Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 21
Animation Basics
Animation is a special skill that I can barely begin to describe
in this topic. I am not an animator, and I offer that information
without hesitation. I also hold the animators I work with in
high regard because I've tried my hand at animation. It's a
rough path but extremely rewarding.
Animators spend day after day tweaking key frames and
changing motion curves with a keen eye for secondary motion
and realistic balance and transition. It's a totally different ball
game than modeling. I'm completely amazed when I hand off a
character and they bring it to life from a simple reference
pose.
Let me start off by explaining how animation works in
today's 3D programs. You start off by placing the character in a
pose. You then, as in illustrative animation, start going down
your timeline and blocking in key poses or points in time. Max
then “interpolates” between the key frames. That is, it transi-
tions the character over how many frames you gave Max until
it reaches the final value on the frame you gave it. This is
called
key framing
. After you set up your key frames and have
the basic motion that you were trying to capture, you then
start adding smaller detail motion to things that move with a
character such as hair, clothes, or a backpack. As with model-
ing, it's best to work with broad strokes and then sharpen up
the details as you make passes on whatever you are working
on.
So, with that said, on with the basic introduction to
animation.
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