Computer Science 1033A/B Study Guide - Final Guide: Adobe Animate, Frame Rate, Web Browser
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15 Apr 2012
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ANIMATION: a drawing that moves, bringing the drawing to “life”
Rely on “moving images” for effective communication
Used for: entertainment (action, realism), Education (visualization, demonstration)
Why use animation?
Indicate movement
Illustrate change over time
Visualize 3D objects
Attract attention
Simulation of movement through a series of pictures that have objects in slightly different
positions
Each drawing is called a FRAME: snapshot of what is happening at a particular moment (FPS:
frames per second)
Movies on film – 24 fps
TV – 30 fps
9000 frames for five minute cartoon – computer animation, “jerky” anything less
In animation, each frame overlaps the previous one
Movement is caused by: rapidly displaying each frame in sequence
Types of Animation
Computer-based training programs: the way something works (assembling parts,
surgery)
Education: teach applied and hands on skills (spelling, exam prep, learning instruments,
athletes)
Games: playstation, nintento, xbox...
Web: animated buttons, banners, text, characters, etc
Two types of animation 2-D Animation (cel/path) 3-D animation
2-D Animation: Cel-Based
“Cel” (Celluloid): clear sheet material on which images were drawn by movie
animators

Images placed on a stationary background – background remains fixed
Object changes from frame to frame
Ex: toonz software
2-D Animation: Path-based
Moves object along predetermined path on screen
Path: straight or any curves
Often object does not change (but resized or rotated)
Path animation easier to create than cel based animation
Specify beginning and end position
TWEENING: fills in intervening frames
Ex: powerpoint, flash, 3Dplus
Animation software features:
Frame rate: speed of the animation
Transitions: special effects (fade in, fade outs)
User control: play back, how many times to run
Looping: plays continuously until user stops it
3-D Animation: involves 3 steps: Modeling, Animating, Rendering
Modeling: defining the objects 3D shape – process of creating broad contours
and structure of 3D objects and scenes (draw views – top, side, cross section)
Animating: process of defining object‟s motion – defining lighting and
perspective views to create change during animation
Rendering: give objects attributes – colour, amounts of transparency, surface
textures
RAY TRACING: technique of adding light and shadows to a 3D image
Special effects
Morphing: process of blending together two images into a series of images
useful for showing how image might change over time
Warping: distorts a single image – warp frown into smile