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Introduction to 3D Computer Animation

Introduction to 3D Computer Animation. Dr. Midori Kitagawa University of Texas at Dallas Arts and Technology Program. Outline. History: Pioneers of animation Principles of animation Types of 3D computer animation Future. 1. History: Pioneers of animation.

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Introduction to 3D Computer Animation

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  1. Introduction to 3D Computer Animation Dr. Midori Kitagawa University of Texas at Dallas Arts and Technology Program

  2. Outline • History: Pioneers of animation • Principles of animation • Types of 3D computer animation • Future

  3. 1. History: Pioneers of animation • J. Stuart Blackton(1875-1941) • Winsor McCay (1867-1934) • John Bray (1874-1978) • Max Fleischer (1883-1972) • Walt Disney (1901-1966)

  4. J. Stuart Blackton (1875-1941) Father of animation • In 1896 as a reporter/artist for the New York Evening World newspaper, Blackton interviewed Thomas Edison • Became a "rapid-drawing cartoonist" for a series of Edison shorts.

  5. J. Stuart Blackton (1875-1941) Combined stop motion, puppetry, and live action • Enchanted Drawing, 1900 • Humorous Phases of Fanny Faces, 1906

  6. Winsor McCay (1867-1934) Father of character animation • Already well known for his newspaper cartoons “Little Nemo”, 1905-1914

  7. Winsor McCay (1867-1934) Gave believability and personality to his hand-drawn characters • Gertie the Dinosaur, 1914 • Sinking of Lusitania, 1916

  8. John Randolph Bray (1874-1978) Founder of the animation industry • Reporter for the Detroit Evening News, 1901- • In 1914 Bray’s partner Earl Hurd patented the use of clear cels over background • Hurd and Bray formed the Hurd and Bray Patent Company in 1914

  9. John Randolph Bray (1874-1978) Turned artistic work into an assembly-line production • With additional patents obtained by Bray, the company monopolized the animation process • The patents expired in 1932 • Much of what Bray claimed to have invented have been credited to McCay and others. • Colonel Heeza Liar’s, 1913

  10. Max Fleischer (1883-1972) Inventor of the rotoscope • A cartoonist and photographer for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle • Art director for the magazine Popular Science • Worked at Bray’s studio

  11. Max Fleischer (1883-1972) Rotoscope • Traces the movement of live actors, frame by frame

  12. Max Fleischer (1883-1972) Produced the first animation with a synchronized sound track in 1924 • Fleischer studio produced Betty Boop, Popeye, and Superman cartoon series • Affected by the Hays Code in 1934 • Tantalizing Fly, 1919

  13. Walt Disney (1901-1966) Inventor of the family entertainment • Film producer, director, screen writer, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur • Greatly influenced 20th century American culture

  14. Walt Disney (1901-1966) Father of Mickey Mouse • Steamboat Willie (1928) was not the first Mickey Mouse cartoon produced or released • Not the first sound cartoon either • The first sound cartoon that achieved wide commercial success

  15. History: Pioneers of animation • “Disney’s memory belongs to the public; Max’s to those who remember him by choice.” (Heraldson, 1975)

  16. 2. Principles of animation • Created by animators at the Walt Disney Studios in the early 1930’s • Helped to transform animation from a novelty into an art form  Still today • Guide production and creative discussions • Train young animators better and faster • Applicable to 2D/3D computer animation as well as traditional hand-drawn animation

  17. Principles of animation From Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Ollie Johnson and Frank Thomas • Squash and stretch • Anticipation • Staging • Straight ahead action and pose to pose • Follow through and overlapping action • Slow-in and slow-out • Arcs • Secondary action • Timing • Exaggeration • Solid drawing • Appeal

  18. Physics Principles of animation Aesthetics • Squash and stretch • Follow through • Timing • Slow-in and slow-out • Secondary action • Arcs • Anticipation • Staging • Exaggeration • Solid drawing • Overlapping action • Appeal Production methods • Straight ahead action and pose to pose Presentation of action

  19. Principles of animation Physics • Squash and stretch • Follow through • Timing • Secondary action • Slow in and slow out • Arcs

  20. Squash and stretch • While many real world objects, e.g. a rock, have little or no flexibility most organic objects, e.g. a human body, have some flexibility in their shapes • When an object moves, its movement indicates the rigidity of the object

  21. Squash and stretch • No matter how squashed or stretched out an object gets, its volume should remain constant

  22. Follow through • Termination of action • Nothing stops at once • When the main body of a character stops all other parts continue to catch up it, such as arms, long hair, clothing, floppy ears, and a long tail

  23. Follow through

  24. Timing • Timing, i.e., the speed of an action, gives meaning to movement, both physical and emotional meaning • Timing affects the perception of mass of an object

  25. Timing Timing gives meaning to movement A character looks first over the right shoulder and then over the left shoulder. Varying the number of inbetweens can imply: • 0: hit by a strong force and its head almost snapped off • 1: hit by something substantial, .e.g., frying pan • 2: has a nervous twitch • 3: dodging a flying object • 4: giving a crisp order • 6: sees something inviting • 9: thinking about something • 10: stretching a sore muscle

  26. Timing Timing affects the perception of mass of an object • The slower the object moves the heavier it looks

  27. Slow-in and slow-out • Spacing of inbetweens at extremes • Soften the action and make it more life-like Without slow-out With slow-out

  28. Secondary action • Smaller motions that complement the main action, e.g. hair flows as a character turns its head • Increases the complexity and interest in a scene

  29. Arcs • All actions, with few exceptions (e.g., motion of a mechanical device), follow an arc or slightly circular path • Especially true of the human figure and the action of animals • Arcs give animation a more natural action and better flow  

  30. Principles of animation Aesthetics • Exaggeration • Appeal • Overlapping action

  31. Exaggeration • A caricature of facial features, expressions, poses, attitudes, and actions • Makes it more realistic and entertaining • Not arbitrary distortion of shapes nor making an action more violent or unrealistic

  32. Exaggeration • “If a character is sad, make him sadder; if he is bright, make him shine; worried, make him fret; wild, make him frantic.” (Lasseter, 1987)

  33. Solid drawing • Ability to draw weight, volume, and balance • Aesthetic sensibility for forms, textures, lights, and motions

  34. Appeal • Animated characters must appeal to the audience. • They don't need to be lovely, cute and nice, but they must be interesting, somehow attractive. • Villains as well as heroes and heroines should have appeals

  35. Appeal • A live performer has charisma; an animated character has appeal

  36. Overlapping action • Starting a second action before the first action has completely finished • Keeps the interest of the viewer, since there is no dead time between actions

  37. Overlapping action • "When a character knows what he is going to do he doesn't have to stop before each individual action and think to do it. He has it planned in advance in his mind." Disney

  38. Principles of animation Presentation of action • Anticipation • Staging

  39. Anticipation • Preparation for an action, e.g., when a character is about to jump, he first crouches to gain momentum and the takes off • Prepares the viewer for the action that will happen • Longer anticipation is needed for faster actions

  40. Staging • Clear presentation of an idea, where the idea can be an action, a personality, an expression, or a mood • An idea should be unmistakably clear to the viewer

  41. Staging • One idea at a time • A personality should be staged so that it is recognizable

  42. Principles of animation Production methods • Straight ahead • Pose to pose

  43. Straight ahead • Starts at the first drawing in a scene and then draws all of the subsequent frames until the end of the scene • Creates very spontaneous and zany looking animation • Used for wild, scrambling action

  44. Pose to pose • Planned out and charted with key drawings done at intervals throughout the scene • Action, size, volumes, and proportions are controlled than straight ahead • The lead animator will turn keys over to his assistant

  45. Principles of animation • Another way to look at the principles

  46. Principles of animation • Essential for 3D computer animation

  47. 3. Types of 3D computer animation • Keyframe animation • Pixar: Cars (2006), Ratatouille (2007), Wall-E (2008) • PDI/Dreamworks: Shrek (2001, 2004, 2007), Kanfu-panda (2008) • Motion capture animation • Sony: Polar Express (2004), Monster House (2006), Beowulf (2007) • Procedural animation

  48. Keyframe animation • Keyframe is a drawing (image) of a key moment in an animation sequence, where the motion is at its extreme • Inbetweens fill the gaps between keyframes

  49. Keyframe animation • In traditional animation, skilled animators draw keyframes; less experienced animators draw inbetweens • In 3D computer animations, animators set up parameter values for keyframes; software interpolates parameter values between keyframes for inbetweens • Every motion is created by animators

  50. Keyframe animation • Different interpolation methods create different timing Linear interpolation Spline interpolation

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