History Of Computer Animation

한신대학교 컴퓨터공학부류승택

2009 년 2 학기

What is Animation ?

an ・ i ・ ma ・ tion (n) a motion picture made from a series of drawings

simulating motion by means of slight progressive changes in the drawings

History of animation

The Egyptians used a forerunner to comic strips in their wall decoration.

This sequential depiction of wrestlers actions is dated at 2000 BC.

At the same time the Chinese were using flick books.

History of animation: Persistence of vision

Thaumatrope - 1825 Round board with a cage on one side and a bird on the

other. A piece of string is attached to each edge. When the disc is spun the bird appears to be inside the cage

History of animation: Persistence of vision

Phenakistiscope – 1832 Disc with images drawn in sequential order around its

surface. Above each image is a slit. The user spins the disc and look through the slit at the

image in the mirror.

History of animation: Persistence of vision

Zoetrope - 1834 Band of pictures placed on the inside edge of a rotating

cylinder. Above the images there are slits. The viewers look down through the slits at the image on the

opposite side while the cylinder is spinning giving the pictures the illusion of motion.

History of animation: Persistence of vision

Kineograph (flipbook (=flick book)) - 1868 Set of sequential drawings bound together as a book. User

looks at the pages while flipping through them

History of animation: Persistence of vision

Praxinoscope - 1877 Band of pictures is placed inside an outer cylinder. Each

picture is reflected by a set of flat mirrors on the inner cylinder.

When the cylinder rotates, the reflected pictures gives the illusion of motion.

History of animation: Photography

Zoopraxiscope - 1877 Eadward Muybridge's solution: set up 12 cameras

connected by wires. As the horse runs by each camera the wire is broken and the camera takes a picture.

Can take these images, put them in a projected version of a Phenakistiscope using glass discs with the images around the edge of the discs

History of animation: Photography

Kinetoscope – 1888 an early motion picture exhibition device developed by Thomas Edison & his employee

William Kennedy Laurie Dickson

History of animation: Photography

THE ENCHANTED DRAWING - 1900, Edison Live action films + replacement technique

HUMOROUS PHASES OF FUNNY FACES -1906, Vitagraph The first animation recorded frame by frame

History of animation: Photography

Gertie, The Trained Dinosaur - 1914 Amazingly consisted of 10,000 drawings by Winsor McCay

Krazy Kat - 1916 widely popular in American animation only in the 1920s

FELIX THE CAT -1920s The most popular character and series of this period, started as the

Feline Follies from Sullivan's studio. merchandising of animated characters.

History of animation: Photography

1930s Mickey Mouse(1928), Pluto, Fleischer(1930), Donald

Duck(1934), Porky Pig(1935), Porky Duck(1937)

1940s~ Woody Woodpecker(1941), Tom & Jerry, Droopy(1943),

Tweetie(1947), Flinstons(1960), Simpsons(1987)

Computer Animation in Films

1977: Star Wars 1982 : Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Lucasfilm's Pixar group (Particle System)

1982: Tron, 1st feature film by CG the first time that computer-generated imagery (CGI) had been

extensively used in a feature film 1986: Luxo Jr. nominated for Oscar 1989: ILM creates the Abyss

produced the first organic and highly believable water-creature 1995: Toy Story, 1st full CG feature film (Pixar)

Animation Heritage

ILM: Jurassic Park (1993), Jumangi (1995), Mars Attacks (1996), Flubber (1997), Titanic (1999)

Angel Studios: Lawnmower Man (1992) PDI: Batman Returns (1995) Tippett Studio: Dragonheart (1996), Starship Troopers

(1997) Disney: Beauty and the Beast (1991), Lion King (1994),

Tarzan (1999) Dreamworks: Antz, Prince of Egypt Pixar: Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Monster’s Inc.

CGI Animation

Computer-generated imagery changed animated films forever

Animation techniques

Traditional animation Stop motion Computer animation Experimental Animation Techniques

Traditional animation

Traditional animation (=cel animation) Full animation

• The most widely-known style in animation, known for its realistic and often very detailed art.

• Ex) All Disney feature length animations, Pinocchio, The Iron Giant (1999) Limited animation

• A cheaper process of making animated cartoons that does not follow a "realistic" approach. (reduces the number of inbetweens 12fps)

• Ex) The Flintstones, Yellow Submarine (Flash/PowerPoint Animation) Rubber hose animation

• The characters are usually very "cartoony", and the animators have a lot of artistic freedom as rubber hose doesn't have to follow the laws of physics and anatomy

• Ex) Early Mickey Mouse cartoons, Popeye, Ren and Stimpy Rotoscoping

• A technique where animators trace live-action movement, frame by frame, – directly copying an actors outlines into an animated drawing – use rotoscoped material as a basis and inspiration for a more fluid and expressive

animation (e.g. Disney). • Ex) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Gulliver's Travels, American Pop

Stop motion

Stop motion Clay animation (=Claymation)

• Using figures made of clay or a similar malleable material. • The figures may have an wire frame inside of them , similar to puppet animation Ex) Wallace and Gromit; The Amazing Mr. Bickford; The Trap Door

Cutout animation • Formed by moving 2-dimensional pieces of material such as paper or cloth. Ex) Fantastic Planet; Tale of Tales; pilot episode of South Park

Silhouette animation • A monochrome variant of cutout animation in which the characters are only visible as black

silhouettes. Ex) The Adventures of Prince Achmed; Princes et princesses

Model animation • Model animated characters interact with, and are a part of, the live-action world. Ex) King Kong

Object animation • involves the animated movements of any non-drawn objects such as toys, blocks, dolls, etc.

which are not fully malleable, such as clay or wax (Ex: Brickfilm) Puppet animation

• involves puppet figures interacting with each other in a constructed environment, in contrast to the real-world interaction in model animation (above).

Ex) The Nightmare Before Christmas

Computer animation

2D animation • Figures are created and/or edited on the computer using

2D bitmap graphics or created and edited using 2D vector graphics.

• This includes automated computerized versions of traditional animation techniques such as of tweening, morphing, onion skinning and interpolated rotoscoping.

• Analog computer animation

• Flash animationEx) Romeo & Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss

• PowerPoint animation

Computer animation

3D animation Digital models manipulated by an animator. In order to

manipulate a mesh, it is given a digital armature (sculpture). This process is called rigging.

Various other techniques can be applied, such as mathematical functions (ex. gravity, particle simulations), simulated fur or hair, effects such as fire and water and the use of Motion capture.

Examples: The Incredibles, Shrek, Finding Nemo 3D animation Terms

• Cel-shaded animation • Morph target animation • Skeletal animation • Motion capture • Crowd simulation

Experimental Animation Techniques

Drawn on film animation Also known as "direct animation", or "animation without camera" A technique where footage is produced by creating the images directly on

film stock, for example by Norman McLaren. Paint-on-glass animation

A technique for making animated films by manipulating slow drying oil paints on sheets of glass.

Ex) The Old Man and the Sea (1999) Pinscreen animation

Makes use of a screen filled with movable pins, which can be moved in or out by pressing an object onto the screen. The screen is lit from the side so that the pins cast shadows.

Sand animation Sand is moved around on a backlighted or frontlighted piece of glass to

create each frame for an animated film.

Animation from CGI

Applications

Special Effects (Movies, TV) Video Games Virtual Reality Simulation, Training, Military Medical Robotics, Animatronics Visualization Communication

Animatronics

Resolution & Frame Rates

Video: NTSC: 720 x 480 @ 30 Hz (interlaced) PAL: 720 x 576 @ 25 Hz (interlaced)

HDTV: 720p: 1280 x 720 @ 60 Hz 1080i: 1920 x 1080 @ 30 Hz (interlaced) 1080p: 1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz

Film: 35mm: ~2000 x ~1500 @ 24 Hz 70mm: ~4000 x ~2000 @ 24 Hz IMAX: ~5000 x ~4000 @ 24-48 Hz

Note: Hz (Hertz) = frames per second (fps) Note: Video standards with an i (such as 1080i) are interlaced, while

standards with a p (1080p) are progressive scan

Programming Animation: Batch

Programming Animation: Renderers

Renderman Created by Pixar…Used in Pixar films.

• Pixar’s prman (ICL6)

• BMRT Renderer

Persistance of Vision (POV-RAY) Radiance

Programming Animation: Realtime

Programming Animation: Application

3D APIs C/C++

• OpenGL

• G3D (http://g3d-cpp.sourceforge.net/)

• DirectX / Direct 3D

Java• Java3D

• JOGL

Programming Animation: Web

Programming Animation: Web Based

Several proprietary formats Viewpoint, MM Shockwave, Abobe Atmosphere

VRML/X3D ISO Standard for Web Based 3D Worlds

Cel vs Computer Animation

Snow White vs. Toy Story Not much has changed in 70 years! Technology not process.

Animation Pipeline

Story

Shading Model Layout

Animation

Lighting

Camera

Postprocess

Voice Foley

Animation Pipeline

Story

Animation Pipeline

Story The story drives the process Storyboard – rough drawings that tell the story Tools for you

• Paper

• Pencil

• Napkins

• Palm of hands

• Etc.

Animation Pipeline

Story

Shading Model Layout

Animation Pipeline

Setting the stage Models –characters objects in story Layout – staging / blocking Shading – defines look of your model

Animation Pipeline

Story

Shading Model Layout

Animation

Animation Pipeline

Animation aka Motion Control This is the crux of what you will be doing

Degrees of Freedom problem• Your job is to make the number of degrees of freedom

manageable to an animator

• Animator decides what is managable and what parameters should be under his/her control.

Animation Pipeline

Story

Shading Model Layout

Animation

Lighting

Camera

Animation Pipeline

Lighting Set up virtual lighting to achieve visual goals.

Camera Render frames and assemble

Animation Pipeline

Story

Shading Model Layout

Animation

Lighting

Camera

Postprocess

Voice Foley

Animation Pipeline

If you wish to add sound Voice drives animation (lip sync) Animation drive sound effects (foley) Background music.