🎞️ Animations in Computer Graphics — Exam Notes
🔹 1. Introduction
Animation in computer graphics is the process of creating the illusion of motion by displaying a sequence of images (frames) in rapid succession.
👉 In simple words:
Animation = many still images shown quickly → looks like movement
🔹 2. Definition
Animation is a technique of generating continuous motion by changing object properties over time, such as:
- Position
- Shape
- Color
- Size
- Orientation
🔹 3. Principle of Animation (Persistence of Vision)
✔️ Persistence of Vision
- Human eye retains an image for a short time (~1/10 second)
- When images are shown quickly, the brain perceives continuous motion
✔️ Frame Rate (Very Important)
- Number of frames shown per second (FPS)
Common values:
- 12–15 FPS → basic animation
- 24 FPS → movies
- 30–60 FPS → games
🔹 4. Types of Animation
🔸 4.1 Traditional Animation
- Hand-drawn frames
- Each frame slightly different
👉 Example: Cartoon films
🔸 4.2 Computer-Based Animation
Generated using software.
✔️ Types:
- 2D animation
- 3D animation
🔸 4.3 Keyframe Animation (Very Important)
✔️ Concept
- Only important frames (keyframes) are defined
- Intermediate frames are generated automatically
✔️ Example
- Frame 1: Ball at left
- Frame 10: Ball at right
- Software fills movement in between
🔸 4.4 Frame-by-Frame Animation
- Each frame is created manually or automatically
- Smooth but time-consuming
🔸 4.5 Morphing
✔️ Definition
- Gradual transformation from one shape to another
👉 Example:
- Face → another face
- Circle → square
🔸 4.6 Motion Animation
✔️ Types:
- Translation (movement)
- Rotation
- Scaling
🔹 5. Animation Techniques
✔️ 5.1 Raster Animation
- Uses pixel-based images
- Frames stored in memory
✔️ 5.2 Path Animation
- Object moves along a predefined path
✔️ 5.3 Procedural Animation
- Movement generated using algorithms
🔹 6. Basic Animation Process
✔️ Steps:
- Create objects
- Define keyframes
- Interpolate between frames
- Render frames
- Display rapidly
🔹 7. Interpolation (Important Concept)
✔️ Definition
Interpolation is the process of generating intermediate frames between keyframes.
✔️ Types:
- Linear interpolation
- Non-linear interpolation
🔹 8. Computer Animation System Components
- Input devices (mouse, keyboard)
- Graphics software
- CPU & GPU
- Frame buffer
- Display device
🔹 9. Frame Generation Formula
If FPS = frames per second:
[
Time\ per\ frame = \frac{1}{FPS}
]
Example:
- 24 FPS → 0.041 seconds per frame
🔹 10. Applications of Animation
- Movies and cartoons
- Video games
- Advertising
- Education and training
- Virtual reality (VR)
- Simulation systems
🔹 11. Advantages
- Makes learning easier
- Realistic visualization
- Improves user engagement
- Used in entertainment and education
🔹 12. Limitations
- High processing power required
- Time-consuming creation
- Expensive software/hardware
🔹 13. Important Terms
- Frame: Single image in animation
- FPS: Frames per second
- Keyframe: Important frame in animation
- Tweening: Creating intermediate frames
- Morphing: Shape transformation
🔹 14. Diagram Descriptions
✔️ Frame Sequence
- Draw multiple images of a ball moving step by step
✔️ Keyframe Animation
- Show only start and end frames
- Indicate interpolated frames between them
✔️ Motion Path
- Draw curve path and object moving along it
📝 Likely Exam Questions
- Define animation in computer graphics.
- Explain persistence of vision.
- What is frame rate?
- Describe keyframe animation.
- Explain interpolation in animation.
- What is morphing? Give example.
- List types of animation techniques.
- Explain applications of animation.
- What are frames in animation?
- Differentiate between keyframe and frame-by-frame animation.
⚡ Quick Revision Summary
-
Animation = sequence of images shown quickly
-
Based on persistence of vision
-
Key concepts:
- Frame
- FPS
- Keyframe
- Interpolation
-
Types:
- Traditional
- Keyframe
- Morphing
- Path animation
-
Used in movies, games, VR, education