Animation

Pre-calculated Animation Do more now, less later.

Pre-calculated Animation Pre-calculated, stored, static animation information such as: Image flipping; Video; Image Sequences Positioning object property changes on a time schedule Easier to program No limits on creation software

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Uses for pre-calculated data -Images & Videos -3D is too much data: vertices -Motion capture data -CAD software (not entirely) -Old video games, for everything -Movie Special Effects -ALL MAPS -A.I. (pre-trained)

Pitfalls of Pre-Calculated Animation LARGE amounts of data storage + bandwidth + access/load delays Can not change; not dynamic: Adjusting timing realistically is not possible speed of playback is all you get Data is fixed, the content can't be altered like it was when being created

Data Caching / Pre-load It takes TIME to load Huge amounts of data Solutions: 1. Pre-load it into RAM before it will be needed Buffering: Loading just enough in advance and keep loading it in the background while you use up the buffer Example: Highway ramp stop-light queues 2. Keep used data in RAM for when it is used later = THIS IS CALLED A CACHE

Procedural Animation Do less now, more later.

Calculated Animation Procedural Animation Less data, CPU intensive, harder to program Object Properties are still changed over time, like pre-calculated animation Procedure generated and/or procedure driven Changes are calculated as opposed to just pulled from data storage No fixed timing schedule required; maybe no scheduling at all

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A Analogy: Bit Map vs Vector

Uses for real time calculations -Interactive: interfaces, games -Procedural textures: 3D effects -Rendering 3D -Simulation: Physics, Behavior, AI -CAD software -Compression: approximate data with a calculation "tweening" and other tools

Math Animation involves lots of math. Fixed animations can avoid math, but anything that is dynamic, requires math, even if you put your stuff into 1 loop, you still have to do something with that iterator (i)’s value. Basic Algebra is a must, Physics is nice. Graphing calculator can help illustrate function values

Motions end up being math functions You can recycle motions “Behaviors” are procedural animations common name for animation software program functions, which apply math you can recycle these too! Procedural graphics (textures) Fractals; moss on the north side of 3D trees Modified graphics - shading, distortion, filtering

Pitfalls of Procedural Graphics and Animation CPU load; GPU load - battery life May still use a lot of RAM PROGRAMMER LABOR COSTS More bugs possible; more things to go wrong Difficult to abstractly model natural things Results may be less predictable (errors amplify)

Terms

Keyframes Starting Keyframe Ending Keyframe "Tweened" Animation

Timelines and keyframes