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Steven Murdoch Thesis A new approach for the communication and production of three-dimensional computer assisted character animation Steven Murdoch A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2020 Swinburne University of Technology P.O. Box 218, Hawthorn, Vic, 3122. Melbourne, Australia Abstract Current methods of communicating knowledge specific to the production of three- dimensional computer assisted character animation are limited. While the quality and complexity of character animation has increased over recent decades, there has been little advancement in the ways of making deep artistic and technical production knowledge explicit and sharable to aspiring character animators. In this research Agent-Oriented Software Engineering was applied as a theoretical framework to discuss the components of the animation environment as notions of agency and requirements. The graphical modelling method Agent-Oriented Goal Modelling was then leveraged to design a conceptual goal model of an explicit, simple language system design for the production of three-dimensional computer animation. This Mk I (mark one) Goal Model was applied within an animation project that pursued the collaborative production of three short undergraduate student films. Through the analysis of quantitative and qualitative project data, the Mk I Goal Model was found to communicate production practice and process. At this time areas for improvement were identified concerning the goal model’s granularity, the communication of different types of quality, and the evaluation of requirement achievement. Based on this data, a second simplified conceptual Mk II (mark two) Goal Model was designed that explicitly incorporated Primary and Emotional system requirements. This Mk II Goal Model was then evaluated across a series of short, independent undergraduate student character animation projects. Through the quantitative analysis of data regarding the perceived achievement of the goal model’s requirements, insights were gained around how the simplified system design and its Primary and Emotional requirements were able to communicate production concepts, draw attention to significant system requirements, and define the emotional state of an animated character. The results of this research present Agent-Oriented Goal Modelling as a way forward in the simplification and explicit communication of three-dimensional computer assisted character animation production practice and process. This thesis provides a substantial theoretical and practical contribution to the field of animation production, and extends the application of Agent-Oriented Goal Modelling to a new domain. The thesis does this through the demonstration of a novel framework to communicate the complex production knowledge and practices associated with orthodox, three-dimensional computer assisted character animation. iii Acknowledgments I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my primary supervisors, Associate Professor Sonja Pedell and Professor Emeritus Leon Sterling, and associate supervisors Associate Professor James Verdon, Professor Anita Kocsis and Mr Peter Francis for their continued support. I would also like to thank staff from Swinburne University of Technology, including Mr James Marshall, Mr Bill Trikojus, Dr Anne Prince and Associate Professor Deirdre Barron for their advice and support. Thank you to Dr Margaret Zeegers, for copy editing this thesis. I would also like to thank all study participants for their time and generosity. A very special thank you to my wife Gillian, children Amelia and Eliza, and extended family and friends for their care, understanding, and patience throughout this process. iv Student Declaration This thesis: Contains no material that has been accepted for the award to the candidate of any other degree or diploma, except where due reference is made in the text of the thesis. To the best of the candidate’s knowledge contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the text of the thesis. Where the work is based on joint research or publications, discloses the relative contributions of the respective workers or authors. Copy editing of this thesis was undertaken by Dr Margaret Zeegers, in accordance with the Australian Standards for Editing Practice. Steven Murdoch v Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Problem statement .................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Aim and scope ........................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Overview of the thesis structure ................................................................................ 3 Chapter 2: Animation – a complex and multi-domain discipline ..................................... 6 2.1 Towards a definition of animation .............................................................................. 6 2.1.1 Perspectives on animation ........................................................................................ 6 2.1.2 Animation styles ........................................................................................................ 8 2.1.3 Animation methods .................................................................................................. 11 2.1.4 Computer animation ................................................................................................ 13 2.1.5 A definition of animation .......................................................................................... 16 2.2 Animation processes and pipelines ......................................................................... 17 2.2.1 The overarching production process ....................................................................... 17 2.2.2 The character animation production process .......................................................... 26 2.3 The character animator ........................................................................................... 36 2.3.1 The role and expectations ....................................................................................... 36 2.3.2 Artistic knowledge and expertise ............................................................................. 43 2.3.3 Technical knowledge and expertise ........................................................................ 55 2.4 Evaluating animation ............................................................................................... 63 2.5 Communication challenges ..................................................................................... 69 Chapter 3: Agent-oriented goal modelling - a non-technical method for communicating multiagent systems ............................................................... 73 3.1 Animation systems and environments ..................................................................... 73 3.2 Agent-oriented software engineering ...................................................................... 74 3.2.1 A theoretical framework ........................................................................................... 74 3.2.2 The multi-layered conceptual space ........................................................................ 81 3.3 Agent-oriented goal modelling: an overview ........................................................... 85 3.4 The next step: agent-oriented goal modelling of animation ..................................... 88 Chapter 4: Developing a production system design and model .................................... 90 vi 4.1 Research question .................................................................................................. 90 4.2 An agent-oriented goal model of the digital animation process ............................... 90 4.2.1 Identifying key activities and requirements .............................................................. 91 4.2.2 Designing a functional model of the digital animation system ................................. 94 4.2.3 Identifying agent types and agents .......................................................................... 99 4.2.4 Developing and setting behaviours ....................................................................... 105 4.3 An agent-oriented goal model for the production of three-dimensional computer assisted character animation (the Mk I production model) .................... 109 4.3.1 Identifying functions and expectations of quality in practice .................................. 110 4.3.2 Kenny Roy’s animation workflow ........................................................................... 111 4.3.3 Eric Luhta’s animation workflows .......................................................................... 112 4.3.4 John Lasseter’s principles of animation ................................................................ 113 4.3.5 Functional system requirements ........................................................................... 113 4.3.6 Non-functional ‘quality’ system requirements ........................................................ 121 4.3.7 The Mk I production model .................................................................................... 127 4.4 Summary ............................................................................................................... 136 Chapter 5: Evaluating the Mk I production
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