3D Graphics and Animation

1. 3D Graphics and Animation Basic of animation; Harri Airaksinen

2. Animaation • Sense of sight is a connector – hearing is a separator • Viewer see set of single pictures in certain frequency  illusion of continuous movements • Animation can be created in many ways: • Cel animation – the most traditional • Stop motion photography • Mocap – motion capture

3. Animation unit- frame - • Frame = single picture • Typical animation frame rate is 30 fps = 30 frames per sec. • Movie; normally one second includes 24 frames • Interactive real time 3D environment 8 - 60 frames/sec. • A shot – a string of frames recorded by a single camera without interruption

4. Keyframe and interpolation • Keyframe = “important picture”, define objects location and position in animation sequence important time point – we know that moving object need to be in this location in this time  3D Studio Max – Autokey • Software calculates missing frames between keyframes = interpolation, how we can find the target location using defined number of frames

5. Keyframe and interpolation • Interpolation techniques can be used: • to calculate the position of objects in space • to calculate objects shapes in space (morphing) • to calculate other attributes.

6. Interpolation types and effect to object parameters • constant change  slope, how fast the change is happening • variable change  if the change is not linear, also the parameters change is not linear  accelerated motion, inversion motion

7. Interpolation types and effect to object parameters • 3D Studio Max, Key Info, you can control how objects values will change = how fast and the interpolation style of change

8. Interpolation types and effect to object parameters • How these implements the animation?

9. Interpolation of Shape or attribute (MORPHING) • Objects form/shape morphing • Examples http://www.mikejs.com/graphics/morphs/ • Objects attributes morphing (example. light, camera, texture, transparency)

10. Forward kinematics (FK) • Every movement part is defined separately. More accurate and “natural” movements. Takes a lot of time…

11. Inverse kinematics (IK) • If object have a good skeleton with rule based joints, we can just define starting and ending situation. Software calculates other needed and allowed movements.

12. Animations with mathematical functions • Wave Functions • Surface material animation

13. Camera animations • Camera location is changed by time function  location is defined by path  2D splines • Camera direction: looks down the motion path as it moves, looks to the Point of interest or combination of those [The Art of 3-D Computer Animation and Imaging; Isaac Victor Kerlow]

14. Camera animations • 3D Studio Max

15. Camera animations • Other camera animations types: • Focal length changes and other camera movements (zoom) • Depth of field changes • Light animations (intensity,color, location …)

16. Other interesting animation resources • Sun simulation  moving shadows. Generally : light resources should be stable (not moving), on – off and intensity control. Like an exception; head light • Fire and glowing objects  look course material, ways to fack

17. Other interesting animation resources • Hierarchical structures (skeletons) • Animation will effect to the other part of model/model structure [The Art of 3-D Computer Animation and Imaging; Isaac Victor Kerlow]

18. Other interesting animation resources • Hierarchical structures  skeletons joint structures  freedom of the joint = how many direction joint can move? • Pivot point

19. Animation principles • Telling a story with computer animation is based on timing the actions • Action ahead of the story: • An animated character reacts to a sound located off-camera by turning its head. The character's action is ahead of the story because it indicates to us that something will happen before we know what it is • Action behind the story: • The audience knows before the character what is going to happen next. For example, the audience can see that a piano is falling from the roof of a building right over a character who is unaware of the impending and disastrous action.

20. Animation principles • Animation is combinations of timing, speed, rhythm, and choreography result in different types of motion including: • primary and secondary motions • overlapping motions • staggered motions • motion holds

21. Animation principles- production line - • Preproduction: all the conceptualization and planning that takes place before a computer animation project is produced -> screenwriting, planning the management of the project, storyboarding, developing the overall look of the project • Production stage:1) modeling, 2) animation, and 3) rendering. previewed in the form of digital flipbooks displayed on the screen. Cameras, lights, textures  end product; rendered animation files • Postproduction: Composing, sounds, texts. Extra effects can be added, fixing colors and so on. Normally done by using other software than modeling

22. Storytelling • Stories communicate facts • Stories provide answers to questions • Stories make us feel different emotions • Stories sometimes even provoke actions that shape reality. Whether they are linear or nonlinear, whether they depict an event with cartoon characters or a colorful dance of abstract shapes, stories are the essence of animation

23. Storytelling • Do flowcharts – showing the events/actions • Linear events, parallel events

24. The Screenplay • written document that tells a story by using descriptions, dialogue, and some production notes • a screenplay is defined by: • what the story is about • who the characters are (human – nonhuman like) • what happens to them throughout the sequence of events

25. Motion, tempo and rhythm • Can you see the difference? What are those? Pictures: [The Art of 3-D Computer Animation and Imaging; Isaac Victor Kerlow]

26. Animation creative and production Teams • Creative Team: • Creative Director -- (dude with the Vision) • Art Director -- (Knows how it Should Look) • Copywriter -- (Knows what it should rely to viewers) • Producer -- (Big Man With The MONEY) • Account Executive -- (Takes care of the money) • Production Team: • Animation Supervisor -- (Oversees the whole process) • Senior Animator -- (Spanks the juniors and knows a lot) • Junior Animators -- (Sweats 24h per day and makes the REAL work) • Producer -- (Big man with money AND vision) • Production Manager -- (Timetable Man) • Technical Assistant -- (That you blame when nothing works)

27. Some numbers • Making an animation is a hard task = expensive to do! • 30 frames/second • 30 minutes = 54,000 frames • 5 minutes/frame, 12 hours/day ~ 1 year • Limited animation • Computer-assisted animation

28. Computer-Assisted Animation • 2D –Create & draw frames –Computer helps ink & paint • 3D –Create models, sets, poses –Computer interpolates –Computer renders, composes

29. Because animation is so hard to do… • We use simulation software’s  computer calculates, almost everything can be simulated, no more hand made keyframes and animation: • Clothes • Collisions • Atmospheric effects (fire, smoke, fog, dust, wind, rain, particles) • Hair, fur • Elastic materials