CSC 202 I NTRO. T O C OMPUTER ANIMATION Techniques and mathematical algorithms By Uzoma James Chikwem

D EFINITION Computer: an electronic device designed to accept data, performs high-speed mathematical or logical operations, processes information and displays these operations on the screen. Animation: The state of being full of life or vigor, liveliness or portraying the illusion of motion. Computer Animation: The use of an electronic device to bring life to, or put to motion, 2D images or 3D objects and characters, using animation techniques and mathematical algorithms

P ERCEPTION OF V ISION Our Visual system is a sophisticated information processor. In animation a series of still images displayed in a sequence are perceived by us as a moving object. Possible due to the eye-brain complex. A single image presented to a viewer for a short time will leave an imprint of itself. Also called Positive afterimage

P ERCEPTION OF V ISION Induces the sense of continuous imagery Afterimages fill in the gap Played fast enough looks like continuous animation NTSC format displays at 30 fps Cartoons can be as low as 6 fps Pixar displays at 24 fps. While video games range from different engines anywhere from fps.

C OMPUTER A NIMATION Not just used with big-screen events like: Star Wars, Toy Story or Titanic... Saturday morning cartoons Naruto, DBZ, Ben 10… Video game technology Madden, God of War, Halo… Web Ads, or Pop ups! Digital simulators SWAT, Pilots, Med School Desktop Screensavers

A NIMATION T ECHNIQUES Squash & Stretch Timing Secondary actions Slow-in & Slow-out Follow through Exaggeration Appeal Anticipation Staging Simulating Physics Designing Aesthetics Effective Presentation

ANIMATION T ECHNIQUES Illusion of weight and volume Helps shows movements also Facial expressions Creates simple to complex animations Bouncing ball to adding weight to a character walking Used for exaggeration or comical relief. But also realistic physical animation, volume stays constant. Squash and stretch

S QUASH AND S TRETCH E XAMPLES

ANIMATION T ECHNIQUES Defines the speed of action Gives meaning to animation More realistic for the audience Shows mass or character How fast an object moves Appears realistic by abiding to the laws of physics Helps determine emotion Varying speed of the character helps illustrate the emotional state of an object or character. Timing

ANIMATION T ECHNIQUES Helps support the main action Gives more life, physics to scene Adds to or enriches animation Showing more dimension Helps show the little details Bouncing hair while walking Wrinkle of clothes in wind Raises interest in character and adds flow to the animation Also referred to as supporting actions Secondary Actions

ANIMATION T ECHNIQUES Time is involved with acceleration and also stopping. Helps shows realism Adding physics formulations Basically involves speeding up and slowing down Car slowing accelerating and braking Swing animation Makes the animation much more believable and life like. Mimics real life physics Slow-In, Slow-Out

A NIMATION T ECHNIQUES Follow through Nothing stops all at once. Separate parts of a body will continue moving after the character has stopped. Exaggeration an effect especially useful for animation, as perfect imitation of reality can look static and dull in cartoons Presenting a wilder, more extreme form of reality.