Computer Animation Lesson

Most animation that takes place today makes use of the computer. Animators use software to create elaborate digital landscapes. This software is also used to draw, model and animate objects and characters. There are two basic kinds of computer animation. Computer Generated Imagery, or CGI, is the process of using computer graphics to generate animated images. Computer Assisted Animation combines traditional animation and computer animation to create animated sequences.

Computer Assisted Animation

Computer assisted animation could not take place without the use of a computer. Typically, an animator using computer assisted animation will draw objects and characters by hand or with a computer. Then he creates an outline of important movements by placing his creations in keyframes. Next, the "in-between" frames are filled in using mathematical algorithms within a software program. This "tweening" is just one example of how animation is accomplished faster with a computer than through traditional hand-drawn methods.

Computer Generated Imagery Animation

Computer generated imagery (CGI) animation usually takes place in a 3D environment. This is something that is almost impossible with paper and pencil. Animators can use a computer program to make objects move realistically, but they can also move unrealistically. A CGI animator is only bound by the limitations of the software that they use.

Computer Animated Hand Image The earliest breakthroughs in the area of 3D computer graphics came from the University of Utah. Ed Catmull created a 3D rendering of his hand opening and closing. This text annotation indicator was the first time that computer animation was really considered art. Catmull went on to become president of Pixar and Disney Animation. The Utah Teapot, another rendering from the University of Utah, brought about photorealistic quality in 3D graphics.

There were numerous films in the 1970s and 80s that included effects that were designed to look computer generated. In 1973, the movie "WestWorld" became the first film to contain 2D computer generated graphics. "Tron", in 1982, took place inside a computer, so it was ideal for showcasing digital effects. These types of films lead to computer graphics that were considered to be convincingly realistic.

"Jurassic Park", in 1993, became the first film to use entirely computer generated characters in a live action film. And Pixar's "Toy Story", in 1995, was the first full-length feature film made entirely on a computer with 3D animation.

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