14 DAY TRIAL // Autodesk has recently released the 2008 version of its popular Animation Academy for Autodesk 3ds Max and Autodesk Maya software products, an official report informs. According to the piece, Autodesk Animation Academy is the premier visual communication program for secondary schools, having as a primary objective: bringing mathematical, technical, scientific and artistic subject matters to life. What the team-based curriculum teaches students is sophisticated 3D visualization and animation skills with the same technology used by video game developers and media and entertainment industry professionals.
As the report says, the 2008 release of Animation Academy is available globally for both the 3ds Max and Maya 3D modeling, animation and rendering software products. However, Animation Academy for 3ds Max is only available to Windows operating system users, while Animation Academy for Maya is available to secondary schools teaching on both Macintosh and Windows platforms.
Who better to become video game developers and media professionals if not nowadays' kids? They play them, they're crazy about them, but most of all, they're highly critical about every single aspect regarding gameplay, sound, but mostly visuals, and that's why they're being taught 3D visualization and animation skills.
David Della-Rocca, education product manager for Autodesk Media & Entertainment, said, "The demand for skilled workers who have a firm grasp of visual communication and animation is on the rise in entertainment, as well as in many other arts- and design-focused industries. The Autodesk Animation Academy helps propel students into exciting careers by familiarising them with the latest 3D software, while supplementing their critical thinking, design and communication skills across academic disciplines."
Some key features of Autodesk Animation Academy 2008:
￭ Maya 2008 and 3ds Max 2008: Animation Academy is now based on the latest versions of both of the Autodesk 3D modelling, animation and rendering products. ￭ Capstone Project: This new part of the curriculum is intended for an independent study class that simulates the experience of a real-world 3D design job. Students begin with a "client" interview to determine how the client's job could be made easier with the use of 3D visualization. Students then bring the client's vision to life using 3D design technology from Autodesk. ￭ Lessons: Planetary Mechanics, Archaeological Reconstruction of the Parthenon, Digestive System, Weather Systems and Tornadoes, Forensics and Facial Reconstruction.
US academic standards met by Animation Academy 2008: ￭ Science: National Council for Science Education Standards Assessment (NCSESA) ￭ Math: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) ￭ Language Arts: National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) ￭ Technology: International Technology Education Association (ITEA) is used as a base, with additional compliance to psycho-motor standards that are common in many states. In addition, the curriculum aligns with the National Science Foundation's Visualisation in Science and Technology Education (NSF VISTE) project materials.
Here are some inspiring words coming from Shawn Sullivan, Animation Instructor at the Sheldon High School: "Do you need to keep at-risk students involved? Autodesk 3ds Max gives us the tools necessary to teach our base curriculum and gives us the additional power required for experimentation and testing of new ideas. We have not lost a single student since we implemented this class!"
Check out this address to find out more on Animation Academy.