Thomas Lindsey Freeman Final Project Proposal CMPS 161 Winter 2011

Transformers Animation Project: The Admin Transformer

This project will allow the user to control the all powerful Admin Transformer, a vehicle capable of converting from a regular car to a plane or a mechanized walker (in any order). In total there will be six major animation changes (perhaps more if time permits) that will be combined together at various stages to show the vehicle transforming between the different modes along with several animations for the vehicle modes while in use.

Vehicle Modes and Animations

Car mode:

Car moving/turning (wheels will spin and turn when the car turns)
Car transforming to plane animation will consist of the body conforming into a more aerodynamic shape with wings extending out, wheels rotating sideways to simulate thrusters (Back to the Future II Delorean style "Roads? Where we're going we don’t need roads"), and trunk spoiler extending out to become a wing rudder.
Car transforming to mechanized walker will show the car splitting into three sections, the hood to windshield becoming the head, the middle part the torso and arms, and the trunk to rear windshield the legs (which will split apart to become two).

Plane mode:

Plane moving/turning will have wing rudders that move, and the plane body will dip/roll
Plane transforming to car will be similar to the car to plane animation, only in reverse.

Walker mode:

Walker moving/turning will consist of the legs moving to simulate walking while turning will have the torso rotate before the legs do to emulate a human’s motions.
Walker to car animation will be the car to walker animation in reverse.

Environment:

The environment for the vehicle will be heightmap generated terrain which the vehicle can collide with, and if time permits, the animations will be affected by the terrain’s shape.

Tools used

3DS Max will be used in the construction of the various parts of the vehicle along with the major animations. The exported model and animations will be then imported into the OpenGL project which will be using the QT SDK as the programming tool. The importing of the models and animations will be handled by the Cal3D open source toolset which will be integrated into the project.

Timeline/To Do

Model (either in 3DS max or OpenGL by hand) the vehicle and animate its various mode changes and behaviors.
(Maybe) Research/integrate the Cal3D project into the code and import the model parts and animations (doing various tests to be sure of the pipeline and process before proceeding with the complete model and animations).
Link input controls to the vehicle (turning, moving, transforming).
Have parts of the vehicle be affected by the input command given (wheels turn when vehicle turns, plane wings/rudders dip and rotate, legs walk back and forth).
Create a chase camera to follow the player while they move and make it rotate around the vehicle to show off a transformation.
Create the terrain and make the vehicle collide with it.
(Maybe) have the vehicle’s parts (like legs/wheels) be affected by the terrain.