Best known as a moralist and one of the founders of the Scottish Common Sense school of philosophy, Thomas Reid was also an influential scientific thinker. Here, his work on the life sciences is studied in detail, bringing together unpublished transcripts of his most important papers on natural history, physiology and materialist metaphysics. The volume falls into two main parts, the first of which contains a detailed introduction. This provided the first published account of Reid's reflections on the highly contraversial theories surrounding muscular motion and the reproduction of plants and animals, and relates them to the broader Enlightenment debates on these issues. It also contains the first systematic reconstruction of Reid's opposition to materialism, and views his polemics against the noted Dissenter Joseph Priestley in terms of their differing interpretations of the Newtonian legacy, their conflicting philosophical assumptions, and the cultural politics of Common Sense philosophy in the 1770s. The second part reproduces a selection of Reid's most significant papers on the life sciences, including his Glasgow Literary Society discourses on muscular motion and on Priestley's materialism, as well as other manuscripts which document the development of his scientific ideas.

So you want to create animation! Where do you start? With an idea. This creative, exercise-packed guide contains examples and idea-generating activities. What tools do you need? Your computer, simple software programs, and your imagination. This book will tell you how to utilize these tools. Must you spend your life savings on your set-up? No. The author's charts and project timelines will guide you and make the overwhelming simple, and keep your shopping lists manageable. With Animation in the Home Digital Studio, amateurs and animation students alike can learn how to create a variety of computer animations: from puppet to clay to pixilated, drawn and cartoon. This book contains a CD-ROM loaded with animation clips and exercises. The book's 8-page color insert illustrates stills from the work of independent animators around the world. The book's guide to resources contains a comprehensive list of contests, shows, societies, organizations, e-zines, and more. Steven Subotnick takes a personal approach to animation. His book is for artists, amateurs, professionals, students, and anyone who wants to use animation as a means of expression. It explains how to create a variety of animations: from puppet to cutout, and from drawn to object animation. Subotnick covers the use of popular software products, including Macromedia Flash, Adobe Photoshop®, Adobe Premiere®, Digidesign ProTools Free, and others.

Immerse yourself in the captivating world of character design with "The Art of Character Design: From Concept to Creation in Animation." This comprehensive guide delves into the intricate art of breathing life into animated characters, empowering you to master every stage of the process. From the fundamentals of character traits and concept art to the technical complexities of 3D modeling and animation, this book provides a thorough understanding of the craft. You'll explore the art of creating relatable characters with compelling backstories, learn to sculpt and rig characters in 3D, and master the techniques for creating realistic movement and expressions. This invaluable resource also covers advanced character design techniques, such as stylization, color palettes, and accessories, allowing you to create characters that truly stand out. With detailed case studies and insights from industry professionals, you'll gain an insider's perspective on the latest trends and best practices. Whether you're an aspiring animator, an experienced designer, or simply fascinated by the art of character design, "The Art of Character Design" is an essential guide that will ignite your creativity and empower you to bring your characters to life.

Learn the full process of animating your own flip book! You'll learn techniques like storyboarding, using keyframes, and book binding.

A unique, in-depth approach to creating realistic characters in Maya. Maya Character Creation: Modeling and Animation Controls' author, Chris Maraffi, has expertise in the field and in the classroom that translates to the knowledge and solid teaching skills needed to make this book a "must-have"! The current trend in computer graphics is greater organic realism. Many of the top-grossing movies today, such as Spiderman, Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park 3 , and Star Wars Episode 2, all feature realistic 3D characters. There is a major need in the 3D community for educational material that demonstrates detailed techniques for achieving this organic reality. Maya is one of the main packages used on such cutting-edge films, and has an established toolset for creating believable 3D characters. Maya Character Creation: Modeling and Animation Controls is designed to take you through the process of designing, modeling, and setting up animation controls for complex 3D characters. The concepts, techniques, and Maya tools used for each step in the process are presented in each chapter, followed by many hands-on exercises. NURBS, polygon, and subdivision surface modeling techniques are shown for creating the character's skin, and skeleton-based animation controls are covered in detail. You will learn how a character's skin should deform when the skeletal joints and muscles move. Advanced MEL scripted animation controls are also covered extensively.