Xref: helios.physics.utoronto.ca comp.graphics.animation:11542 comp.answers:7259 news.answers:29129
Path: etrog.citri.edu.au!angus
From: angus@cgl.citri.edu.au (angus y montgomery)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics.animation,comp.answers,news.answers
Subject: comp.graphics.animation FAQ v1.2 (12 sep)
Followup-To: comp.graphics.animation
Date: 13 Sep 94 04:56:25 GMT
Organization: Collaborative Information Technology Research Institute
Lines: 777
Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU
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Summary: This posting is what currently passes for a
comp.graphics.animation FAQ. It has information on computer
animation for end-users, hobbyists, career animators, and
programmers. Please read this FAQ before posting to
comp.graphics.animation.
Keywords: Computer Animation, Resource, FAQ.
Archive-name: graphics/animation-faq
Last-modified: 12 sep 1994
Version: 1.2
Posting-frequency: Monthly
Last-issue: comp.graphics.animation FAQ v1.1 (8 aug)
This FAQ
--------
This is a growing FAQ skeleton, not a complete FAQ. Contributions and
suggestions are encouraged. Computer animation is a large and growing
field, and people want different things from it; this FAQ tries to
cover all bases, and as a result is rather thin on many of them! This
FAQ skeleton will one day grow into a fully-hypertextified document
(name your favorite format) available for delivery by news, FTP,
email, WWW, and hand. Until then, however, it's only available here
on comp.graphics.animation once a month, and by FTP on rtfm.mit.edu.
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Changes
-------
Hardly anything new. I've done very little, and very little has been
sent my way. I'll soon post a survey so that a start can be made on
an "animation packages" section. The FAQ is late again.
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Sections
--------
There being so much to cover, the FAQ is broken down (and may in the
future be broken up :) into a number of broad sections:
* Using Animation : how to find and view animation
* Hobby Animation : animating on my computer
* Animation Media : animation media properties and I/O
* Career Animation : joining the computer animation industry
* Animation Theory : how does it work?
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Contents
--------
Subsections marked `#' are largely incomplete or non-existant.
* Fluff *
This FAQ : what we're covering
Changes : what's new
Sections : broad breakdown
Contents : recursion alert!
Related Resources : don't look here, look there
* Using Animation *
Animation File Formats : types, conversion, docs
Animation Players : look what we've got
Animation Sites : where to find it
* Hobby Animation *
Animation Process : what gets done
Animation Software : what, where, and by who #
Animation Venues : where to see/send animation #
* Animation Media *
Media properties : video, film
Media I/O : getting it on and off your computer #
* Career Animation *
Animation Courses : back to school! #
Profile of an Animator : an anthropological exercise #
Your Union : well, just one: Local 839 IATSE
* Animation Theory *
Types of Animation : 2d -> physically based and beyond
Interpolation : how to get from A to B #
Animation References : computer, classical, industry
* Miscellaneous *
Animations : what's been done
Acknowledgements : people who've helped
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Related Resources
-----------------
or, do i really belong in comp.graphics.animation?
Computer animation, like its progenitor computer graphics, abuts on a
large number of fields. If everyone from all related fields posted
here, the newsgroup would be swamped with irrelevance. Here are some
places to which your comments, information, or questions might be
better directed:
Newsgroups
~~~~~~~~~~
comp.graphics : image generation, modelling
comp.graphics.algorithms : algorithms for graphics
comp.graphics.raytracing : bouncing light around
comp.graphics.visualisation : scientific / data visualisation
comp.graphics.XXX : \
comp.sys.XXX.graphics : \
comp.sys.XXX : } how do i do YYY
comp.sys.XXX.hardware.video : } on/under XXX
comp.os.ms-windows.* : /
comp.windows.* : /
comp.multimedia : sound and text and vision
alt.3d : SIRDS, holograms, &c. 3d perception.
rec.arts.{anim*,disney} : discussion of actual animations
alt.graphics.pixutils : picture manipulation, conversion
alt.binaries.pictures* : posts of pictures and anims, formats, ...
rec.video.{desktop,production} : video, desktop video
sci.image.processing : sophisticated image manipulation
sci.virtual-worlds* : anything about VR
comp.compression : compression issues (incl. JPEG, MPEG)
*.test (misc.test, &c.) : test postings (some people...)
Read these groups' FAQs before posting to them -- don't be flamebait.
DO NOT post animations to this group -- remote access (ftp, &c) is
much better, or try alt.binaries.pictures* if you must.
Internet Resources
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
References to FAQs and other postings in this document look like this:
faq:newsgroup:archive-name:name
faq:comp.graphics:resources-listing:"Computer Graphics Resource Listing"
^newsgroup ^archive-name ^name (minus date,part,group info)
All "official" FAQs are posted to news.answers, and archived for anon
ftp on rtfm.mit.edu under /pub/usenet/news.answers/archive-name.
References to WWW documents look like this:
http://site/path/document
http://www.crs4.it/~luigi/MPEG/mpegfaq.html
^site ^site path ^hypermedia-document
More information about WWW (the world wide web) is available: ?
References to anonymously FTP-able files look like this:
ftp://site/path/document
ftp://avalon.chinalake.navy.mil/pub/format_specs/iffspecs.lzh
^ftp-site ^path ^document
`/pub' at the root of the path is often assumed.
More information about FTP is available: ?
Many FTP'able files are mirrored on other sites to reduce bandwidth;
use `archie' to find a copy near you.
References to mailing lists look like this:
mail:address:subject:body
mail:listserv@netcom.com::"subscribe animaster-l"
^who to mail to ^what to put in the message body
Note that the second (subject) field is often blank, as is the third (body).
General Resources
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
faq:comp.graphics:faq:"Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)"
{ gfx refs, groups, standards, various algs }
faq:comp.graphics:resources-listing:"Computer Graphics Resource Listing"
{ ftp sites, rendering, 3d modellers, GUIs, visualisation, image analysis,
textures }
faq:comp.graphics.algorithms:?:"FAQ"
{ (coming soon) gfx algs in abundance }
faq:comp.graphics.animation::"proto-FAQ"
{ (this!) animating, playing anims, anim "theory" }
http://mambo.ucsc.edu
{ facial animation }
Package-Specific Resources
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alias Animator (Alias Research):
mail:listserv@uga.cc.uga.edu::"subscribe alias-l Your_Name"
Animation Master (Hash):
mail:listserv@netcom.com::"subscribe animaster-l"
http://ftp.netcom.com/pub/gavingav/Home.html
ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/gavingav/Hash_Info
ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/gavingav/
Animation Pro (Autodesk) (PC).
DCTV (Digital Creations) (Amiga):
mail:DCTV-request@nova.cc.purdue.edu::
Imagine (Impulse) (Amiga, PC):
mail:image-request@email.sp.paramax.com::
Lightwave 3D (NewTek) (Amiga):
mail:lightwave-request@bobsbox.rent.com::"subscribe lightwave-l"
Playmation (Hash): see Animation Master
3D Studio (Autodesk:PC):
see faq:comp.graphics.animation:?:"3DS FAQ"
mail:3dstudio-request@bobsbox.rent.com::
"subscribe 3dstudio-L (Your Real Name)"
objects on ftp://avalon.chinalake.navy.mil/pub/objects/3ds/
Toaster (NewTek) (Amiga):
mail:toaster-request@bobsbox.rent.com::
"subscribe toaster-l your-user-name@your.site.domain"
Format Resources
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AVI (PC):
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/...
{ RIFF AVI format. does _not_ include compression format }
DL:
FLI, FLC (Autodesk) (PC):
FLC article in DDJ'93. ftp://simtel20.../graphic/...
ftp://avalon.chinalake.navy.mil/format_specs/Autodesk_fli_and_flc_format.txt
{ specification of format }
GIF (PC):
see faq:comp.graphics:faq
IFF ANIM (Amiga):
ftp://avalon.chinalake.navy.mil/pub/format_specs/iffspecs.lzh
{ specification of format }
Moviesetter (GoldDisk) (Amiga):
MPEG (lossy):
faq:comp.graphics:mpeg-faq:"MPEG-FAQ: multimedia compression"
also as ftp://ftp.cs.tu-berlin.de/pub/msdos/dos/graphics/mpegfa??.zip
{ covers specification, future, software (players, &c), hardware,
incl. pointers to other information, ... }
faq:alt.binaries.pictures.utilities:?:"WHERE TO GET MPEG UTILS"
http://www.crs4.it/~luigi/MPEG/mpegfaq.html
http://w3.eeb.ele.tue.nl/mpeg/index.html
ftp://ftp.crs4.it { mpeg, and other image compression techniques }
RLE (Unix):
for code that reads: DL, FLI, FLC, GIF, IFF, MovieSetter, PFX,
Quicktime, and RLE animation formats, see the xanim entry in
"Players", below. Other players' source may also be useful for these
and other formats.
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---------------------
** Using Animation **
---------------------
Animation File Formats [mark podlipec and others]
----------------------
// (naive/compressed/compacted, conversion, players)
DL:
AVI (PC):
FLI, FLC (Autodesk) (PC): FLI support is for 320x200 images, and is a
series of images and deltas. The colour map can be changed during
the animation. FLC has a few additional chunks and supports larger
image sizes.
GIF (PC): A GIF file consists of a screen colour map and a series of
images, each with an optional colour map. The images don't have to
be at the origin and can be any size smaller than the screen size.
This allows GIF animations to be created that only update the part of
the screen that changes.
IFF ANIM (Amiga): The Amiga's IFF format was designed as a universal
(extensible) data format. Many different data types and chunks can
be found in IFF ANIMs. Many ANIMs include sound chunks or colour
cycling. There are a plethora of compression techniques (with
different tradeoffs) used. Most IFF ANIMs are meant to be
double-buffered, with deltas applying to frames two distant. A
looping ANIM means the last two deltas produce images that are the
same as the first two. The Amiga has a large number of display modes
(a couple of them, EHB and HAM are unusual; HAM is the hardest to
emulate.)
MovieSetter (GoldDisk) (Amiga): A very flexible animation format.
Animations are stored as a bunch of backgrounds, sounds and sets.
Sets are smaller images that get placed on top of the background
(with transparent pixels). A frame list at the end describes each
frame. Each frame specifies which background to use (backgrounds can
also scroll in different directions and speeds), and a list of sets
to put on that background with depth information so characters can
pass behind or in front of each other. Sound information is
contained here as well to sync it up to the action. There is also
colour cycling and specialty fades and wipes. Can come as one file
or as three directories and a control file.
MPEG (lossy):
PFX (PageFlipper Plus F/X) (Amiga): A series of deltas with a play
list at the end. Supports colour map changes, nested loops and
dynamic timing.
RLE (URT) (Unix): One or more runlength encoded images, viewable with
an X11 viewing program. Tools for creating consistent colour maps
and for many other operations are part of the toolkit.
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Players
-------
display v1.84 (PC) (Jih-Shin Ho): AVI, DL, FLC, GL, MPEG
ftp://nctuccca.edu.tw/PC/graphics/disp (also on simtel20)
MPEG players for IBM, Mac, Unix, VMS, Next: see
faq:alt.binary.pictures.utilities:?:"WHERE TO GET MPEG UTILS"
also http://w3.eeb.ele.tue.nl/mpeg/index.html { Atari, X11, IBM }
xanim (X-Windows) (Mark Podlipec): DL, FLI, FLC, GIF, IFF, MovieSetter,
PFX, Quicktime, RLE
ftp://ftp.x.org/contrib/applications/xanim???.tar.Z (official ftp site)
http://www.univ-rennes1.fr/ASTRO/fra/xanim.html (www page)
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Animation Sites
---------------
ftp://ftp.univ-rennes1.fr/Images/ASTRO/anim/ { Space anims }
ftp://ftp.cnam.fr/Fractals/anim/ { Fractal anims }
http://w3.eeb.ele.tue.nl/mpeg/index.html { Various }
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---------------------
** Hobby Animation **
---------------------
Animation Process [charles king and angus]
-----------------
Things don't necessarily have to happen in this order (or at all), and
there's room for plenty of feedback between them, especially in
computer animation, but here's the basic flow. Although it's an
advantage (both for the animator and the software) to integrate as
many stages as possible in the one package, and most `animation'
packages do so, in practice all packages have their relative merits
and work may be swapped from package to package to exploit their
strengths, especially in `high end' studios. This sequence assumes
that the animation has already been scripted.
Model Design:
input: script
tool: Modeller
task: making the models to be animated
output: models
Animation Design:
input: models, script
tool: Animation Package
task: planning and tuning sequences of motion, action, interaction, ...
output: animation script
Production / Rendering:
input: models, animation script
tools: Renderer front-end, Renderer
task: generating images from which the animation is to be constructed
output: images
Post-Production:
input: images, script
tools: Editor, Compositor, Paint, Image Processing, other SFX Packages
task: modifying, compositing, sequencing the images
output: final sequence of images
Transfer:
input: sequence of images
tools: various media, media i/o hardware
task: transferring the frames to the desired medium
output: the product
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Animation Software
------------------
* Reviews : software reviews
* Design : design an animation
* Production : from design to pictures
* Post-Production : from pictures to animation
Reviews
~~~~~~~
Reviews of six High-End UNIX animation packages (Alias PowerAnimator,
SoftImage Creative Environment, TDI Explore, ElectroGIG GIG3DGO,
Vertigo, Wavefront Advanced Visualizer) are soon to be available by
ftp. originally published in Computer Graphics World Oct-Nov 1993,
net distribution thanks to Chris Williams.
// : ftp://avalon.chinalake.navy.mil/misc/?
// copyright status: PD / FD / SW / Commercial
// platform: generic/home (amiga mac pc)/w'station (SGI X)/other
Design
~~~~~~
// Alias Animator, Softimage, Lightwave, Wavefront, Symbolics, 3D Studio, ...
Production (trivial renderer front-ends)
~~~~~~~~~~
Post-Production
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Venues
------
[see Animation Sites subsection for ftp sites]
Conferences [see references section for more information on these]
~~~~~~~~~~~
SIGGRAPH (siggraph)
EG w'shop (eg)
CGI (cgs)
Computer Animation (cgs)
GI
Events
~~~~~~
Imagina
Prix Ars Electronica: International Competition for the Computer Arts.
~42k$US in prizes for animation.
General Info '94: (Peter Schoeber)
mail: ORF-Prix Ars Electronica, Europaplatz 3, A-4010 Linz, Austria.
phone: +43 (732) 6900-267, fax: -270, telex: +21616
email: schoeber@jk.uni-linz.ac.net
Presentation: 22 jun 94.
Animation Info '94: (Christine Schpf) phone: +43 (732) 6900-218
Deadline: 28 feb 94.
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---------------------
** Animation Media **
---------------------
Media Properties
----------------
video
~~~~~
(NTSC PAL SECAM HDTV fields composite component synch RGB analog digital...)
video formats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-format- -by- -use- -A/D- -comp...- -other-
VHS JVC home analog composite 1/2"
Video8/8mm Sony home analog ... 8mm
Betamax Sony home analog composite 1/2"
SVHS JVC prosumer analog ... 1/2"
Hi-8 Sony prosumer analog ... 8mm
ED Beta Sony prosumer? analog component ...
M (M1)? Matsu industrial? analog ... ...
U-Matic 3/4" Sony? industrial analog composite 3/4"
Betacam Sony industrial? analog component 1/2"
M2 Matsu broadcast? analog component ...
U-Matic SP Sony? broadcast? analog ... ...
Betacam SP Sony broadcast analog component ...
D-3 Matsu broadcast digital composite ...
DCT Ampex broadcast digital component compressed
D-2 Ampex master on-air digital composite uncompressed?
D-1 Sony master RGB digital component uncompressed
other formats?
other properties (image encoding techniques, sound quality,
effective number of "lines", ...)
notes: D-1 endorsed by SMPTE committee
Matsu == Matsushita == Panasonic
film
~~~~
(8mm super-8 16mm 32mm 72mm anamorphic stock ...)
normal film grain ~2500 lpi resolution.
slow film <-> higher resolution.
32mm: 0.875" x 1.3125" (2:3)
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Media I/O
---------
(VCRs genlocks frame-stores film-scanners)
film recorders:
most film recorders have at least 2000 lpi resolution, 4000 is typical.
for optimum quality, your image should be a little over twice the resolution
of the recording medium.
screen-to-camera:
a cheap (but surprisingly effective) option for images that can be displayed
at full resolution on your monitor is to photograph the screen directly using
a single-framing camera. film better than super-8 is likely to be overkill.
any lights on your monitor should be taped over, and the whole lot should be
put under a black hood (made of cardboard or anything else handy). A slow
film (100 ASA or slower, the slower the better), f8 exposure, and loong
exposures should eliminate any scanline artifacts.
resolution / aspect ratio
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
film recorders: 2000+ lpi (4000 typical).
35mm: ~2500 lpi at .875" x 1.3125" ~= 2200 x 3300 pixels. (2:3)
lpi == lines per inch.
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----------------------
** Career Animation **
----------------------
[see Hobby Animation section for Process, Software, Venues]
Your Union
----------
The Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists and Affiliated Optical
Electronic and Graphic Arts, Local 839 IATSE (California) has an ftp
site with copies of their negotiated awards, news, courses, etc:
ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/mpsc839/ (email mpsc@netcom.com for more)
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----------------------
** Animation Theory **
----------------------
Types of Computer Animation (guide and glossary)
---------------------------
2d
~~
Most computer animation takes place in the 3-d world, as our world is
itself basically 3-d, and model interpolation becomes a problem in
fewer dimensions, due to a lack of context. 2-d animation packages
mostly replicate the processes of cel-based animation, where
*key-frames* are used to plot the course of the animation, and the
*inbetweens* (interpolating the keys) are filled in later (by an
animator, not the computer). The main difference is that the images
are created using pixel-based, rather than oil-based techniques.
*Morphing* is probably the major 2-d animation technique in use
today. Like most other computer work used for SFX in film
(wire-removal, compositing, other retouching, etc), it is largely a
matter of image manipulation (image processing) rather than image
creation (computer graphics), although morphing _is_ an animated
technique, unlike many other SFX `graphics' techniques.
A good starter on morphing by Valerie Hall (1992) is
ftp://marsh.cs.curtin.edu.au/graphics/bibliography/Morph/morph_intro.ps.Z,
it references more detailed works for those interested, she's also
written a morphing article in DDJ (1993).
3-d
~~~
Almost all "computer animation" done today is done within the
*event-based* or, interchangeably, *track-based* computer animation
paradigm, which is based loosely on the key-framing system used in
cel-based animation. Most computer animation systems today are built
around time-varying parameters, known as *tracks*, which determine the
state of the animation world at any time. Tracks take the place of
the variables which determine the state of a static scene: they're
"animation variables". A track's value at a given time depends on the
*events* (