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Tuesday, August 23, 2011

An Introduction to 3D Cartoon Animation

By Cody Landon


There have been great leaps in computer graphics and one of the special things that have come as a result is 3D cartoon animation. People have used cartoons for many generations, from the still images that are mostly used in the print media to animated characters that take advantage of interactive abilities of modern gadgets, which is the level of 3D cartoon animation.

Cartoon animation involves drawing a series of images that are displayed in quick succession to give the impression of movement. The rate at which the images are displayed is measured in "frames per second," which is popularly known by its acronym, fps. To create a smooth flow of movement, a minimum of twenty four frames per second should be used. Cartoonists have to make these drawings. The next process involves animators, who do not necessarily have to be the cartoonists themselves. The animators use special graphics programs to create the desired flow of movement. However, this does not suffice to create 3D cartoon animation.

3D cartoon animation involves the use of polygons. The digital process involved in the production of three-dimensional characters is known as rigging. The objects are designed on the computer and a virtual skeleton is used to rig the 3D figures. The animator will create a simple representation of how the character is supposed to look like, creating a "skeleton" of the object.

Animation variables are used to define positions of respective segments in 3D cartoon animation. Modeling of all the frames must be completed before the frames are rendered. The computer will not render the "skeleton" directly but uses it to calculate the orientation and position of the object. This means that motion will be created by altering the values of the animation variables, which are also known as Avars.

It is easier for those making 3D cartoon animation to set the Avars at specific positions in time to create motion. The computer will calculate how the images should appear between two points through a method that is known as keyframing.

Technological advances have made it possible to develop another method that is known as motion capture. This process involves recording the movements of a real person and the motions are then rendered to the character to be animated. Both methods have their own strengths in creating 3D cartoon animation.

The process of making 3D cartoon, animation seems like a lot of complicated work. While it is true that you need specialized skills to make great presentations, the sophisticated pieces of software that are available bring 3D cartoon animation to your fingertips.




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