3D Character and Object Animation Training

Learning Outcomes

• Apply fundamental animation principles (squash and stretch, anticipation, follow-through) to 3D characters and objects.
• Demonstrate proficiency in using keyframe animation and timeline editing to create smooth motion sequences.
• Analyze character rigs and implement bone systems and constraints for realistic deformation.
• Design and execute walk cycles, facial expressions, and object interactions using industry-standard software.
• Evaluate animation quality through motion curves and dope sheet adjustments to refine timing and spacing.
• Implement final animation outputs with appropriate rendering settings and export formats.

Target Audience

This course is designed for aspiring 3D animators, game developers, multimedia artists, and professionals seeking to enhance their animation skills in a corporate or creative environment.

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of 3D modeling and navigation in 3D software. Familiarity with computer graphics concepts is recommended.

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

Practical sessions are integral to this course, allowing learners to apply animation principles hands-on using industry-standard software. Supervised lab time ensures learners develop proficiency in keyframing, rigging, and character animation through guided exercises and a final project.

Practical Activities

• Bouncing Ball and Pendulum — Learners animate a bouncing ball to master timing and squash-and-stretch, then animate a pendulum to understand arcs and spacing. (4h)
• Mechanical Object Animation — Learners animate a robot arm with constrained motion and a simple machine cycle (e.g., piston or gear system). (4h)
• Character Rigging and Posing — Learners create a simple biped rig, bind a provided mesh, and pose the character to test deformations. (4h)
• Walk Cycle Animation — Learners animate a full walk cycle for a biped character, refining it with personality variations. (6h)
• Final Project: Short Scene — Learners plan, animate, and render a 10-15 second scene combining character and object animation with facial expression and lip sync. (6h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.