Making 3D animation

 

Animation is one of the most attractive and breathtaking arts in our world. Derived from the Latin word “anima” meaning “soul” or “breath” to “animate” roughly means breathing life into something. It’s an apt term indeed, because the cartoons and movies that have gifted us throughout history are images that have come to life. Over time, the term “animation” usually refers to one of two types: 2D animation or 3D animation.

 

What is 3D animation?

 

In making 3D animation, there has been an effort to make the animation similar to our real world. In two-dimensional animation, only the length and width of the image can be seen. But in 3D animations, in addition to length and width, depth is also added to the images. Adding depth to these types of animations creates changes in rotation, position, scale. In addition to these features, the viewing angle, the amount of light, etc. become important.

3D animation was first introduced in the latter half of the 20th century. The first film made entirely of CGI was Pixar’s Toy Story in 1995. Most modern Disney movies are now 3D animations, such as Tangled, Frozen, and Moana. It seemed that over time movie audiences only preferred 3D to 2D.

 

How to make 3D animation

 

The method of making this type of animation is divided into three basic parts: modeling, positioning of objects and animation, and outputting. Modeling means making objects in a particular scene. Positioning of objects and animation is the process of placing and animating objects in the scene. In the output, characteristics such as the amount and angle of light relative to the objects are determined and we see the final result.

3D animations are animations that are completely produced in a computer software. These animations include all x, y and z axes. It is also called “CGI”, the abbreviation of “Computer-Generated Imagery”. In making this type of animation, the animator needs to create models for all objects and characters. After they are created, the models can be placed and moved around like dolls.

In these softwares, the animator can place the camera anywhere in the world and also create textures and lights. This will help the models feel more alive. CGI can provide more realistic and basic artwork but limits creativity. Also, mistakes in 3D are more noticeable than in 2D.

 

What programs are used to make 3D animation?

 

To make 3D animation, you need to use very powerful programs. This software should cover all the manufacturer’s needs. Software such as Maya, Blender, 3D Studio Max, etc. are used in the production of 3D animation machines.

 

What is 2D animation?

 

2D animation usually refers to images that are drawn by hand. These images are pasted onto sheets called “cels” and then shown in rapid succession to create the illusion of motion. Today, there is special computer software that has helped ease this process.

Two-dimensional animation is another style of animation that only has length and height. In the past, objects were designed frame by frame to make 2D animation. The designs were transferred to papers called sel for coloring.

From the 1990s, the studios abandoned this method and went for new methods. In the new method, they first scan the design and then paint it digitally.

 

Types of two-dimensional animation

 

Hand-drawn animation: They call old animations where all the scenes and characters were drawn by hand.
Motion graphics: Animations whose images are created with special software are called.
White board: This type of animation is very similar to hand drawn animation and should be drawn on a white board.

 

The difference between 3D and 2D animation

2D animation

 

2D animations are designed in a 2D environment. In two-dimensional animation, the images are flat and without depth. Characters do not have soft shading, but are used in movies, videos, websites, engineering demonstrations, and video games. This form of animation consists of frames and does not have much real appeal. In two-dimensional animation, the characters move in the x and y axes. 2D animations are much more reasonable and affordable than 3D.

 

3D animation

 

3D animations are designed in a 3D software. Images have depth. Characters have soft shadows like in the real world. It is widely used in 3D animation films, architecture, medicine and video games.

In 2D animations, the characters are unrealistic, but in 3D animations, the characters look very realistic. In fact, they are more expensive compared to 2D animations.

For better understanding, 3D animation can be considered as a sculpture and 2D animation as a painting. The sculpture has depth, but the painting is a flat surface.