Computer 3d animation. Types of animation in computer graphics. Motion capture: turning a film into a cartoon

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. It's labor intensive and incredible. interesting process, which allows you to ultimately “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:

1. Animate by keyframes;
2. Animate along a path;
3. Create animation in a dynamic environment;
4. Animate 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. Animator sets required parameters models in the specified frames, and the program calculates “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 turn out to be realistic and convincing, and the animators don’t have to struggle with physics and remember where things bend.

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 to create 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 program for 3D animation acts highest quality Images:

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:

Creating 3D models is a long and painstaking work that can last for days and requires extraordinary perseverance from a person. And creating 3D animation takes even more effort and time. However, many users want to master programs for creating 3D animation. Some people are interested in this as a hobby, while others see it as an excellent source of income. However, only a few master this art - and not only because of its complexity. Most programs are expensive and are not worth buying for people who do not do this professionally.

Using 3D animation

3D animation is used in almost all areas of our lives, including in marketing:

• Increasingly, brands are choosing 3D animation to create colorful advertising videos - it does not limit the imagination of artists and allows them to realize any ideas;
• for quick coordination of banner and sign layout sizes outdoor advertising 3D graphics are also used;
• not a single screensaver for a TV show, news or video is complete without 3D graphics;

• owners of restaurants and shops not only order 3D videos, but prefer to turn to 3D modelers for visualization of the future establishment;
• manufacturing companies use 3D to better promote their products (in catalogs, presentations);
• designers and architects They constantly use 3D graphics to visualize their projects - people perceive images close to photographs much easier than complex drawings.

3D animation videos have many advantages over regular videos. For example, with their help you can create a whole new world, populated by impressive characters. In details O Read our article about the benefits of 3D animation.

Simple programs for creating 3D animation

Simple programs offer users sets of ready-made elements(libraries). You can edit the model a little and get your own unique object. These programs are most often used for interior visualization and other concepts. With their help it is quite easy to create animation, although they do not give as much scope for creativity. Such programs allow even beginners to quickly join the world of 3D animation.

DAZ Studio

This program is very convenient for animation, because this is practically its only function - in DAZ Studio there are no tools for self-modeling. Users are offered ready-made characters that can be modified and placed on the stage. The Genesis package provides a set of convenient tools for detailed modification appearance human model.

The program is distributed free of charge, but has many paid additional objects (cars, accessories, animals): from $1 to $73.

iClone

Unlike many 3D animation software, iClone allows you to immediately see the result of your work(what you see is what you get). Instant rendering speeds up your work significantly. Often used to create small 3D video games. It has high functionality for facial and skeletal animation of people and animals, lighting adjustments, camera movement and character customization.

Blender

Allows you to create full-fledged 3D games thanks to a set of tools for modeling particles (water, fire, smoke), hair and body movement. The program provides a variety of preinstalled movement patterns- the user does not have to register himself simple animation character's gait. It has a large library from which users can download natural objects (trees, terrain, clouds) and various textures. The advantage of the program is the built-in ability to edit videos.

Aurora 3D Animation Maker

Simple and useful program to create 3D text animation. With its help you can make a beautiful three-dimensional logo, three-dimensional text, and allows you to create an imitation of smoke. Because of its simplicity, the program is often used to create presentations and screensavers for YouTube channels.

Professional programs for creating 3D animation

There are also more complex professional programs for creating 3D animation. They contain a small set of simple shapes and a huge selection of tools for modifying them. With their help, modelers create complex objects(houses, cars, people, natural objects) and add animation to them. This is how new worlds are created for cartoons, video games, commercials, concepts, presentations, etc. Such programs require a lot of time to master, and the cost can exceed several thousand dollars. In addition, a powerful Hardware in order to run such a program.

Autodesk Maya

The most common program for creating 3D animation. With its help, such animated characters as Davy Jones, Hulk and Gollum were created; visual effects for The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings; cartoon "Masha and the Bear".

Autodesk offers several purchase options for Maya. For example, a 1-year subscription including technical assistance will cost $1,785, and a 3-year subscription will cost $5,355. The program has a “flexible” code and after purchase, large studios have the ability to transform it to suit your needs.

Autodesk 3Ds Max

Unlike Maya, 3ds Max provides more tools for artists, but it can also be used to create animation. Has great utility Particle Systems, which allows you to simulate fire, smoke, rain, etc. Hair&Fur allows you to create realistic hair, fur, grass, etc. 3ds Max was used to create the films “X-Men”, “The Day After Tomorrow”, “Jurassic Park”.

The program is distributed at the same price as Maya.

LightWave 3D

Full editor 3D graphics, which Most often used in the film industry. Supports advanced frame, inversion and bone animation systems. Also has a utility for working with particles - Hyper Voxels, A Surface editor is convenient tool to set material properties. You can connect various modules to the program, expanding its functionality. In this way, more specialized support can be obtained.

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 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. The internal technical aspects of 3D graphics play an even greater role in interactive solutions when 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 specialists computer graphics United 3D Labs will be glad to invite you to our demo room, show you the developed projects and discuss your tasks.

If we compare 3D with other areas of graphics and design, then not only creative people, but also avid techies will find a place here, I would even say that creative people will have to face a technical approach - if we compare Photoshop, for example, with Maya, then that’s all is the same as taking a couple of pencils and a nib versus the assortment of an entire artist 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.

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 a graphics tablet; the precision of a mouse 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, details, 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