CISC 110: Fall 2012

Elementary Computer Animation

Instructor: Mary McCollam

NOTE: Look at all of the information posted about your projects at the end of the assignments, labs, tests, and project table, including when you will give your demo: assignments and the lab and test schedule

This page provides information on the course. It tells you about the instructor, teaching assistants, lecture schedule, and marking scheme, along with the assignments and the lab and test schedule. It also contains a course description and textbook titles and information on Flash resources and lab access.

The lecture slides and additional custom notes will be available for you to view and download from Moodle: https://moodle.queensu.ca/

Instructor, Teaching Assistants, and Schedule

The instructor and teaching assistants of this course are:

Instructor	Office	E-mail	Phone	Office Hours
Mary McCollam	Goodwin 527	`mccollamATcs.queensu.ca`	533-6763	Thursdays 9:30-11:30 or by appointment

Teaching Assistant	E-mail	Lab
Cara Bing Yu Yu	8byyATqueensu.ca	Tuesday
Alice Zhang	8axzATqueensu.ca	Wednesday and Thursday

The lectures for this course are scheduled at:

Day	Time	Room
		Beamish-Miunro 213
Mondays	4:30 - 5:20
Thursdays	11:30 - 12:20 pm
Fridays	11:30 - 12:20 pm

The labs for this course are scheduled at:

Lab	Day	Time	Room	TA
			Goodwin 248
	Tuesdays	2:30 - 5:30 pm		Cara
	Wednesdays	2:30 - 5:30 pm		Alice for 1st and 3rd hour
	Thursdays	2:30 - 5:30 pm		Alice

Course Description

In this course you will learn about two-dimensional computer animation and scripting, with widely-used animation software (Flash) that includes a scripting language (ActionScript) with full programming language capabilities. This is a computing science course, so the emphasis will be on the computing aspects of animation, rather than on the artistic aspects. However, it is also purposely designed to allow students creative freedom to explore their interests, whether those interests are artistic, musical, scientific, or just plain fun.

Textbooks

Required: An Introduction to Programming with ActionScript 3.0, by Trish and Richard Cornez, Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2013

Recommended: Adobe Flash CS6 Professional Classroom in a Book, by Adobe Creative Team, Adobe Systems Inc., 2012

and

a set of custom ActionScript 3.0 notes for you to download for free from Moodle: https://moodle.queensu.ca/

Flash Resources and Lab Access

We'll be using Flash CS5.5 Professional and ActionScript 3.0 for this course.

You may download a free 30-day trial of Flash CS6 at: http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/WEB-Design/Flash/Adobe-Flash.shtml

Adobe provides an extensive Flash Help and Support Page. One very useful link from that page is the ActionScript 3.0 Language and Componenets Reference.

iButton
Registration

Flash is installed on the computers in CASLab ( Goodwin Hall 248 and Walter Light Hall 310 computer labs), which you will have access to 24 hours a day via an iButton (electronic key) that you purchase at the Campus Bookstore and register at the School of Computing kiosk on the second floor of Goodwin Hall near the elevator. Walk towards Beamish-Munro Hall, away from the elevator, and the kisok is on your left. As well, you set your initial CASLab password at the kisok.

Once you have your iButton registered, you can get into Goodwin Hall anytime, and from there into Walter Light Hall, by using the Undergraduate iButton reader at the single door on the east side of the building at ground level. You can get into Goodwin 248 by using the iButton reader on the wall to the right of the second lab door (the one furthest west). The iButton reader for Walter Light 310 is beside its west-most door. To use your iButton, place its round metal disk against the matching round metal disk on the wall-mounted reader and wait for the "click" to sound (the lock unlocking). Then just pull or push the door open. The red light on the wall reader will briefly turn to green as the door unlocks.

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Schedule

ActionScript and Flash examples will be posted here. If you try to view a .fla file by selecting the link, you will see the binary file, which will look like garbage. Instead you need to download it to your computer and open it with Flash. You can do that using right-click in Windows or ctrl-click on a Mac. You could also view the binary file and then select "File|Save As" in the menu bar.

If when you download it, the file has other extensions besides .fla, change the filename to only have a .fla extension (only fla after the period).

Week	Date	Topics	Text	ActionScript & Flash Examples
1	Sept 10-14	Intro to Animation & Programming 2D graphics Frame by Frame and Motion Tween Animation Flash Library: Buttons, Text Fields, Sounds Tracing & Variables GUIs and Flash UI Components	Chap 1 & 2	Exercise 1: First Animation
2	Sept 17-21	Examples: Short Animated Films Timeline Control Object-Oriented Programming Numeric Calculations Using and Defining Functions Random Numbers	Chap 2 & 3	Exercise 2: Movie Clips Exercise 3: Variables
3	Sept 24-28	Exmples: Animated Films with Narration or Dialogue MovieClip Properties and Methods Composite Movie Clips Mouse and Keyboard Events Programming Animation with Frame Events Following Cursor with Frame Events	Chap 4.1-4.4	Wk3TempConverter.a s Wk3TempConverter.fla Exercise 4: RocketGraphics Wk3MonsterMiniMovie.a s Wk3MonsterMiniMovie.fla Exercise 5: Math Methods
4	Oct 1-5	Examples: Interactive Films If-else statements While Loops	Chap 5.1-5.8 6.3	Wk4FrameLoop.a s Wk4FrameLoop.fla Exercise 6: If-Else Statements Wk4ButtonFrameLoop.a s Wk4ButtonFrameLoop.fla
5	Oct 8-12	Thanksgiving Monday: No Class; Examples: Interactive Films Programming Animation with Timer Events Drag & Drop	Chap 4.10 4.5	Wk5Pacman.a s Wk5Pacman.fla Wk5EnhancedPacman.a s Wk5EnhancedPacman.fla Wk5LeapYear_If-Else.fla Wk5TimerEvents.fla Wk5WhileLoops.fla
6	Oct 15-19	Test 1 Reviews, Monday Oct 15 and Thursday Oct 18 Test 1, Friday, October 19 in class
7	Oct 22-26	Examples: Video Games For Loops Arrays	Chap 6.1 7.1-7.2	Wk7ArrayBasics.fla Wk7DragAndDrop.as Wk7DragAndDrop.fla Wk7ArraysAndForLoops.fla Exercise 7: Arrays Wk7ScopeTest.as Wk7ScopeTest.fla
8	Oct 29-Nov 2	Examples: Learning Modules User-Defined Functions with Parameters & Results	Chap 8	Exercise 8: Shape Tweens Wk8FunctionsWithParameters.as Wk8FunctionsWithParameters.fla Wk8FunctionsWithResults.as Wk8FunctionsWithResults.fla Exercise 9: Param & Results
9	Nov 5-9	Strings Adding & Removing Display Objects During Execution Exporting Library Symbols to Create Custom Classes Sprites and Vector Drawing	Chap 7.7 8 4.6 4.8	Exercise 10: Moving Landscapes Wk9DynamicObjects.as Wk9DynamicObjects.fla Exercise 11: Dynamic Objects Wk9ArrayOfDynamicObjects.as Wk9ArrayOfDynamicObjects.fla Wk9MusicButton.as Wk9MusiceButton.fla Exercise 12: Graphics Wk9HangmanGameDesign Wk9GlowFilter.as Wk9GlowFilter.fla
10	Nov 12-16	Test 2 Reviews, Monday, Nov 12 and Thursday, Nov 15 Test 2, Friday, November 16
11	Nov 19-23	Help with Projects during class time		HangmanV1.as HangmanV1.fla HangmanV2.as HangmanV2.fla
Test 12	Nov 26-30	Monday: Help with Projects during class time Thursday & Friday: Project Demos in Class Thursday demos: single in Tuesday or Wednesday Lab or both partners in Tuesday Friday demos: single in Thursday Lab and all other partners Note: Projects due in your lab this week You may turn in your user manual in class Friday

Marking Scheme, Labs, Assignments, Tests, and Project

Your mark is calculated from 6 Flash & ActionScript lab/assignments (18%), 2 tests (30%) and a project (52%).

A lab portion of each assignment, worth 1% of the final mark, must be completed during each lab. The remainder of each assignment, worth 2% of the final mark is due at the start of the subsequent lab. To get credit for your assignments, you will show your work to your TA at the beginning of your lab.

There are four due dates for the design and implementation of the project: for the Storyboard, Phase 1 code, Phase 2 code, and Final Project. However, you will only receive a mark for the storyboard (out of 7), and for the final project (out of 45). The due dates for your phase 1 and phase 2 code are to keep you on track for finishing your project on time and to require you to show your project and answer questions about it during the implementation process to demonstrate that the work is your work. If you do not complete the required percentage of your project by the required date, marks will be deducted from your final project mark (up to 20% for each phase, so a total of up to 40%). You will hand in your storyboard and show your phase 1 and phase 2 code at the end of your lab in the week each is due.

Labs, Assigns, Tests, Project	Percentage	Week	Due in Week	Topics	Lab Preparation
Lab 0 Lab 0 Instructions Lab0Example Uploading with Filezilla		1		Setting up folders Text Chapter 1 Tutorials 1-3	Read and complete the following before your lab in week 1 : Activating CASLab Account
Lab 1 Lab 1 Instructions bettyApp.as	1	2		Text Fields and Buttons	Read through Tutorial 4 in Chapter 1 of your text
Assignment 1 Assignment 1 Instructions	2	2	3	Frame by Frame and Motion Tween Animation Timeline Control
Lab 2 Lab 2 Instructions Assign2.as	1	3		Numeric Calculations Input Text Fields	Read 2.5 Case Study 2, p. 75 of your text
Assignment 2 Assignment 2 Instructions	2	3	4	Variables and Assignment Statements Design Process
Lab 3 Lab 3 Instructions Assign3.as	1	4		Programming Animation with Frame Events	Read 4.4 Case Study 1 p. 180 of your text Lab3
Assignment 3 Assignment 3 Instructions	2	4	5	MovieClip Properties and Methods Composite Movie Clips
Lab 4 Lab 4 Instructions Assign4.as	1	5		If-else statements Keyboard Events	Look at Wk5Pacman above in the Schedule table under ActionScript and Flash Examples Lab4
Assignment 4 Assignment 4 Instructions	2	5	6	Random Numbers Programming Animation with Frame Events Keyboard Events
Lab 5 Lab 5 Instructions Assign5.as	1	6		While Loops Nested Loops	Look at Wk5WhileLoops above in the Schedule table under ActionScript and Flash Examples
Assignment 5 Assignment 5 Instructions	2	6	7	Programming Animation with Timer Events
Test 1 Test 1 Practice Questions More Test 1 Practice Questions More Test 1 Practice Answers Solutions: 2012 Test 1	15	6		Weeks 1 - 5
Lab 6 Lab 6 Instructions Assign6.swf Assign6.as	1	7		Drag and Drop Arrays and Strings	Read about arrays, pp. 349-351 of your text Look at Wk7DragAndDrop above in the Schedule table under ActionScript and Flash Examples
Assignment 6 Assignment 6 Instructions	2	7	8	Defining Functions with Parameters and Results	Read about defining functions, pp. 413-426
Project Storyboard Project Requirements Example Brainstorming Chart	7		8
Project Phase 1 Code			9
Test 2 Test 2 from Fall, 2011 Test 2 Answers from Fall, 2011 Test 2 Practice Questions Test 2 Practice Answers More Test 2 Practice Questions More Test 2 Practice Answers	15	10		Weeks 6 - 9
Project Phase 2 Code			11
Final Project More Project Info Use this for your user manual: User Manual Template Example User Manual Everyone's user manual is due in the Friday class. A hardcopy of it is required. Project Demo Schedule	45		12
Total	100

COMPSA Tutors

If you need additional help, COMPSA keeps a list of upper-year students who are interested in tutoring. Check the COMPSA web page and search for "Tutor List".

ASUS Tutors

Mindfind is a tutoring service run by ASUS (Arts and Science Undergraduate Society) that pairs student tutors with students who are in need of academic assistance. The hourly cost of tutoring is partly subsidized by ASUS.

http://www.cs.queensu.ca/home/mccollam/cisc110/2012/info12.html
Last Updated November 25, 2012