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 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  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