CGI Animation : Definition and Techniques
By Parul Solanki
A
subset of the broad field of animation, CGI or computer-generated
imagery, can be defined as the use of computers for creating moving
images. Using certain 3D animation software tools
like Maya, 3ds Max or Blender, the first step of CGI animation,
involves creating a 'wire frame' or a geometric model of the object.
Now, the surface appearance of the object has to be determined. This
involves providing color, texture, reflectivity and transparency to the
objects in question, with the help of tools known as 'shaders'. The
final step in the animation process, involves the computer rendering of
the entire scene. This involves the calculation of the color of the
pixels in the scene, which determines the shading, texture mapping,
reflection, refraction and photo-realistic rendering. This may sound
simple, but given the millions of pixels in a high definition scene,
providing the realistic animal movements, skin, hair and fur, is still
quite a complex task. Not to mention the problems areas of introducing
features like liquids, gases and complex surfaces, like the texture of
the face and the clothing.
A simpler method of adding movement to
the objects, is by duplicating an image, displayed on the computer
screen and repeatedly replacing this new image, that is similar to the
previous image, but slightly advanced in the time domain. Thus, using
persistence of vision, the illusion of smooth movement is provided by
drawing the pictures at 12 fps (frames per second). In a computer
generated image, this is achieved by changing the values of the segments
of the skeletal model over time, making the character move from frame
to frame. There are several methods for achieving that realistic motion,
such as keyframing to motion capture.
Impact of CGI Animation
Cheaper
than most of the other animation methods, like construction of
miniatures or the use of actors or other contributors to the project,
CGI animation is increasingly being used for producing high quality
visual effects and realistic images. The accessibility to the CGI
software tools, in the recent years, has enabled individual artists and
small production units to come up with content without the use of
actors, expensive set pieces, or props. While 2D CGI was first used in
1973, in the movie Westworld, it has been increasingly used over the
years, in popular movies like The Jurassic Park and the Star Wars
series. It was in the year 1995, that the first fully computer-generated
feature film, Toy Story was released.
The Future of CGI Animation
Technological
change is an inevitable part of life, and therein lies the uncertain
future of CGI animation. Although people have increasingly taken to the
animated bugs, monsters and animals, it is the creation of a
photorealistic animation of humans, that remains out of reach for CGI
animators. To replicate the complex human emotions and movements as a 3D animation,
remains the goal for all animators. However, complete human realism,
where there is no distinguishing between a particular movie sequence
that is computer-generated or created using real actors in front of
movie cameras, seems an unachievable dream. However with the rapid
development of the personal computers,
that has reduced their rendering time quite significantly, and the
images having become more realistic, CGI animation is here to stay, it
seems.
วันจันทร์ที่ 30 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2555
Basic Types of Animation
Basic Types of Animation
By Vaishali Satwase
Basic Types of Animation
The basic types of animation are the primary keynote for animation effect. The 3 basic types of animation are cel, stop and computer animation.
Cel Animation
Cel animation refers to the traditional way of animation in a set of hand drawings. In this process of animation, various pictures are created which are slightly different but progressive in nature, to depict certain actions. Trace these drawings on a transparent sheet. This transparent sheet is known as cel and is a medium for drawing frames. Now draw outlines for the images and color them on the back of the cel. The cel is an effective technique that helps to save time by combining characters and backgrounds. You can also put the previous drawings over other backgrounds or cels whenever required. Here, you need not draw the same picture again as it has the facility of saving previous animations that can be used when required. Coloring a background may be a more difficult task than a single drawing, as it covers the whole picture. Background requires shading and lighting and will be viewed for a longer duration. Then use your camera to photograph these drawings. Today, cel animations are made more attractive by using the drawings together with music, matching sound effects and association of timing for each effect. E.g. To display a cartoon show, 10-12 frames are played in rapid succession per second to give a representation of movement in a cel animation.
Stop Animation
Stop animation or stop motion animation is a technique to make objects move on their own. Here, a few images are drawn with some different positions and photographed separately. Puppetry is the one of the most used frame-to-frame animation types. Some famous movies that are animated via stop animation effects are King Kong, The Dinosaur and the Missing Link, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and and The Lost World.
Computer Animation
Computer Animation is the latest technique of animation that includes 2D and 3D animation. These animations not only enhance the hand-drawn characters but also make them appear real as compared to the above mentioned animations.
2D Animation: It is used through Powerpoint and Flash animations. Though its features are similar to cel animation, 2D animation has become popular due to simple application of scanned drawings into the computer like in a cartoon film.
3D Animation: It is used in film making where we require unusual objects or characters that are not easy to display. Use of 3D animation can create a crowd of people in a disaster like earthquake, flood or war. There are different shapes, support of mathematical codes, display of actions and colors which are mind-blowing as if copied from an actual picture.
The above mentioned 3 basic types of animation have brought a new era of amazing technology in the field of Internet (website design and graphics), film industry and media. In addition, animation is the one of the popular Internet marketing strategies that make visitors stay on your site for a longer time.
Read more at : http://www.buzzle.com/articles/basic-types-of-animation.html
By Vaishali Satwase
Basic Types of Animation
The basic types of animation are the primary keynote for animation effect. The 3 basic types of animation are cel, stop and computer animation.
Cel Animation
Cel animation refers to the traditional way of animation in a set of hand drawings. In this process of animation, various pictures are created which are slightly different but progressive in nature, to depict certain actions. Trace these drawings on a transparent sheet. This transparent sheet is known as cel and is a medium for drawing frames. Now draw outlines for the images and color them on the back of the cel. The cel is an effective technique that helps to save time by combining characters and backgrounds. You can also put the previous drawings over other backgrounds or cels whenever required. Here, you need not draw the same picture again as it has the facility of saving previous animations that can be used when required. Coloring a background may be a more difficult task than a single drawing, as it covers the whole picture. Background requires shading and lighting and will be viewed for a longer duration. Then use your camera to photograph these drawings. Today, cel animations are made more attractive by using the drawings together with music, matching sound effects and association of timing for each effect. E.g. To display a cartoon show, 10-12 frames are played in rapid succession per second to give a representation of movement in a cel animation.
Stop Animation
Stop animation or stop motion animation is a technique to make objects move on their own. Here, a few images are drawn with some different positions and photographed separately. Puppetry is the one of the most used frame-to-frame animation types. Some famous movies that are animated via stop animation effects are King Kong, The Dinosaur and the Missing Link, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and and The Lost World.
Computer Animation
Computer Animation is the latest technique of animation that includes 2D and 3D animation. These animations not only enhance the hand-drawn characters but also make them appear real as compared to the above mentioned animations.
2D Animation: It is used through Powerpoint and Flash animations. Though its features are similar to cel animation, 2D animation has become popular due to simple application of scanned drawings into the computer like in a cartoon film.
3D Animation: It is used in film making where we require unusual objects or characters that are not easy to display. Use of 3D animation can create a crowd of people in a disaster like earthquake, flood or war. There are different shapes, support of mathematical codes, display of actions and colors which are mind-blowing as if copied from an actual picture.
The above mentioned 3 basic types of animation have brought a new era of amazing technology in the field of Internet (website design and graphics), film industry and media. In addition, animation is the one of the popular Internet marketing strategies that make visitors stay on your site for a longer time.
Read more at : http://www.buzzle.com/articles/basic-types-of-animation.html
วันเสาร์ที่ 7 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2555
What is STORYBOARDS ? สตอรี่บอร์ดคืออะไร
STORYBOARDS
An artist’s rendering in pencil or pen (usually black-and-white, rarely in color) onto a series of panels to approximate what the composition, angle, and movement within the frame will be for each shot of animation.The storyboard shows what the visual sequence of the entire episode or movie will be. Dialogue and sound effects from the script are placed beneath the shots where the dialogue and sound should occur.The storyboard is used as the guide for all further artwork and production in creating that piece of animation, as well as providing an early indication of whether the script is too long or too short.(Marx,Christy ,2007)
หมายถึงแผ่นป้ายหรือแผนภาพที่เขียนเรียบเรียงขึ้นอย่างเป็นระบบ เพื่อเป็นเครื่องมือในการใช้วางแผนจัดการแสดง ใช้สื่อสาร ใช้เป็นเครื่องมือในการบอกเล่าถึงการวางแผนจัดกระทำ การบริหารจัดการสิ่งต่างๆที่เกี่ยวข้องในงาน การลำดับเหตุการณ์ของ ภาพ ฉาก อุปกรณ์ ตัวละครที่เกี่ยวกับเรื่องราวที่จะดำเนินการสร้างสรรค์เป็นผลงาน มนการที่จะต้องมีการสร้าง บันทึก จัดเก็บและจะนำเสนอ เป็นภาพนิ่ง ภาพเคลื่อนไหว การจัดการกำกับเหตุการณ์ในเวลาจริง หรือเป็นการบันทึกลงสื่อดิจิตัลรูปแบบต่างๆ สตอรี่บอร์ดจึงเป็นผลงานที่รู้จักกันดีคือเป็นชิ้นงานที่ใช้ในการถ่ายทำภาพยนตร์หรือการนั่นเอง ซึ่งโดยปกติแล้วมักจะเป็นหน้าที่ของช่างศิลป์หรือนักสร้างภาพประกอบที่ต้องขีดเขียนขึ้นด้วยการอาศัยทักษะฝีมือทางการวาดภาพ และสร้างภาพจากเนื้อหาเรื่องราวแต่ละฉากแต่ละตอน ออกมาให้ปรากฏก่อนเกิดการดำเนินการสร้างจริง เป็นการสรุปย่อและวางแผนการกำกับทุกสรรพสิ่งที่จะเกี่ยวข้องในการถ่ายทำนั่นเอง
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