This week after only a few minor setbacks, BDI was finished and “shipped” off to the company in Boston- right on schedule. In addition, I continued to clean generic mocap data and completed a model of a stool that is used in many of our captures. Although it was a relatively simplistic model, I initially had difficulties making sure that the stool would be the correct scale in the end. After looking completely ridiculous with my measuring tape as I turned the stool every which way, I was satisfied with the accuracy of my model. The true test however will be when it is actually imported into a scene where the stool was used, and see whether or not the character succeeds in sitting on it, or falls through…On Thursday I had an individual meeting with my mentor to discuss what projects I could potentially begin working on for the summer. Due to my gravitation towards the more artistic side of computer animation, it was decided that I would work with an art professor at CMU on his most recent animation. The next day I met with my mentor and the professor, Jim Duesing. I learned that my mentor and Professor Duesing actually teach a class together every spring, unifying both technical and artistic spheres of animation within one class (hearing about it almost made me wish that I had chosen CMU over Virginia…almost). At the meeting I was given a brief overview of the storyline and was introduced to the characters. We then discussed the elements of production that would potentially present problems and if I could tackle any of them. It was decided that I would work on a scene in which one of the characters, Pseudo, rips off her mask to reveal that she was in fact the character Ham in disguise. It is my responsibility to do a few tests working with CLOTH in Maya to see if a convincing scene can be established. I’ve never worked with CLOTH before, so I was more than a little concerned that I would be unable to successfully help with the project, but it was a challenge that I was willing to take- this just means I need to work twice as hard to achieve good results.