The complete info of animation(must read)

The complete info of animation(must read)
Computer animation can be be fun, but it can also be quite costly. Every year animation studios and independent animators spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on licensed software, properly-equipped computers, and many other tools necessary to compete in the animation industry. But it's not always necessary to spend that kind of money; for the curious, the studious, or even the aspiring professional, there are much more cost-effecitve ways to get your feet wet. If you know where to look and how to shop, it's not that hard to compete with the big boys without spending the big bucks.

First, Know What You Need.
What is it exactly that you want to do? Are you interested in creating interactive multimedia presentations for the web, designing animated user interfaces, creating animated CGI videos, or any of the many other applications of 2D-and-3D-animation technology? Before you decide on which software package to invest in, do a little research; check out the developer's website, and the product specifications. Make sure that the software will meet your needs, so that you won't find yourself toting the box and your receipt back to the store to exchange it for something with the features that you require.

Try Before You Buy.
Many companies, such as Macromedia, offer functionality-limited or time-limited trials of their products to allow you to give it a test-drive before you buy it. Websites like CNet's Download.com offer comprehensive listings of downloadable trial versions of thousands of software packages, searchable either by category or keyword. Downloading a trial version can let you work with the user interface to test its user-friendliness, and insure that not only does the program meet your requirements, but it can also run on your system.

Don't Be Afraid to Turn to a Lower-Priced Alternative.
Just because an animation software package carries a big name doesn't mean that you have to invest in a second mortgage in order to buy it. While giants like Discreet and Macromedia are premiers of the industry for a reason, you may not necessarily need all of the extra features or cool add-ons that come packed into their software. Lower-priced alternatives like Reinhard Epp Software's CyberMotion 3D-Designer may suit your needs just as well.

But this doesn't apply only to software. Many animators use hardware peripherals like graphics tablets to help with their animation tasks; some tablets, like Wacom's Cintiq, can have price ranges reaching into the thousands of dollars, and even their smaller tablets can be priced in the hundreds. Wacom tablets are reliable, fully-featured, sturdy, and highly advanced; however, you're just looking to dabble, there's nothing wrong with experimenting with other brands. For example, the SuperPen Graphics Tablet (available at ThinkGeek) is a great small tablet for the beginner, priced only at $49.99.

Last, Know Your Capabilities.
It's always a disappointment to bring home that shiny new software CD, only to slide it into the drive and be informed that you have insufficient system resources to install the application. It's important to know your system specs before you spend the money on new software, and equally important to check the hardware and OS requirements on the side of the box before you take it up to the register.

But even if that decal-decorated box says "512 MB RAM required" and you know that your home PC is only sporting 256, don't despair; more than likely, there's no need to shell out the cash for a new computer. Depending on the brand, model, and year of your PC, upgrading your hardware can be exceedingly simple, and can save you a great deal of money, time, and headaches.

With these ideas in mind, you can take the hassle out of shopping for computer animation software, and take the weight off your checkbook. Whether you'd like to start off slow or dive right on into the heavy artillery, you'll be ready to start animating with the pros--so good luck, and happy shopping.







The Animation Showcase is a place for you to feature your animations to gain more exposure, or just because you feel like sharing, showing off, and otherwise displaying your work to the world at large. So if you've got an animation short that you've just been itching to air to the general public, take a look at the Q&A below regarding submission criteria and guidelines, and then send it on in!

How does one have their work featured in the Animation Showcase?
E-mail it as an attachment, in either .wmv, .avi, .mov, or .swf format, to animation@about.com with the subject "Animation Showcase Submission." Anything with attachments in any format other than that with any subject other than that will be deleted to avoid risk of viral e-mails. Please do not zip your submissions.

Works accepted into the Showcase will be added to a growing gallery of animations made publicly available to viewers of the Animation@About.com site.

Are there any other criteria to meet?
Yes. Your work must:

* Be no larger than 400x300px and no smaller than 320x240px in dimensions.
* Be submitted in either .wmv or .swf format, and of acceptable video and audio quality.
* Consist of some form of animation - be it cel animation, digital 2D, 3D, stop-motion, or some other form. Live-action video will not be considered.
* Be no longer than 5:00m (five minutes). Longer pieces may be accepted in installments.
* Be rated no higher than R (on a rating scale of G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17, and MA). NC-17 and MA works will not be accepted. R-rated works will be taken into consideration on an individual basis, and accepted conditionally based on content. Please include your estimate of your content's rating in your submission.
* Not contain any materials copyright to anyone other than yourself unless used with the permission of the copyright holders.

In your e-mail, please include your name and/or the names of all who should be credited on the project, a link to your animation website if you have one, a brief (no more than three sentences) description of your animation, and a brief (no more than one paragraph) animation biography.

Why was an animation not accepted?
Most likely, for one of the following reasons:

* The video or audio quality was too poor for web viewing.
* The submission didn't fit the size or length criteria and could not be easily resized or trimmed.
* The animation was in poor taste or contained excessive profanity, vulgarity, nudity, or violence, beyond acceptable limits within an R rating.
* The submission was clearly plagiarized or contained recognizable copyrighted material used without permission.
* The work was not of suitable quality, allowing for variations in style outside of cinema-quality animation (such as stick-figure animations that may still warrant consideration if the overall animation has merit - whether it tells a story or simply sets out to amuse; as long as it has a purpose beyond wiggling sticks on a screen).

Must an animation fit a certain genre?
No. As long as it doesn't fall under the "adult film" rating, just about any genre is acceptable.

Does submitting an animation mean relinquishing copyright of said animation?
Absolutely not, and if your work is featured in the showcase it will include full credit with your name and any personal website URL that you choose to include.

Will accepted animations be edited in any way?
If they don't already include playback controls, small translucent "play" and "stop" buttons will be added in the lower-right corner. A small tag bar will also be added at the bottom, stating the name of the piece and its creator (you) as well as that it's hosted on Animation@About.com, to prevent anyone from taking the animation from the site without giving you proper credit.








LIST OF FREE ANIMATION SOFTWARES

Want to try before you buy, or looking for something simple but functional with no strings attached? Here's a list of various animation software packages available for download, and reviews of several applications. Some are entirely free, some are shareware, some are free with limited functions (with more available after paying), and some are free trials that either expire after time or come with certain critical options disabled.

2D Animation Software

Software: Adobe AfterEffects
Publisher: Adobe
License: Free Trial
Comments: Motion graphics and visual effects for film and media.

Software: Animator-9 3.6
Publisher: Key Technology
License: Free
Comments: Make animated GIFs from your digital camera.

Software: Animator-DV (Read a Review from Animation@About.com!)
Publisher: AnimatorHD
License: Free Trial
Comments: Stop-motion animation on your computer.

Software: Anime Studio Pro 5 (Read a Review from Animation@About.com!)
Publisher: MySmithMicro
License: Free Trial
Comments: Studio-style animation program.

Software: AniS 1.0
Publisher: Tom Whittaker
License: Free
Comments: Simple image manipulation for the web.

Software: Beneton Movie GIF (Read a Review from Animation@About.com!)
Publisher: Beneton Software
License: Free
Comments: Basic GIF animation software.

Software: Cylekx 2.9 (Read a Review from Animation@About.com!)
Publisher: Cylekx
License: Free
Comments: Graphics and animation program.

Software: DigiCel Flipbook 6 (Read a Review from Animation@About.com!)
Publisher: DigiCel, Inc.
License: Free Trial
Comments: Industry standard studio animation program.

Software: Flash Effect Site Builder (Read a Review from Animation@About.com!)
Publisher: Go2Share.net (Warning: website not safe for work)
License: Free Trial
Comments: More of a website builder, but still uses Flash animation.

Software: Flash Media Show (Read a Review from Animation@About.com!)
Publisher: SourceTec Software
License: Free (Standard Edition)
Comments: Flash slideshow builder and exporter.

Software: GifSplitter 2 (Read a Review from Animation@About.com!)
Publisher: XoYo Software
License: Free
Comments: Simple GIF animation and splitting program.

Software: Jumpwel
Publisher: Phildes
License: Free
Comments: Basic object manipulator for use in HTML; uses Java applets.

Software: KoolMoves 7.0 (Read a Review from Animation@About.com!)
Publisher: KoolMoves
License: Free Trial
Comments: Alternative Flash animation program.

Software: Adobe Flash
Publisher: Adobe
License: Free Trial
Comments: The leading name in 2D vector animation.

Software: Macromedia Director
Publisher: Macromedia
License: Free Trial
Comments: Create interactive ShockWave content.

Software: Sqirlz Lite 1.1d
Publisher: xiberpix
License: Free
Comments: Animated image distorter that exports in AVI format.

Software: Sqirlz Morph 2.1 (Read a Review from Animation@About.com!)
Publisher: xiberpix
License: Free
Comments: Animated image morpher and blender. Capable of outputting in Flash format.

Software: The TAB Manga (Read a Review from Animation@About.com!)
Publisher: The TAB
License: Free Trial
Comments: Children's animation program.

Software: Toon Boom Animate (Read a Review from Animation@About.com!)
Publisher: Toon Boom
License: Free Trial
Comments: Industry-leading professional studio animation program.

Software: Ulead GIF Animator 5 (Read a Review from Animation@About.com!)
Publisher: Corel
License: Free Trial
Comments: Full-featured GIF animation software.

3D Animation Software

Software: 3D Studio Max 7.0
Publisher: Discreet
License: Free Trial
Comments: Version 7.0 of the award-winning 3D modeling and animation software package. Also comes with trials of Character Studio and Mental Ray.

Software: Cyberdelia (Read a Review from Animation@About.com!)
Publisher: Askoh.com
License: Free
Comments: 3D Animation with support for exporting into Macromedia Shockwave.

Software: FreeCAD 8.0
Publisher: Askoh.com
License: Free
Comments: Bit of a beginner’s 3D CAD and simulation program.

Software: Gmax
Publisher: Discreet
License: Free
Comments: Oh, man. It’s every gamer’s dream: a free 3D program that lets you make your own modifications, customizations, and models for Gmax-ready video games. Based on 3D Studio Max.

Software: Maya 6.5
Publisher: Alias WaveFront
License: Free Trial
Comments: The latest version of an industry leader in 3D modeling and animation.

Software: Serif 3D Plus
Publisher: Serif
License: Free
Comments: Allows animated shapes and landscapes.

Software: Special Effects 3.2
Publisher: Mathematically Beautiful ScreenSavers
License: Free
Comments: Very limited range of pre-set animations controlled by user preferences.

Software: Touch Art Sampler 017
Publisher: Derivative
License: Free
Comments: More of a VJ/synthesizer studio than anything else, but still lets you play with animations. Looks rather fun.

Software: TrueSpace 3.2
Publisher: Caligari
License: Free
Comments: Full 3D rendering and output. Seems completely free, though you have to register to get an unlock code on the website. Cross-compatible with many programs.




Animating speech can be one of the most difficult tasks in animation; the process of matching the mouth-movements of your animation to the phonemes of your audio track is most commonly known as lip-synching. For a quick fix, it's no problem to just animate the mouth opening and closing, and it's a simple shortcut, especially when animating for the web. But if you want to add actual expression and realistic mouth-movements, it helps to study how the shape of the mouth changes with each sound. There are dozens upon dozens of variations, but my sketches are renderings from the basic ten shapes of the Preston Blair phoneme series. (They're also an example of what happens when Adri dashes off ten-minute sketches from memory rather than detailed artwork.)

These ten basic phoneme shapes (click the image thumbnail in the right-hand column of this page, or click here for a full-size version) can match almost any sound of speech, in varying degrees of expression--and with the in-between frames moving from one to the other, are remarkably accurate. You may want to keep this for reference.

* A and I: For the A and I vowel sounds, the lips are generally pulled a bit wider, teeth open, tongue visible and flat against the floor of the mouth.
* E: The E phoneme is similar to the A and I, but the lips are stretched a bit wider, the corners uplifted more, and the mouth and teeth closed a bit more.
* U: For the U sound, the lips are pursed outwards, drawn into a pucker but still somewhat open; the teeth open, and the tongue somewhat lifted.
* O: Again the mouth is drawn to a pucker, but the lips don't purse outwards, and the mouth is rounder, the tongue flat against the floor of the mouth.
* C, D, G, K, N, R, S, Th, Y, and Z: Long list, wasn't it? This configuration pretty much covers all the major hard consonants: lips mostly closed, stretched wide, teeth closed or nearly closed.
* F and V: Mouth at about standard width, but teeth pressed down into the lower lip. At times there can be variations closer to the D/Th configuration.
* L: The mouth is open and stretched apart much like the A/I configuration, but
* M, B, and P: These sounds are made with the lips pressed together; it's the duration that matters. "M" is a long hold, "mmm"; "B" is a shorter hold then part, almost a "buh" sound; P is a quick hold, puff of air.
* W and Q: These two sounds purse the mouth the most, almost closing it over the teeth, with just the bottoms of the upper teeth visible, sometimes not even that. Think of a "rosebud mouth".
* Rest Position: Think of this as the "slack" position, when the mouth is at rest--only with the thread of drool distinctly absent.

When you're drawing or modeling your animation, by listening to each word and the syllable combinations inherent you can usually break them down into a variation of these ten phoneme sets. Note that my drawings aren't perfectly symmetrical; that wasn't just shoddy sketching. No two people express themselves in an identical fashion, and each has individual facial quirks that make their speech and expressions asymmetrical.









You may be an amazing detail artist, but how good are you at creating effective animation-ready art? Cartoon art is different from illustration in that it focuses not only on style, but on efficiency. When you’re drawing a character fifteen times for one second of motion, every additional level of unnecessary detail can add hours of work and more than double the level of difficulty. While that’s fine for a team of animators splitting the work on a feature-length film, what about independent animators or studios that have to produce an entire season’s worth of 20-60 minute episodes in a very short period of time?

Once you have your character concept in mind, it can be hard to break it down to the necessary minimum – especially when working in reverse from complex art. Instead let’s look at how to build an animation-ready character from the ground up, starting at the simplest level and working with basic shapes to construct the body. Whether you’re fully traditional or combine in traditional with 2D computer animation, this tutorial should still be of use to you.

I like to start off with a stick-figure to capture the pose and flow. The important thing to look at here is the central line of the body, the arc and flow of it, and the positioning of the lines marking the shoulders and hips. The body counterbalances its planes to maintain equilibrium, so if one plane of the body tilts in one direction, another plane will tilt in the opposite direction to maintain balance.








From the stick sketch, add bulk using plain shapes. Visualize the body, and try to break it down into rectangles, triangles, cylinders, and circles. Try to think in three dimensions; for instance, my head isn’t just a circle with a triangle tacked on to it. It’s a curving sphere with a pyramid appended to the bottom, which means that I need to think about the dimensions that aren’t visible as well as the dimensions that are. The neck is a cylinder, set atop a pyramid for the slope down to the circles of the shoulders and then perched atop the tapering box of the chest.

Don’t get too detailed here; you’re not trying to capture accuracy. You just want to get a basic idea of bulk and form, captured in simple shapes. Look at it as building an old-style wooden marionette, before they’re carved in detail.







So far the body form is very generic; start adding in other small details, like a few rectangular blocks to represent the connected mass of the fingers, a solid and generic shape for the hair, and any other body features that are necessary to the character.

Remember – shapes only. The only thing that I tend to use an amorphous shape for from the start is the hair, but some people prefer to break even that down to interconnected blocks and circles.





Let’s get to the actual detail work. Start drawing on top of your sketched forms – you can’t see my block forms underneath because I retraced on a separate sheet, layering using a light table. Try to see how much you can add proper shape and form without deviating too far from your base shapes. Add in a few more details – individual fingers and more individual sections on the hair, but not too many, as hair is a pain to animate and the more complicated that you make it, the more you’ll be kicking yourself later.

This is a good time to correct any issues with proportions and positions, as once you start drawing the actual defined shapes of the body you’ll notice where things don’t work. You can see that I had to correct the right leg, because I placed the knee lower than that of the leg on the left, when it should have been higher due to the angle of her hips.

The important thing to remember as you’re working on this is that you aren’t illustrating, and everything that you’re sketching now, you’ll be sketching hundreds of times over in the future. If you find yourself spending too much time focusing on any one area, then you’re putting too much detail into it. Try to think of what’s effective to capture the body flow – challenge yourself to convey the most with the fewest lines.

Animation generally stays within enclosed shapes for each color, so that the cel painters (or digital colorists) have guidelines for where solid fills go and don’t have to estimate.










5# Here’s where I usually stop to draw in the features, starting with the eyes. I’ll usually draw a perfectly round pupil, then draw the shape of the eye around it, using sharply angled lines that I’ll soften and round out later. Those extra sketched lines are guidelines: First, draw a vertical line bisecting the head from the point of the chin to the crown of the head; it’s going to arc a little, but it’s supposed to. If the head is tilted instead of looking straight forward, you’ll have to estimate a little – but it won’t take you long to develop an eye for it.
# The head is basically composed of a circle with a triangle appended to the lower half; in order to draw the guideline for the eyes, look at the circle composing the upper half of the head, and sketch a line that would divide the circle into equal hemispheres, following the circle’s arc. Your eyes should be centered so that the arc bisects them.
# The generic way to position the nose is to draw another arcing horizontal guideline at a point halfway between the guideline for the eyes, and the point of the chin. Where the horizontal guideline bisects the vertical guideline is where the center point of the nose will rest.
# The positioning of the mouth is similar: draw another bisecting line halfway between the nose’s guideline and the chin. This line is the crease/part of the lips, with upper lip above, lower lip below, while the vertical line neatly divides the mouth into two halves.




6 After retracing with clean lines, you have a basic body form with minimal lines, detailing only the what’s absolutely necessary while still maintaining proportion, balance, and style. As you’re retracing, choose which lines you do or don’t need carefully. The fewer, the better.

The only problem is…she’s naked. Some people prefer to draw everything all at once - body, clothing, etc. I prefer to start with the base body – for the sake of decency we’ll say she’s a mannequin, or wearing a body stocking – as a reference; drawing a clothed body freehand can often result in incorrect proportions and awkward drapery, even if you’re drawing simplified cartoon clothing that almost directly follows the lines of the body. It’s rather like buying new clothing; even though you know your sizes (as long as you haven’t gone off your diet), you don’t know how an outfit is going to look on you until you actually try it on, and while you may have imagined that the blue shirt you’ve been eyeing would drape one way, the image in the mirror tells you something entirely different once you’ve got it on.

All right, that analogy deviated a bit far off the beaten path. To sum it up, you need the base body underneath as a guideline so that you can draw clothing to follow the position and angle of each portion of the body. So, let’s move on to give her a little cover.







8.Retraced, this is the finished result: clean artwork with simple lines and easily identifiable key points that can be used to estimate from one frame to the next. It’s not fine art, but it’s a valued one nonetheless; simplicity in design doesn’t always have to be childish or bland, and some of the best cartoons use extremely simple lines in a very effective style to create unique characters with more implied detail than actual visibly drawn detail. Varied line width has a great deal to do with that, and it’s something that I try to use often once I get to the final line stages of a piece. If you’d like to learn more about actual art techniques such as line weight, Guide Helen South has a plethora of articles and lessons on drawing and sketching.

Creating a character this way also makes adding color very easy, whether you’re painting cels or coloring digitally. I filled in plain, solid color without highlights – you’ll find that your average Saturday morning cartoon still doesn’t use many highlights and shadows save for in exceptional situations – for this in Photoshop in less than ten minutes using nothing but bucket fills, if you’d like to take a look.