EECS 298 is the University of Michigan’s premier 3D Technical Art and Animation course.
Learn how to create 3D characters, objects, environments, materials, armatures, animations, and more in Blender. Then, explore how to integrate these assets into technical ecosystems such as the Unity game engine, bringing them to life (dynamic hair, flowing lava, characters that respond interactively to look at nearby objects, etc).
Students will learn to…
- Create their very own low-poly characters, objects, and environments in 3D authoring software (Blender).
- Integrate 3D assets into game engines, bringing them to life in a responsive, interactive manner (Unity).
- Implement special effects and animation-control logic to achieve interactivity “beyond the T-pose”.
- Create animations relevant to the gameplay of typical 3rd-person games (running, jumping, posing, etc).
- Bring digital objects and prototypes to the real-world via 3D printing services and techniques (UM fab lab)
- Bring real-world objects to the digital world via photogrammetry scanning services and techniques (3D Lab)
- Communicate effectively with both artists and programmers in a 3D art and animation context.
Basic Computational Geometry, 3D asset formats and representations, 3D topology, asset optimization, basic animation techniques, armature design, 3D content authoring, basic materials and lighting / shader logic, asset-to-engine pipelines, open source tools (Blender), 3D printing and photogrammetry, etc.
Q: Should I take EECS 298?
- The skills above appear valuable to you or your situation (or fun, or both).
- You’re ready for a moderate, art-and-technology-intensive workload (your other courses aren't especially heavy)
- You wish to dramatically improve your knowledge and experience with Blender and Unity.
- You wish to understand the underlying mechanics, structures, and formats that power 3D assets.
- You hope to gain employment in the game development, extended reality, animation, film, or architecture industries.
- You wish to expand your portfolio with 30+ colorful models, several playable 3D characters, and a large, multiplayer platforming game (arted and integrated entirely by you).
Q: How might I prepare?
EECS 298 does not require any work before class begins, but students who are interested in the material may give themselves a small head-start with the following tips.
- Install / Experiment with Blender and Unity. Both have excellent beginner-level tutorials available on youtube.
- Read through the course syllabus for a detailed explanation of course policies, assignments, and more.
- Participate in Wolverine Soft, the University of Michigan’s premiere game development club.
- Participate in ARI, the University of Michigan’s premiere extended reality club.
- Get to know your instructors.
Q: When is the course offered?
Fall semesters only. Look in the EECS 298 special topics section to find it.
Q: May I attend lecture asyncronously (remotely)?
Yes, attendance is not required and all lectures are recorded.
Q: Is there a book?
There is no required book.
Q: May I request an override to take the course?
You may, though we do not one to be necessary. Please contact the course staff (google search "austin yarger umich") with your circumstances if you find yourself needing one.
Q: I’m on the Waitlist. What are my chances?
EECS 298 typically experiences 8-12 drops per semester, allowing 8-12 students off the waitlist. If we're close to getting everyone in, the course will typically expand its enrollment cap to get everyone in who wants in (we haven't had to deny anyone in a long time, but this is no guarantee). Hang in there, as the odds you can get off the waitlist should be good.
If you have any questions regarding the course, feel free to reach us via our faculty email (search "Austin Yarger umich").