Creating a three-dimensional character for a logo or commercial is only half the battle. Once your character's appearance is ready, agreed upon and approved, the fun begins - creating 3D animation. This is a labor-intensive and incredibly interesting process that ultimately allows you to “revive” any idea.. For example, teach a character to talk to a client, be sad and happy, think and move, get into adventures and show with his fingers how to use your product.
The work of 3D animators is a colossal effort, allowing them to create not just a moving picture, but also a completely reliable reality around. How 3D animation is created and what miracles can be created skillfully, we will examine in more detail in the article.
To quote Dr. Frankenstein: It's alive!
Animation of three-dimensional objects differs significantly from 2d animation - “flat” cartoons, where volume was achieved using perspective and proper coloring of characters and surroundings. Today, technology allows you to immediately show its shape with lighting and camera movement. In this case, the concept of animation changes:
2d animation- creating the illusion of movement or changing the shape of objects using technical techniques.
3d animation— automatic movement or transformation of objects in space and time.
Simply put, previously it was necessary to draw the movement of each character frame by frame. Now it is enough to create a three-dimensional model of the character, after which it can be moved in space without additional effort and drawings. But it’s simple to say, but in reality, reviving a 3D character model is quite a complex process. To make the figure move, it is not enough to have access to a computer and smart programs. You also need to imagine how the hero can move, what forces influence him (not the higher ones, but, for example, gravity, friction and resistance).
If you want to get something with character, it is important to turn to animators who are aware of all the subtleties and are ready to fanatically work out every detail. Not only the gait, but also facial expressions, the movement of hairs, and the sliding of fabric (if the hero, of course, wears clothes).
To take everything into account at once, you need to be a little bit of a wizard and a little bit of a genius - a quite apt description for the animators at KLONA studio.
How to create something other than a zombie: features of 3D character animation
As the modern wisdom goes: nothing is zombies but zombies. And if your hero is not him, then the character animation should be “live”, or, as they say nowadays, believable. The viewer must believe that the hero really walks, looks, grimaces or smiles, interacts with the environment.
Creating and animating a 3D character is about creating a story that is told not with words on paper (or screen), but with movement. For example, a hero's facial expressions can say a lot about character. But to do this, he must have a face of sufficient “quality” to make the muscles move.
When the question is approached without due diligence or half-heartedly, as a rule, the result is something at least unnatural, and sometimes even frightening.
Therefore, let's take as a starting point and see what can be done with it:
- Animate by keyframes;
- Animate along a path;
- Create animation in a dynamic environment;
- Animate with using motion capture.
Each of the methods is most easily explained by considering not only the technology, but also examples.
Keyframe animation: from point A to point B
- one of the most common ways to create 3D character animation. The essence of the method is this: several main points are specified on the time scale at which the position or shape of the object changes. The animator sets the necessary parameters of the model in the specified frames, and the program calculates the “intermediate” states automatically.
Example: For simplicity, let's take a rubber ball that hits the ground and bounces up. To display one such “jump”, the process must be divided into three stages: the ball at the top point - the ball on the ground - the ball again at the top point. In a good way, you should set more key frames, take a bunch of little things into account. Like the fact that when dropped, the rubber casing stretches, and when hit, it flattens.
If you correctly deform an object at each fixed point in time, the 3D animation will turn out to be as natural as possible.
3D character models are not always people or animals. Our hero can be any object, for example, a flying camera or a UFO (in general, anything that your imagination allows for). In this case, blinking lights and rotating along an axis will not be enough - it will not be interesting. But to make an object fly along a trajectory, and even “send” the camera to follow its movement, approaching and moving away in time...
And skillful handling of focus (this is what a 3D animation studio should definitely be able to do) will turn a simple twirling of an object in space into an exciting almost blockbuster.
The essence of the method is to:
- set the starting point (the beginning of the object's path);
- designate the trajectory (the path taken by the object);
- indicate the end point (where the model should stop).
After the character/object is “attached” to the trajectory, the program itself calculates and creates the movement. If you add animation of the object itself (flapping wings, opening airlocks, extending the landing gear) and “play” with the camera, you can achieve very interesting effects.
The CLONE studio team knows exactly how to make a simple movement along a laid out route breathtakingly dynamic.
Our hero is not in a vacuum. Any character is surrounded by some kind of reality, in which there is necessarily gravity (if it’s not in space), the movement of air masses and other types of vibrations. All this should be taken into account so that the character animation is quite realistic.
What does the result of such an animation look like and where can it be seen?
In detail. When a character walks through the city and the cape flutters in the wind, or when underwater the hair sticks to the face - all this is achieved through animation taking into account the surrounding factors.
Strictly speaking, animation in a dynamic environment- rather computational work with a deep immersion in the physical characteristics of objects. But without all this, even the most detailed 3D modeling will not make the character more alive.
Motion capture: turning a film into a cartoon
Motion capture technology- young, but very popular. Today motion capture is used in almost all science fiction films. The essence of this method is extremely simple:
- sensors are attached to the actor;
- While the actor is moving, the cameras record the positions of the sensors;
- their displacement is processed by the program and creates a moving “skeleton” with a set of key frames;
- the resulting package of information is “covered” with a shell - for this, 3D character modeling is used.
As a result, the hero’s actions are realistic and convincing, and the animators don’t have to struggle with physics and remember where things bend.
If we compare 3D with other areas of graphics and design, then not only creative people will find a place here, but also avid techies, I would even say that creative people will have to face technical approach– if you compare Photoshop, for example, with Maya, then it’s the same as taking a couple of pencils and a pen against the assortment of an entire artist’s supply store. When you have to study a large amount of materials, you don’t want to waste time and from the very beginning you should choose the best program for creating 3D models and 3D animation.
I used to work in 2D and when I first opened a 3D package I was surprised by 5 menu options with a huge list of different tools, commands for modeling and animation. In Illustrator or Photoshop, one row of menus and then a small part from its list were enough for the main work.
You will be lucky if you immediately sit down with the 3D package that you will use further in your profession; relearning will be long and painful. First of all, you should choose a specialization and a suitable program for it. You should pay attention to well-known and more commonly used products, this will make it easier to find lessons to study, plugins, scripts and, most importantly, work.
The best programs for 3D modeling and animation.
There are a number of programs that successfully perform most of the everyday 3D work tasks; moreover, their functionality already includes specific tools, for example, Sculpting, 3D painting (3DPaint) And visual effects (VFX). In the article these are the first 3 programs for 3D modeling. I’ll talk about more specialized programs at the end.
I'm an animator who likes to model sometimes, so I use Cinema4D, Autodesk Maya and Zbrush.
3Ds Max is the very first 3D modeling and animation package that I saw in my life. I was about 9 years old when I watched my father study with teapots, spheres and cubes. Then it seemed to me inconvenient to use orthogonal cameras when there is one, perspective one.
This program is chosen by modellers, interior designers and those associated with industry and architecture. On this moment the most common 3D modeling package of all. Many new versions of plugins and render engines are released for it earlier than for other programs.
The main advantage of modeling is the presence of modifiers, thanks to which you can layer changes to the geometry and in the future remove, change or reduce the strength of the effect of the modifier you need on the object. Frees you from the problem of overwriting history and the inability to roll back changes.
Afterwards, I switched to it as my main program for 3D modeling and animation, especially since Extension 2 added animation tools for motion design (the beauty of C4D).
It has a node structure (what does it look like?) and allows you to connect things that are not connected in the ordinary world with each other, for example, by changing the color of the sphere you can change the speed of rotation of the cube around it. This flexibility of relationships opens up a lot of options for the use of creative imagination. Maya is used by major animation studios to create games, cartoons and movies.
Often new 3D technologies are written first for Maya and only then adapted for other packages, so they work in Maya the way the developer intended. It slows down less heavy scenes, and is great for both modeling and animation, it also has VFX tools, but most importantly, “T-shirt” is a leader in character animation, which is actually why I switched to it.
I started mastering 3D modeling and animation with this program. It captivates with its simple and user-friendly interface; many say that it is easier to learn. It is used primarily by motion designers and animators who make commercial videos. Costs cheaper than analogues and is developing quite actively, catching up with the gap in functionality from dinosaurs of the 3D industry – and . The main beauty of Mograph effectors, which allow you to animate a large number of objects simultaneously with just a couple of mouse movements, is great for creating unusual visual effects. It also has several built-in render engines that cope well with the main tasks of users of this program.
Patrimony VFX. If you want to create atmospheric phenomena, destruction of objects, tornadoes, storms, flames, smoke and other parametric effects, then this is the place for you. Basically, the work process will be tied to programming and working with a tree of nodes. Modeling is also possible here, but it is not as convenient and pleasant as in other packages, so it is better to keep another program in combination.
– this is the maximum of creativity – best program for high-poly 3D modeling or sculpting. The work process is structured in such a way that in front of you there is an imaginary piece of clay from which you sculpt the object you need.
Here you can also model equipment (Hard-surface), but I, like many others, prefer to use for these purposes Maya or Max. In you will be able to create fantastic creatures, animals, people with maximum detail down to the pores on the skin. It has a unique interface that is very different from anything else on the 3D market, but you will get used to it over time.
To work you will need to buy Graphics tablet, mouse precision is not enough. The most interesting thing is that in order to sculpt well you don’t have to be able to draw well. ZBrush includes ways to simplify initial modeling, similar to real work with sculpture. You can use a frame, set the initial volume, bend, cut, mold various parts. It is an essential part of the quality character modeling process.
Be prepared for a lot of information and constant improvement of your skills, the same things can often be done in 3D different ways and the correct one is the one that solves the problem fastest.
What we have?
So if you want model buildings, equipment, parts, create Interior Design, then start your journey with .
If you Worried about the price and difficulty of learning 3D, and in the future you want to be a motion designer and create advertising videos, then it will suit you Cinema 4D.
If you don't be afraid of long learning curves and want in the future engage in 3D character animation, animation for games and films, while having all the opportunities for full 3D modeling put .
For those who want to go to deep specialization in 3D VFX (visual effects), customizing every day destruction or the whirlwinds of a tornado blowing away a house, create parametric materials
Animation techniques are constantly evolving, and game developers and film studios are constantly looking for talented and creative individuals who can apply these techniques.
Here are the main types of animation that can be used to create digital characters for television shows, commercial applications, company logos, movies, videos or games.
- Traditional animation.
- 2D vector animation.
- 3D computer animation.
- Motion graphics.
- Stop motion.
Traditional animation
Have you ever seen images that appear as frames in quick succession, drawn on transparent sheets of paper with colored markers? This type of computer animation is called traditional. It is used for preliminary character sketches.
This process can be quite expensive and time-consuming, as animators have to create a series of different frames based on the 24 frames per second frame rate. This method used mainly on PCs, as well as tablets using special computer programs, allowing you to create animation in the style of old Disney cartoons.
2D vector animation
The most commonly used animation style. Its frames are created on a relatively flat surface. In addition, vector animation has adopted some traditional animation techniques. In reality, it is the same as traditional animation, except that a process known as shading and shading is applied to the frames.
During this process, animators place thin, transparent sheets of celluloid onto paper on which animated characters are drawn, and then transfer them onto film. At the end, shots of different characters are superimposed on each other, and due to the high transparency of the film, this allows you to create a composition of different elements and characters.
3D computer animation
3D animation is completely different from other types of animation in computer graphics. Although they use the same principles of composition and movement, technical methods, used to solve various problems, vary significantly. In 3D animation, the animator does not need to be a graphic artist. It's more like playing with dolls than drawing.
These are also called computer-generated images ( CGI). They occur when computer animators create a stream of images that are brought together to form an animation. Combining dynamic and static images is done using computer graphics. Characters created in 3D, in digital format are displayed on screen and then combined with the wireframe, allowing each model to be animated differently.
Animation is formed by creating models in separate key frames, after which the computer multiplies them, interpreting the animation by adding intermediate frames between key frames.
In addition, a lot of time is spent working with curves representing different parts of the object at different periods of time. In 3D animation, all characters must be taken into account, even those that are certain moment time are blocked by something and are not visible.
The main difference between these types of animation is that in traditional and 2D animation the artist works on individual frames, while in 3D animation there is always a continuous flow. If it stops, it is perceived as an error. Even when the character remains in place, there is always a continuous flow of frames that creates the illusion of reality.
Motion graphics
Have you ever wondered how promotional videos, animated logos, movie opening credits, and app advertisements are created? This is done using moving graphic texts and elements, or as I call it, motion graphics.
This is a process that uses "multiplication" of animated frames to create smooth movement between frames. Frame multiplication programs support scripts that automatically change the animation to create numerous effects.
3D compositions are created from flat elements moving relative to each other, which creates the illusion of volume. They may also be accompanied sound effects or music. Such objects are often used in multimedia projects.
Ever since cavemen learned to make cave paintings, humanity has been improving methods of visually displaying the surrounding reality. At different periods of history, artists were equipped with new paints and tools for painting, sculptors mastered various materials and techniques, and the theater amazed with the realistic scenery.
With the advent of computers, many new ways of constructing images have emerged. Of course, technology has significantly expanded the previously available capabilities, including in the field of creating pictures with a motion effect:
To “stir up” a static image, you must have a program for creating animation installed on your computer; its selection will be discussed in this article.
A little about animation
In order for an image to be animated, the following conditions must be met:
- A few pictures. It is impossible to achieve the effect of movement with just one image. Animation is a change of frames, and these frames must be different from each other;
- Similar pictures. If you successively change a cat for a dog, an elephant and a giraffe, you will get something indigestible. Images must have common elements to make a good animation;
- Frame change rate. If the picture changes once a second, then no movement effect will be achieved. In order to get the desired result, it is necessary to change frames more than 16 times per second.
To achieve the desired result, there are various programs for 2D animation, as well as for working with 3D images. Let's start by considering the 3D format.
3D animation software
Let's look at some popular programs for creating 3D animation.
- 3D Studio Max. This program is popular among those for whom creating animation is not their main activity. Also great for modeling 3D objects in computer games Oh:
There are a huge number of constantly updated plugins and rendering capabilities, but not everyone can afford everything (legally) due to financial reasons.
- Realsoft 3D. Distinctive feature This 3D animation program offers the highest image quality:
This feature is actively used by the creators of commercials and music videos. Another nice feature is that it is cross-platform.
- Maya. A program for creating high-quality 3D animation, which is widely used in film production:
- Poser 4. This system most suitable for modeling human behavior, therefore it is used both in the development of computer games and in the creation of cartoons:
Programs for Flash animation
To be placed on website pages, animated images must have little weight (otherwise the resource loading speed will be dismal). Flash technology allows you to “spice up” boring pictures on the World Wide Web.
Today, the absolute leader in this area is Adobe, offering a wide range of opportunities for developers:
However, not everyone can afford such a program for flash animation, not to mention the necessary plugins ( in total the entire package will cost more than $1000). Therefore, we will consider options with cheaper components.
- SWiSHpowerFX. This system greatly simplifies the creation of animated text. The main advantages are ease of use by users and speed of image creation;
- Swiff Chart. Program for creating diagrams. The user only needs to enter the data and select the chart type, and the system will do the rest.
Animation of photos
Let's look at some software solutions, which will help you turn a static photo into an animated image.
- Adobe Photoshop. The king of image editing, which provides the widest range of possibilities:
Adding various animated effects will help make any photo truly come to life.
- FotoMorph. A program whose action is based on morphing technology ( transition from one image to another):
- PhotoSHOW PRO. An analogue of Photoshop, which is certainly inferior to its eminent competitor in everything, including price, and for some this is already a powerful argument not in favor of the product from Adobe:
3D graphics and animation are essential components of modern visuals. Whatever the project is - virtual reality or presentation, informational video or game, infographics or architectural visualization, it will definitely contain computer graphics and, almost certainly, animation. In fact, 3D graphics and animation are the basis of today's multimedia space. Without knowing how to make graphics and animation, it makes no sense to take on the creation of interactive solutions or mobile applications, not to mention commercials and films - nothing good (and in any case beautiful and effective) will come of it.
Cost of computer graphics
It is worth noting that computer graphics can be very different. Hollywood blockbusters often consist of almost nothing but 3D graphics and visual effects; they are made by hundreds and even thousands of specialists, calculated on render farms occupying buildings, and all this costs tens and hundreds of millions of dollars. At the same time, for a high-quality presentation, a good motion design costing less than a million rubles may be quite sufficient. It all depends on the tasks. In any case, computer graphics should help achieve the main goal of the work - be it a full-length film or an educational video, and not be used in a project simply because it is fashionable.
Importance of technical aspects
High-quality computer graphics is not only about excellent creativity, beautiful pictures and realistic animation. There are also a lot of technical nuances that are invisible to the viewer, on which, for example, the speed of rendering video episodes on the render farm depends. That is, on the screen the result will look the same, but the production of an episode can easily take, for example, not two days, but ten, which is often critical. An even greater role for internal technical aspects 3D graphics are played in interactive solutions using realtime renders (the same game engines). With incorrectly created models or animations, the mathematical calculation of scenes (rendering) begins to take too long, and the frame refresh rate becomes too low. The viewer perceives this as a twitching of the image, which is extremely unpleasant to look at.
3D graphics and animation in virtual reality
Computer graphics and animation are especially important in virtual reality projects. Here, simply by definition, you can’t do without them. Moreover, when using VR glasses, not only the realism of the user’s perception of the virtual world, but also the viewer’s very well-being depends on the level of quality of 3D graphics. The fact is that if the frame rate on the glasses displays virtual reality less than 90 frames per second, then when the head moves, dissonance arises between visual and sensory perception (the body moves, but the image does not) and the user gets motion sick. Therefore, in this case, the creation of high-quality computer graphics and animation plays a fundamental role.
Designers and computer graphics specialists from United 3D Labs will be happy to invite you to our demo room, show you the developed projects and discuss your tasks.
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