Animation Techniques

Guilford County SciVis

V106.04
 Early Animation Processes
• Animation is created when still images are
played in rapid succession so that they
appear to produce images that are
constantly moving.
• Animation appears to have continuous
motion because the human eye (brain)
“holds-onto” the still image for just a brief
moment after it is viewed, and the image
is still “there” (in your brain) when the
next image is viewed.
• The timing between individual images
must be fast enough for the sequence to
appear smooth.
 Early Animation Processes
• The National Television
Standards Committee (NTSC)
frame rate = 30 frames per second
for television (North America and
Japan).
• PAL (Phase Alternate Line) is the
European standard of 25 frames
per second.
• The standard rate for film (motion
pictures) = 24 frames per second.
• A frame rate of 30 fps will require
1800 images for one minute of
animation (30 fps x 60s).
 Early Animation Processes
• The Zoetrope was a device
that was used to produce
animation in the 1800s. It
consisted of a circular frame
holding individual, sequenced
images, and a fixed viewpoint
through which the spinning
pictures were viewed. The
term “movies” comes from the
moving images.
 Early Animation Processes
• The Walt Disney Studios
developed animation into a
modern art during the 1930s and
1940s.
• The different “layers” of the
animated scene were painted onto
transparent sheets, called cels.
• A hierarchy of artists was
developed for drawing and
painting the sequences of images.
 Early Animation Processes
• A master artist would draw the
most important or key frames
(“keyframes”), and less-skilled or
less-experienced artists would fill
in the action for the in-between
(“tweens”) frames. Other artists
would paint or fill the outlines with
color.
• Stop-action animation uses clay or
other models whose positions are
sequentially altered and
photographed for each frame.
 Computer Animation
• Unlike early animation,
where every frame must
be created to produce
movement, in computer
animation you define
points in time (known as
keyframes) and the
computer draws all of the
in-between frames.
 Computer Animation
• Position the object to be animated where
you want the action to begin; this is first
keyframe.
• Set the number of frames that you want to
use for the animation sequence. A one
second “movie’ would typically use 30
frames per second (30 fps NTSC); two
seconds would use 60 frames, etc.
• Move, scale, or deform the object to
become the next keyframe.
 Computer Animation
• Instruct the computer to calculate
all of the transformations that will
occur between the first keyframe
and the last.
• The computer will produce the 28
additional “in-between” images
(tweens) needed for the one
second of animation (you created
the other two frames, the
keyframes, for a total of 30).
 Storyboarding
• A storyboard is a graphic, sequential
depiction of an animation that is Example Storyboard
going to be created. It is a visual
script designed to make it easier to
see the animation scenes before they
are created.
• A storyboard identifies the major
events in the story and illustrates
them in cells (small squares or
rectangles), which are drawn out in
a sequential pattern.
 Storyboarding
• Storyboards are used for
movies, TV, commercials,
and animation.
• The artwork does not have
to be pretty or complex, but
it should be neat and
comprehensible.
• The pictures in the
storyboard should be
accompanied by text.
 Outline
1. Principles of Traditional Animation
Applied to Computer Animation
(Lasseter, 1987)
2. Animation: Can it facilitate? (Tversky and
Morrison, 2002)
3. On Creating Animated Presentations
(Zongker and Salesin, 2003)
 Overview: Traditional Animation
• Early 2D Animation: Used traditional
techniques
• Early 3D Animation: Neglected traditional
techniques.
• Understanding the 11 Fundamental
principles of traditional animation
techniques is essential to producing good
computer animation.
 1. Squash and Stretch

• Teaches basic
mechanics of
animation.

• Defines rigidity of
material.

• Important in facial
animation.
Squash and Stretch Cont.
• Can relieve the
disturbing effect of
strobing.
 2. Timing and Motion
• Gives meaning to movement.
• Proper timing is critical to making ideas readable.

Examples:
1. Timing: tiny characters move quicker than
larger ones.

2. Motion: can define weights of objects.

 Heavy vs. Light Objects

QuickTime™ and a QuickTime™ and a

Video decompressor Video decompressor
are needed to see this picture. are needed to see this picture.
 3. Anticipation
Preparation for an action

Example:
Goofy prepares to hit a baseball.
 4. Staging
A clear presentation of an idea.

Some Techniques:
1. Use motion in a still scene or use of static movement
in a busy scene.
2. Use of silhouettes (to the side)
 5. Follow Through and
Overlapping Action
1. Follow Through
Termination part of an action.

Example: after throwing a ball

2. Overlapping Action
Starting a second action before the first has completed.

Example: Luxo Jr.’s hop with overlapping

action on chord.
 6. Straight Ahead Action and
Pose-to-Pose Action
1. Straight Ahead
Animator start from first drawing in the scene and
draw all subsequent frames until the end of scene.

2. Pose-to-Pose
Animator plans actions, draws a sequence of poses, in
between frames etc.
 7. Slow in and Out
Spacing of inbetween 1. 3d keyframe comp. Systems
frames to achieve uses spline interpolation to
control the path of an object.
subtlety of timing and
movement. 2. Has tendency to overshoot at
extremes (small # of frames).
 8. Arcs
• Visual path of action for natural movement.
• Makes animation much smoother and less
stiff than a straight line.
 9. Exaggeration
• Accentuating the essence of an idea via the
design and the action.
• Needs to be used carefully.

Example: Luxo Jr. made

smaller to give idea of a
child.
 10. Secondary Action
• Action that results directly from another action.
• Used to increase the complexity and interest of a
scene.

Example:
Body movement is the primary
action, facial expression is the
secondary action
 11. Appeal
• Refers to what an audience would like to see.
• Character cannot be too simple (boring) or too
complex.

Examples:
Avoid mirror symmetry,
assymmetry is interesting.
What techniques used for Wally
B.?
What do you think Wally B’s
going to do?
 The Action:
Zooooooooooommmm!
Termination: Poof! He’s gone!
Role of Personality
• Animator’s first goal is to entertain.
• Success of animation lies in the personality of the
characters.

Conclusion

Hardware/Software are simply not enough, these

principles are just as important tools too.
 Critique
PROs CONs
1. Clear and concepts 1. Need more examples on
“bad animation”
explained well with
2. What really makes good
pictures and
vs bad animation? Need
examples. to make a better one on
one comparison.
3. Personality section: is it
necessary?
 Outline
1. Principles of Traditional Animation
Applied to Computer Animation.
2. Animation: Can it facilitate?
3. On Creating Animated Presentations
 Overview
• Graphics have many advantages.

• What makes graphics effective ?

1. Congruence Principle
2. Apprehension Principle

• Can Animation facilitate?

 Advantage Graphics
1. Help in communication.
2. May save words by showing things that would otherwise need many.
3. Externalize internal knowledge
I. Reduces the burden on memory and processing by off-loading.
II. Makes underlying structures and processes transparent.
4. Used carefully can facilitate comprehension, learning, memory,
communication and inference

Graphics are not always effective. (text vs graphics)

 Criteria 1:
Congruence Principle

The structure and content of the external

representation should correspond to the
desired structure and content of the internal
representation.
 Animation
• By Congruence Principle: should be natural way for
conveying concepts of change, just as space in graphics is a
natural for conveying actual space.

• Appear to be effective for expressing processes ie. Weather

patterns, circuit diagrams, or circulatory systems etc.

• Compelling and attractive

 Evaluating Animation
• Needs to be compared to graphics that do
not change with time, as it is change with
time that animation adds.

• How well does animation teach complex

systems: mechanical, biological, physical,
and operational.
Selective Review of Research on
Animation
 Incomparable Content in Static and
Animated Graphics
Examples:

1. Circulatory system (Large et al., 1996) - animated had

blood pathways

2. Electronic Circuit (Park and Gittelman 1992) - animated

showed fine structure.

3. Pythagorean theorem (Thompson and Riding, 1990) -

paper graphic equivalent to discrete animation, but not
equivalent to continuous animation.
 Incomparable Procedures In
Static and Animated Graphics.
1. Interactivity versus Animation
2. Prediction versus Animation

Why the confusion?

• Success of animation due to advantages of extra information
conveyed, rather than animation of the information.
• Animation is attractive and exciting.
 Criteria 2:
Apprehension Principle

The structure and content of the external

representation should be readily and
accurately perceived and comprehended.
 Why Do Animations Fail?
1. Animations may be hard to perceive.

2. Animations may be comprehended discretely.

3. Not universally preferred and often require

expertise for understanding.
 Conclusions and Implications
1. Many apparent successes turn out not to
be successes.
2. Congruence and Apprehension Principles.
3. Interactivity may be key to overcome
animations’ drawbacks.
4. Animation must be used with care.
 Crtitique
PROs CONs
1. Good overview of 1. No figures!
where animation 2. Too many examples
research is. were vaguely
2. Clearly written. explained.
3. Well supported
claims.
 Outline
1. Principles of Traditional Animation
Applied to Computer Animation.
2. Animation: Can it facilitate?
3. On Creating Animated Presentations
 Overview
1. Microsoft estimates ~30 million ppt presentations are made everyday

2. Animation could improve them.

3. PPT is essentially static in nature.

4. Examine how meaningful animations can be created to improve live

presentations.
 Authoring Principles for
Animations for Presentations
1. Use parameterization at all levels of the
system.

2. Treat animations as models - animations

are treated as parameterized models that
have a single parameter: time.

3. Build slides hierarchically

Example of Parameterization
1. Implemented as a set of libraries in Python.
2. Users have access to complete, general-purpose
programming language.
3. A collection of drawing objects.
 Three Major Drawing Objects
1. Parameterized diagrams - functions that draw
objects and are redrawn each time it is executed.

2. Animation Objects - One scalar parameter and

provides mapping to a set of other drawing
objects to be invoked.

3. Interactive Objects - same as animated objects

except can be edited while being played.
Example of Parameterization:
Test Harness
Example of Animation Script:

Animation Test Harness

 Interactive Controllers
1. Similar to animation script.

2. Instead of function that creates all of the animation,

controller is implemented as a class

3. Contains set of drawing objects and timelines for

controlling their prameters.

4. Various methods called: edit timelines while animations

is being played in response to user input events.
 Animation Principles for
Presentations.
1. Make all movement meaningful
2. Avoid instantaneous changes
3. Reinforce structure with transitions
4. Create a large virtual canvas
5. Smoothly expand and compress detail
 Animation Principles for
Presentations cont.
6. Manage complexity through overlays
• Do one thing at a time.
• Reinforce animation with narration.
• Distinguish dynamics from transitions.
 Comparing to Presentation
Software
PowerPoint vs Slithy
1. WYSIWG
2. Difficult to do complex animations :resort to
videos.
3. Built with animations in mind.
4. Script to describe animation.
CounterPoint vs Slithy
Focused on using animated navigation between slides
to convey the structure of the presentation.
 Comparing to Animation
Software
1. Menv
2. Algorithm animation
3. Alice
4. Flash

Overall, SLITHY provides much more flexibility

and ease for animations for presentations.
 Future Work and Conclusion
1. Still need to find an animated presentation
tool that is both very general and easy to
use.

2. Presented ideas provide useful steps at

creating and experiencing more
informative and exciting presentations.
 Critique
PROs CONs
1. Presents a somewhat novel 1. Presented Animation
problem in today’s Principles are not
presentations. supported.
2. Interesting views on what 2. Evaluation is based on
makes a good animation in personal experience,
presentations. there is no user-case
studies.
3. Good implementation
details. 3. Software requires an
expert level of a a user.
That’s All Folks!
In Action