Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Computer 3d Animation An Art Or A Technical Skill

By Jasque Brisk

Art has continually had a exclusive role in our lives, and with time, this human expression has found new ways of showing itself. As speedy development in modern technology has changed our lives as a whole, it has also had its impact on art. This form of art has made a evolution, by the virtue of computer technology, to something even more spectacular: 3D Computer Animation.

An application of 3D Computer Graphics, 3D Animation is the art of creating moving images with a 3 dimensional photo realism on a two dimensional screen. 3D Animation holds its distinction from 2D animation due to its depiction of remarkably realistic animated pictures. 3D Computer Animation is used in motion pictures, computer games, architecture, simulations, models, special effects and in any other way it can be used to portray a message or an idea.

3D Animation consists of an elaborate process of 3D modeling, texturing, animating and rendering. 3 Dimensional Modeling is the process of virtual sculpting of any item or environment in its digital Three Dimensional 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 3 Dimensional Animation. It is much like painting into pencil sketches and gives the model its final look.

During the animation stage of the cartoon creation process, the basics remain the same as have been used in the traditional version. 3D Animation is mostly based on two main techniques: Motion Capture and Key-framing. Key-framing, like traditional animation, is also based on the slight gradual changes to create an optical illusion of motion, by determining two or more key positions representing a unit of animation. The single difference is that the in-betweens in this case are calculated automatically and filled in by the computer. Before it was done by the animation assistant who was manually drawing all the frames in between the key frames. That's the cause all these frames were called in-betweens.

The central thought behind the Motion Capture technique is to portray the emotions, expressions and movements of a 3 Dimensional animated character as realistically as possible by recording of movements of real actors and models, and translating them into a digital model. Three Dimensional Animation uses a faster frame rate than the 2d animation, which are about 24 frames per second, in order to sustain the realism of movement and to create an effective impression.

Such fascination inspires many people for an animation career. Many of the aspiring animators take flimsy animation courses and only concentrate on developing skills in 3D Animation software, which is not quite enough. In order to learn the art of 3D animation you must seek schools like School of Visual Arts California and Vancouver Institute of Media Arts, which offer excellent technical and informational facilities for enabling the students to focus on developing their skills.

To exceed as a 3D computer animator, if you are capable of original and creative work. You should be mastering essential graphic programs like Photoshop and Flash. You should have a good knowledge of 3D Modeling and should be able to master the function of animation variables, the essential structures that make up life-like 3d models in an animation.

You must have strong basics of art and must have a deep knowledge and understanding of how colors work. You will be constantly playing with them for the rest of your lives. You must have a good sense of light and shade, which actually sum up the basics of all visual artists. Apart from the software knowledge, it is your sense of story-telling and film-making which will help create a realistic animation.

But what if you are not a professional animator? That still does not stop you from benefiting from it. A number of 3D Animation packages are at hand to help you out. Luxology Modo, Softimage XSI and Motion Builder are very good but complex software, and top choices of experienced animators. Although some of them are accommodating to novices, you could find yourself more at ease with simpler software like Anim8or, 3D GIF Designer and Effect 3D. You should research carefully before buying one of them, as you would want all the value and utility you need from a single package as per your needs.

3D Animations like banners and other features can make a website more interesting and can communicate messages more effectively, attracting more traffic to the sites. The myriad of 3D programs have plainly removed all obstacles to the access to 3D Animation and have opened doors to new possibilities for the employment of this efficient communication tool. 3D Animation can dramatically enhance the output of your business and products. Explore which way you can profit from it.

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