DMET501 - Animation Techniques Quiz

Course Information

• Course Title: DMET501 - Introduction to Media Engineering
• Course Topic: Video and Animation (2)
• Instructor: Dr. Shereen Moataz Afifi
• Email: [email protected]
• Semester: Winter 2024

Animation

• Animation is the creation of moving pictures, one frame at a time
• Traditional animation techniques include cel animation, stop motion, and Claymation
• The process of animation can be seen at the following YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7ZWeLLTqJw
• Further information about animation types can be found at this URL: https://creativeones.art/different-types-of-animation/

Image Sequences

• Traditional animation techniques can be captured frame-by-frame using a camera connected to a computer instead of film
• Animation captured digitally can be combined with other digital animation techniques
• Information about hybrid animation techniques can be found at this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAwbcDb5y2k
• Digital animation can be created using graphical programs, with layers facilitating animation processes
• Rotoscoping involves tracing selected elements from a live-action video clip onto a new layer, frame by frame. This method is illustrated at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0YaC8pE8BU

Animated GIFs

• An animated GIF is a single file containing multiple bitmapped images
• These images are displayed in sequence in web browsers and other programs, without requiring additional plug-ins
• Animated GIFs are suitable for short, simple animations due to indexed color and lossless compression methods
• They cannot have soundtracks or player controls

Interpolation

• In traditional cel animation, key frames depict important moments, and in-between frames are created
• Modern animation programs use interpolation to generate frames between key frames, effectively creating movement
• Motion interpolation creates frames that portray the movement of an item based on key frames
• Bitmaps and layers are crucial in interpolation, as elements must be isolated for smoother movement
• Linear interpolation can produce unnatural discontinuities between frames.
• Custom easing using Bézier curves is a way to control the speed of transitions between key frames in an animation
• Motion paths can be used to simulate physical movement, such as a bouncing ball.

Vector Animation in Flash (SWF)

• Flash (SWF) is a popular web animation format often created in the program of the same name. It can also be exported from other programs as SWFs
• Flash uses a timeline to structure animations
• Keyframes are drawn on the stage, while regular frames capture the images of previous key frames
• Objects can be stored in a library as symbols to be reused, increasing efficiency, such as saving images for later use
• Interpolation (tweening) is applied to symbol instances, controlling motion and easing transitions
• An object's size, orientation, opacity, and colour can be interpolated
• Flash includes three types of symbols: graphic symbols, movie clips symbols, and button symbols

Motion Graphics

• Animated graphic design used for creating advertisements, movie titles, and sharing information
• Interpolation may be used to control the rate of change of properties in these animations

Delivering Animation

• Animated GIFs, Flash (SWF), and videos are common formats for animation delivery
• Video is ideal for animations intended for televisions, adding soundtracks, playing controls, and achieving high compression
• Flash is preferred for vector animations
• Bitmapped animations may use animated GIFs (without needing external plugs), but videos are best quality
• Flash movie files are compressed for efficient online animation delivery.