assignments, 2 major projects, and a written exam. In order to achieve a grade of "C" in this course, the student must complete all assigned design projects.


Typical evaluation criteria may include:
Discussion Participation 20 points
Assignments 40 points
Projects 30 points
Final Exam 10 points
Total 100 points

A typical grading scale is:
90-100% A
80-89% B
70-79% C
60-69% D
0-59% F

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