Re: Animation Ideals
 

I think I can completely understand now what everyone is saying about animations being boring. Yes, alot do feature the robot and field, but just remember you can't expect everyone to be creative. Its hard for many teams to learn the program and then come up with cool ideas for their animation in time. Some of the previous posts are a little selfish. It seems that everyone wants to be entertained by every animation. Realize that everyone has to start somewhere and most of these attempts will be quite similar to each other. Part of this deals with the contest guidelines that make it quite easy to make an animation with just a field.

Be patient, because in about 5 years having a robot in an animation will be a rarity. I think this whole animation thing is about 2-3 years from being a MAIN part of FIRST, not just an alternative award. Until then, lets stop talking baout how bored we are with other peoples products and start talking about how creative our own are.

Re: Animation Ideals
 

All I'm saying is that FIRST pushes students. It pushes teams to be original and creative for in so many ways and in so aspects! Subsystem design, website design, chairmans award, Inventor, visualization! ALL OF THESE PUSH CREATIVITY!

Of course it is hard. Of course teams may find it hard to come up for original ideas. But to just fall back on cliches while saying "well we can't come up with something great in the time given to us" is almost a cop out when so many other teams so such creativity in every aspect of their team.

The "I" in F.I.R.S.T. stands for INSPIRATION. So teams, BE INSPIRED! Be inspired by the creativity that only a High School student can show.

Re: Animation Ideals
 

well, I know that this year we are trying to stay away from the whole robot/field idea. Last year, we had only the robot (only briefly), and it worked very well (:D), so we are trying something that is similarly non-robot-oriented this year

Re: Animation Ideals
 

I have no problems with teams using the field / robot in their animation, just as long as it's not the only thing that happens... because that's just not creative at all. Like this year, we will probably show the robot on the field for a few seconds doing some of its best things, but it's definately not going to be focused on that.

If you need ideas, maybe watching the entire kickoff again will help. I know it helped me...

Re: Animation Ideals
 

I remember our rookie year, me and my tech teacher drew up a storyboard for our animation that I thought was really impressive/innovative. Basically it start off with the robot being constructed, you flipped a switch and it spun tire leaving a smoke trail off the school, followed it down a road and onto the highway, it burst through 2 swinging doors into the arena, hits a ramp into the field, throws some balls in the goals, and then you see it spin tire again, and on the field it left something like "Team 870, Coming To a Zone Zeal near you!".

That is an example of an animation that i'm sure everyone would like to see. Unfortunately we had to scrap this idea, since I was the only one doing the animation, and had to concentrate more on building the actual robot then animation. It was a good idea though :D

Re: Animation Ideals
 

See the problem with that animation is that you've just gone for what you claim is what "everyone wants to see" and not "what is the the actual rules for the award". Too many teams do this: they focus on their robot and dont actually say anything.

According to the rules:
It goes on to say:
Now, obviously the rules are subject to all sorts of interpretation - but the fact is that the point of the animation is too talk about FIRST Robotics and it's virtues, or what it does for your team, or the teamwork it teaches you.

There were plenty of animations last year which demonstrated this really well. But then there were several that just showed the robots and were like TEAM 139820! Or just showed a robot and then went "FIRST ROBOTICS". You know the ones I'm talking about. And it made me feel bad - because I had to score them low on concept because they didnt stick to the concept guidelines (which are what I just posted above in quotes).

I'm not trying to be negative or selfish here. I'm just saying that there are some people who have COMPLETELY GOOD intentions but are just coming at this animation competition from the wrong direction. I know that some teams don't have that many people working on animation. I know that some teams are new with the software. But thats why "concept" and "creativity" are awarded more points then "technical execution". So the excuse that "we didn't have enough resources or people" just doesn't cut it.

If you spent your 30 seconds just with a single model and a voiceover stating what FIRST means to your team and all its' virtues, you are more likely to win than a technically impressive animation of a robot spinning in circles.

Sometimes what you are looking for is the happy median.

Re: Animation Ideals
 

Speaking of different animation stuff, look here for Cyber Blue's Concept this year - http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/pi...gle&picid=5923

Re: Animation Ideals
 

After watching the videos from last year, i thought i might add that although the tutorial files the come bundled with the program are nice and easy to do, after a while, it begins to get old. Im not sayin that you cant use the tutorials, jus make sure to modify it enough that it at least looks original. Another thing, the tutorials are awesome for new animators trying ot learn 3ds max, i recommend that if you are new, you dont dive right into the program but do the tutorials first.

Re: Animation Ideals
 

Well if we are all showing concepts of our animation, heres team 116's:


*shifty eyes* Riiiiiight.

Well at least consider it an example of originality.

Re: Animation Ideals
 

^ lol that's great, maybe it'll spark some creativity in someone :)