by Jasque Brisk
As human society has made progress, its aesthetics have also found new and ingenious means to portray itself. Today, the evolution of art has entered the domain of modern technology, as animation was created as a new art form. This has been a drastic change from the simple beginnings which can be traced back to the Lascaux cave paintings, but nevertheless, it has presented us with exciting opportunities.
Three Dimensional Animation is a process which makes it possible to create and show digital moving objects with a Three Dimensional touch on a 2D screen. 2D animation has been around for a long time, but 3 Dimensional animation has overtaken it as the results of the later are stunningly realistic. Three Dimensional Animation is not restricted to movies, but is also used in computer games, architecture, constructing models and samples, and as a web designing and communication tool.
3 Dimensional Animation consists of an elaborate process of 3D modeling, texturing, animating and rendering. 3D Modeling is the sculpting of any object or a scene in its digital 3D representation through specialized software. Texturing gives a life like shape to the 3 Dimensional models, which makes it possible for the audience to relate to an object or a person, or even a location in a 3D Animation. It is much like painting into pencil sketches and gives the model its finished look.
3D Animation may not look like the cartoons where characters like Mickey Mouse were first displayed, yet the central concept of animation remains the same as in traditional animation. These concepts have taken the form of Motion Capture and Key-framing with the development of computers. Key-framing, descendent of traditional animation technique, involves setting up of two or more key object positions in different time frames , these frames were then called key frames. After this the animator assistant was drawing all the frames in between the key frames by hand, these gradual changes in repetitive illustrations that made up the animations where called by animators in-betweens. Today the computer fills the 3D Animation by automatically generating the frames in between.
Motion Capture is a procedure of recording of motions of real objects for a near-reality imitation in an animation. The method is expensive, but can bring breathtaking reality to the cartoon production if carried out in a proper fashion. The actor who is to be imitated is wearing a motion capture suit which conveys his movements through motion sensors to the digital actor. 3D Animation, in order to hold its realistic look, needs higher frame rates than traditional animation, or even television broadcasts, which are about 14 frames per second.
Computer Animation is a challenging and exciting career. Before you start some serious professional work, it is always helpful to thoroughly research quality institutes that offer animation courses. You should focus on schools like Sheridan and Vancouver Institute of Media Arts, to really have a substantial foundation to your career. However, attending small courses will do you no good as this way you will only learn to work with different software, which is not enough to become a great 3D Animator.
Besides formal education, you should be focusing on developing and refining a number of skills to become a successful animator. You should be well versed with key animation concepts and skills like constructing animation variables, which are the building blocks of animatable characters.
You must master the basics of composition and must have a deep knowledge and understanding of how colors work. You will be continually playing with them for the rest of your lives. You must have a good sense of shade and light, which actually sum up the basics of all visual arts. Besides the technical knowledge, it is your sense of story-telling and film-making which will help create a compelling animation.
But what if you are not a professional animator? That still does not stop you from benefiting from it. A number of 3 Dimensional Animation packages exist to help you out. 3ds max, Maya, XSI, Lightwave and Hash Animation Master are very wide spread but complex software, and top choices of professionals. Although some of them are accommodating to novices, you could find yourself more at ease with simpler software like 3D GIF Designer, RealSoft 3D and Effect 3D. You should research carefully before buying one of them, as you would want all the features and tools you need from a single package as per your needs.
Website developers could utilize 3D Animation to their advantage by adding 3D Animation content on their websites. Not only will it express messages more efficiently, but it will also attract traffic to their websites. With all the ease with which you could create your very own 3D communication and presentation tools through a myriad of specialized software, not using them could literally cost you a competitive edge.
About the Author:
If you are intrigued by
3D animation you can find animation tips and tutorials on the
3D animation message board, a bulletin board for 3d artists to discuss various animation topics. Jasque Brisk is a 3d artist and writer interested in 3d animation and 3d art.
