Topic 7 3D Animation

3D Animation
3D computer graphics is a three-dimensional representation of geometric data stored in the computer
* From wiki for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images.

3D computer graphics rely on many of the same algorithms as 2D computer graphics.

Principles for 3D
The original principles are still relevant today Can be applied to almost any type of animation including 3D.
* From wiki

But some of these principles require updates. Few new additional principles are also needed.

2D principles for 3D
Apply in the same way
Timing Anticipation Staging Follow through and overlap Exaggeration Secondary action Need to be updated
Squash & Stretch Slow in & Slow out Arcs Straight ahead action & pose to pose Appeal

New principles for 3D

1. Visual styling 2. Blending cartoon physics with real world physics 3. Using cinematography 4. Mastering facial animation

New principles for 3D[cont.]

1. Visual styling
means more than just how things are supposed to look. it has a significant impact on rendering, on animation techniques, and overall production complexity.

New principles for 3D [cont.]

2. Blending cartoon physics with real world physics
it is possible today to blend motion from different sources necessary to define clear guidelines for a variety of motion/animation styles:
including cartoon physics realistic cartoon realistic human motion rotoscoping

New principles for 3D [cont.]

3. Using cinematography
a crucial component of our animation due to full camera control available:
positions movement

not just an afterthought

New principles for 3D [cont.]

4. Mastering facial animation
more facial animation control than ever before:
Even the subtle motion of eyelids and eyeballs.

establish the level of facial control and techniques build a catalog of facial morph targets or blend shapes reuse of the catalog

Types of 3D Animation
Stop-motion Animation Animatronics Performance Animation Character Animation Effects Animation Visual Effects Animation for Live Actor

 Stop Motion Animation

Known as stop-motion photography Animating a jointed model and recording the different positions on a single frame each Examples:

Traditional : Modeling clay Modern : Modeling rubber skin with wire armature
A form of forward kinematics animation Can be used to set key poses of 3D computer animated characters, Implemented with special metal armatures that send information on the joint angles to the animation software (3D animation)

Stop Motion Animation [cont.]

Forms of stop motion animation:
Clay animation Clay painting Cutout animation Puppet animation Direct manipulation animation Object animation Time lapse animation Strata-cut animation

Stop motion pioneers

The Battle of the Stag Beetles (1910) by Ladyslaw Starewicz The Ant and the Grasshopper (1911), The Tale of the Fox (1937),

Battle of the Stag Beetles

* From wiki

The Tale of the Fox

Stop Motion Animation

*
Aardman is famous for its claymation/stop-motion animation productions, particularly plasticine duo Wallace & Gromit. Christiane Cegavske's "Blood Tea and Red String" (2005) is a handmade stopmotion fairy tale for adults.

* From wiki

Principles for Clay animation

Squash and Stretch
characters should feel like an elastic mass, squashing on impact and stretching on recoil or anticipation. When done in clay animation it's a sequence of sculptures (replacement animation).

* From Secrets of Clay Animation

Principles for Clay animation

Staging the overall framing of your subject in the scene should be known before shooting started. You cant easily change the angle of view
* From Secrets of Clay Animation

Principles for Clay animation

Follow-Through appendages will keep moving after the main body of an objects stops. plan the main part of body and supplement parts in advance an effect on constructing the characters base (skeletons) Overlapping action all the parts of character do not have arrive at the same pose at the same time. looseness in the joints of characters skeleton Each characters parts can move with varyung speed

Clay Animation Tools

Sculpting tools To pinch, twist, add, subtract, soften, and smooth clay:

hands, mineral oil, brushes, texture pads, pasta making machine, pin-eye tool,

* From Secrets of Clay Animation

Clay Animation Tools

Armature tools an armature is the skeleton inside your character that supports the clay and allows it to move in small increments for animating:
wire cutters, hacksaw, table clamp, drills, wires

* From Secrets of Clay Animation

Clay Animation Tools

Clays
water-based clay: grey or brown , good for making simple hardening decorative objects (not for animation) hardening clay: it allows the baking of body parts that are not intended to bend, (you have to bake it) oil-based clay: flexible, will not harden on the air, do not melt undet the lights (Van Aken, Pongo)
* From Secrets of Clay Animation

 Animatronics

The computer-controlled model that can be animated in real time Usually, animatronics are placed on the set with live actors The motions are then programmed with inverse and forward kinematics software Stored as digital information, can be repeated and refined later.

 Performance Animation
Found in the art of puppetry Created with puppet of with actor inside of a suit The basic idea is that a live actor controls the performance of the animated character The technique is called Motion capture when applied to 3D computer animation

Live motion capture directly applied to computer character Processed motion capture collected data is fine-tuned and enhanced with other animation techniques

 Effects Animation
Animation that is not character-oriented Usually includes natural phenomena like fire, smoke,wind, dust, water in its many forms (rain, snow, clouds, rivers, waterfalls, ocean) as well as lighting effects (sparks, shadows)

 Visual Effects Animation for Live Actor

Requires a unique approach that is sometimes very different from traditional animation Animated elements must match with the motions, colours, lighting and perspective of the live sequence

Units of Animation
Frame Smallest unit of animation

Still frame
30 frames

One frame consists of a single still image

One second of animation at normal speed video

Fps Sequence

The number of frames of animation per second, rate of display Consists of a succession of camera shots that are connected to each other because they develop the same aspect or moment of the action

Scene

Continuous action in one place or as a unit of traditional storytelling

Shot

A string of frames recorded by a single camera without interruption

Principles of Keyframe Interpolation

Keyframe interpolation technique is used in computer animation to create sequences of still images/frames Calculates the in-between frames by averaging the information and key poses contained in the keyframes

Principles of Keyframe Interpolation

Interpolations are commonly expressed in the form of a graph that summarizes the relation between time and parameters being animated

 Linear Interpolation

Common type of Interpolations

The simplest and straightforward computer animation technique for calculating in-between frames Averages the parameters in the keyframes and provides as many equally spaced in-between frames needed Is based on constant speeds between the keyframes, but it produce abrupt changes in speed on the keyframes where one constant speed ends and a different constant speed starts. Linear interpolation cannot handle subtle changes in speed because the inbetween frames are created at equal intervals along the path.

Common type of Interpolations

Curved Interpolation Also called an interpolation ease A technique for calculating in-between frames more sophisticated than linear interpolation Averages the parameters in the keyframes taking into account the variations of speed over time, known as acceleration Increase speed = ease in Decrease speed = ease out

Principles of Keyframe Interpolation

Interpolation techniques can be applied in terms of: Interpolation of Position and Orientation Is used to calculate the position and orientation of animated objects in 3D space including models, camera and light sources Interpolation of Shape Is used to animate the shape of 3D models. Shape animation consists of transforming one key shape into another one by letting the interpolation techniques calculate all the inbetween positions of the points and lines that define the shape of the model. Interpolation of Attributes Is used to animate the attributes or characteristics of : Models - colour, texture, Cameras - focal length/depth Lights colour, intensity, cone-angle, fall-off values

Camera Animation
Camera animation give powerful effect to 3D animation Position camera moves The position of camera is defined using the XYZ coordinates that controls the camera position Dolly = translation along horizontal (x) axis Truck = translation along depth (z) axis Boom = translation along vertical (y) axis Crane = combination of dolly, truck, boom

Camera Animation
Orientation Camera Moves The orientation is defined using the XYZ coordinates that controls the camera orientation Tilt = a rotation of the camera on its horizontal (x) axis Roll = a rotation of the camera on its depth (z) axis Pan = a rotation of the camera on its vertical (y) axis

Light Animation
The position and attributes of light sources in a computer animation can be animated using keyframe interpolation A wide variety of lighting effects that effect the mood of a scene can be created by animating the intensity of a light source as well as its colour, cone angle and fall-off In principle, light sources should not be moved or animated unless we are trying to achieve a very specific change in the mood of a scene or a specific lighting effects based on artificial or natural light sources. Natural lighting effects are based on moving light sources like celestial bodies, the elements and natural phenomena and a few animals

Light Animation
The light of celestial bodies

The sun, moon usually moves very slowly because those light sources are far from us The moving light of celestial bodies is usually perceived in the form of moving shadows because we can rarely tell that the sun or the moon are moving by just looking at them in real time Can be created with infinite light sources or with points light sources that have medium to high intensity with no or little fall-off

Light Animation
The light of natural phenomena

Wide range of lighting behaviour that involves motion Such as the light emitted by lightning, fire, natural explosion (erupting volcano); the light reflected off the surface of moving water or refracted through moving water like a waterfall; the light interrupted by the motion of objects that could be caused by wind in front of a light source Can be created using different type of lighting point and spot lights

Light Animation
Practical Lights

Many nights and interior scenes have practical lights that moves or change during the shot Includes flashlights, matches, table lamps, fireflies
Artificial Lights

Can be still or in motion and can be based on point lights or spot lights Give different mood in the scene

Forward Kinematics
The technique consists of determining the motion and final position of a model by first specifying the angles of its joints Can be used creatively in situations when all the joints angles are known in advance and are repeated many times E.g. throwing a ball with forward kinematics, all joints angles need to be specified

Inverse Kinematics
The technique consists of determining the motion of entire skeletons based on the final angles of some of the key joints that define the motion The technique requires that the 3D models to be animated are built as hierarchical structures Powerful technique for building secondary motion on top of primary motions, like human body E.g. throwing a ball with inverse kinematics, only the starting and ending positions need to be specified