Coming to a Console Near You

In the alley that runs between Homebody and the UPS Store, tucked away off of downtown Main Street, there is a single glass door accessible only to those with a pass. This is Virginia Tech's Digital Art and Animation Studio, and a lot is going on behind that mysterious door.

The latest evolution of the DAAS program, inaugurated in 2005, is the Topics Model and Animation for Gaming class. In keeping with the University's push towards research and development, the animation program is already directly tied to helping improve our local and regional communities.

Undergraduates and grad students in a variety of disciplines, including Computer Science, Art, and Music, are hard at work in a close team environment with the latest technology and some inspiring instructors. With the guidance of Dr. Yong Cao and Assistant Professor Dane Webster, students are divided into groups of four, each consisting of two Computer Scientists and two Artists/ Graphic Designers. They are learning how to design and develop 3D animated games and other virtual environments from scratch.

I had the opportunity to speak with the Assistant Professors and a student concerning their work at DAAS, Digital Arts and Animation Studio; a class room with running outside projects.

Both Cao and Webster are members of a cross-disciplinary initiative, sponsored by four Colleges, called the Collaborative for Creative Technology in the Arts and Design (CCTAD). This group has organized several projects at Virginia Tech that contribute to art and technology culture in the university and the NRV/Roanoke region.

Webster was hired to a tenure track position at Virginia Tech after graduating with a Masters of Fine Arts at Washington State University and teaching photography at Kansas State University.

A self-taught amateur animator, Webster's high school dabblings evolved into art and entertainment. His short films have been displayed in the Brooklyn Museum of Art and shown to commercial audiences on the Nicktoons channel. These days, Webster's projects include architectural animation projects and virtual walk-throughs. He has recently developed a visualization of the proposed Center for the Arts renovation at Schultz Hall on Virginia Tech's campus. The new building's plans include an experimental theater that will provide a space for traditional stage plays and multi-media performances.

Dr. Yong Cao, originally from China, received his Ph.D. from UCLA, majoring in Computer Science with a focus in Graphics Research. He then went to work for the prolific game development company, Electronic Arts (better known as EA Games). While there, he researched next-gen consoles and animation, and collaborated on the design teams for some of the most popular video games of the past decade, including The Sims, The Godfather, and The Simpsons.

Cao then came to Virginia Tech hoping to use his research abilities in the academic field. While a member of CCTAD, Cao teaches and works on inhouse and outside projects. In his first collaboration with Webster, their team created a 3D simulation of a trauma room for Carilion Health Systems. This design is now featured in a virtual reality game used to train interns and residents. Its detailed environments prepares them for the high-stress situations they will face in emergency care. The object of the game mimics serious business: players must make the right decisions to save lives.

Currently Dr. Cao is working on "Singing Darwin," a program that will allow visitors to the Western Virginia Arts Museum to create their own virtual "creatures" and track their evolution during visits. This project is still in its first stages. With two amazing instructors, a lab full of brand new Mac Pros, and plenty of challenging projects, it's clear that CCTAD is on a course for success. Adding to the creative geek's dream come true is the Computer Science Department's new Video Game and Interactive Media Lab. This lab is filled with sixteen XBOX 360's—strictly for research purposes, of course. The game systems help student teams explore how different age groups and communities respond to different software for education, training, and communication.

During a break from working in the lab, DAAS student John Healy gave me the inside story over a tasty tamari and almond encrusted tuna fillet at Gillie's. After our meal, Healy took the time to offer me a layman's guide to Autodesk Maya, one of the leading 3D animation software programs on the market. One of its advantages is that it works directly with Photoshop. I saw the potential of this software through a step by step look at the construction of the animated trauma room the team created for the Carillion project. Built layer upon layer and using 3D mapping, the room became more and more textured, more "real."

Healy showed me how Maya makes it possible to place virtual "cameras" inside the virtual room, and then "film" from different points. Point and click: the animation came to life before my eyes. I don't mean to make this sound easy; it took over one hundred hours to create these astounding effects.

With their considerable technical expertise, Cao and Webster have also brought their gifts for teaching and motivating students. The respect the two professors earn from their students is reflected in the professional quality of the team's work.

If all goes according to plan, DAAS will be releasing some of their games to the public at the end of this semester. I can't wait to see what comes next from the team behind that unassuming glass door.