Digital animation stops the rain from spoiling the day

Why did the schools and IM Innovations choose HP hardware for their 3D animation labs? Vincent Ong, managing director of IM Innovations said that there were many reasons why HP was his preferred hardware vendor. For one, HP workstations are painstakingly tested and configured to work with all the leading digital content creation software in the market, such as Cinema 4D.

Digital animation stops the “We chose HP to be our preferred workstation supplier because of the rock-solid quality of the hardware and top-of-the-class customer support. We chose HP because they see themselves as our active partner in this strategic project, and not just as another vendor selling boxes. And we know HP has the capabilities to provide that needed support level,” explained Mr Ong.

But to call on HP, there first needs to be a problem with the workstations. And for the entire year since the HP machines were purchased at Admiralty Secondary, and the three weeks at East View Primary, there hasn’t been a single problem with any of the HP workstations there. Now, that’s the mark of true quality.

Digital animation stops the rain from spoiling the day

No flag raising today. That’s the usual murmur of students and teachers when it rains. Schools would typically cancel the outdoor assembly and have an indoor session at the hall, minus the red and white pennant. But not so at Admiralty Secondary School. Here, rain or shine, dark clouds or bright skies, it’s always business as usual.

And that’s because the school has a 3D computer animation of the school hoisted alongside the national one, both flapping in unison to the familiar rhythm of the national anthem in the background. So when it rains, the animation is projected to a huge white screen in the assembly area. The only thing that the flags don’t do is move up and down. But otherwise, the quality of the work is immaculate. However, this was no professional animator’s job – it’s Secondary, and all they had was 30 hours of training in 3D digital modelling and animation. It may sound like hard-core techie stuff, but it is actually quite simple to learn. Even primary school students can pick it up, as students and teachers from East View Primary School discovered when they were introduced to 3D animation.

Admiralty Secondary and East View Primary schools are two of the four pilot schools here involved in an initiative called Virtual Paper Napkin (VPN) that aims to bring digital content creation to the schools. The other schools are Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and Canberra Secondary. Launched in 2005, this pioneering programme was initiated by local niche IT solutions provider IM Innovations and run together with Temasek Polytechnic and Nanyang Technological University’s Centre for Advanced Media Technology. It has also received the support of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore and HP as hardware supplier. Mr Vincent Ong, managing director of IM Innovations said:

“3D and some institutions of higher learning. But with falling IT costs and a whole new e-generation of youths and children, 3D animation can now be every student’s cup of tea.”

Why did the schools and IM Innovations choose HP workstations for their 3D animation labs? Vincent Ong, managing director of IM Innovations said that there were many reasons why HP was his preferred hardware vendor. For one, HP workstations are painstakingly tested and configured to work with all the leading digital content creation software in the market, such as Cinema 4D.

“We chose HP to be our preferred workstation supplier because of the rock-solid quality of the hardware and top-of-the-class customer support. We chose HP because they see themselves as our active partner in this strategic project, and not just as another vendor selling boxes. And we know HP has the capabilities to provide that needed support level,” explained Mr Ong.

Teachers and students from the schools are trained in 3D animation on an easy-to-learn and use software Cinema 4D using customised curriculum developed by lecturers from the polytechnic and staff from IM Innovations.

Mrs Lim Ai Poo, the principal of Admiralty Secondary said: “We want to equip our students with cutting-edge skills in today’s digital world. As for our teachers, they can make use of the newly-learned skills to prepare dynamic interactive teaching courseware as well as act as trainers in 3D animation for the students.”