Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
You'll adjust your final render size to suit the final medium for which you're creating
the animation. Table 1.1 lists some standard resolutions.
Table 1.1
Typical Video
Resolutions
Name
Size
NoteS
VGA (Video Graphics Array)
Formerly the standard computing resolution and still a
popular television resolution for tape output.
640
×
480
NTSC D1 (National Television
System Committee)
The standard resolution for broadcast television in
North America.
720
×
486
NTSC DV
Close to the NTSC D1 resolution, this is the typical reso-
lution of digital video cameras.
720
×
480
PAL (Phase Alternation Line)
The standard broadcast resolution for most European
countries.
720
×
586
HDTV (High Definition TV)
The emerging television standard, sometimes also
referred to as 1080i (interlaced frames) or 1080p (pro-
gressive frames).
1920
×
1080
1K Academy (1K refers to
1000 pixels across the frame)
Typically the lowest allowable resolution for film pro-
duction at Academy ratio (see Table 1.2). Because film is
an optical format (whereas TV is a raster format), there
is no set defined resolution for film. Suffice it to say, the
higher the better.
1024
×
768
2K Academy (2K refers to
2000 pixels across)
Most studios output CG for film at this resolution, which
gives the best size-to-performance ratio.
2048
×
1556
4K Academy (4K is 4000 pixels
across)
A high resolution for film, used for highly detailed shots.
4094
×
3072
Any discussion of resolution must include the matter of
aspect ratio
. Aspect ratio is the
ratio of the screen's
width
to its
height
. Aspect ratio standards are shown in Table 1.2.
Table 1.2
Aspect Ratio
Standards
Name
Size
NoteS
Academy Standard
1.33:1 or 4:3
The most common aspect ratio. The width is 1.33 times
the length of the height. This is the NTSC television
aspect ratio as well as the aspect ratio of 16mm films
and some 35mm films, including classics such as
Gone
with the Wind.
Widescreen TV
1.78:1 or 16:9
With HD and widescreen TVs gaining popularity, the
16:9 standard is commonplace now. This aspect is used
in HD programming and is also the aspect ratio of
many widescreen computer monitors and laptops. This
aspect is very close to the way most films are displayed
(1.85:1, as shown next).
Widescreen Film (a.k.a.
Academy Flat)
1. 85:1
The most-often-used 35mm film aspect today. When
it's displayed on a television, horizontal black bars
appear above and below the picture so the edges
aren't cropped off (an effect called
letterboxing
).
Anamorphic Ratio
2. 35:1
Using an
anamorphic
lens, the image captured to 35mm
film is squeezed. When played back with a projector
with an anamorphic lens, the image is projected with a
width at 2.35 times its height. On a standard TV, the let-
terboxing is more severe to avoid cropping the sides.
