Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
some scientists, the work of a lifetime. Thankfully for the animator, such depth
of knowledge is unnecessary, even though it may be of passing interest. It is
completely unrealistic to consider that such laws must be fully understood
to be successful as an animator who, for the most part, will be dealing with
animation timing as it relates to performance-based animation. Such a deep
understanding of the laws of motion and dynamics is not necessary for
most
animators. Bear in mind that you only need to know what you need to know.
Often the aim of the animator is to achieve
believable
animation timing and
dynamics. This is not the same as
accurate
animation timing or dynamics. For
the most part, animators are dealing with creating an illusion, one that fits in
with other aims, such as entertainment. I have seen many young animators
agonize over a piece of animation and the accuracy of the movement and
timing when all the while their audience is almost completely unaware of
their efforts and, perhaps more important, completely unaware of and maybe
even uninterested in how the actual objects being animated behave in
reality. More likely than not, the audience is interested in the
storyline
. Given
this fact, you might want to keep at the forefront of your mind this idea: If
the animation
looks
right, it
is
right. Obviously this is a somewhat simplistic
approach and will not cover all situations, but it is a very useful little adage,
one that has the potential to save you a lot of time—and money.
I cover this idea in much more detail in the chapter on animation principles,
which discusses the various approaches to animation through simulation,
interpretation and representation, hierarchies of animation, and my own
categorization of the “Four As of Animation.” Understanding each of these
categories and approaches to animation will make your efforts more effective.
Often the outcomes you are trying to achieve determine the approach you will
take and indicate the level of knowledge of the laws of physics that you will need.
Regardless of what you are trying to achieve, you will, without doubt, gain
great benefit from a basic understanding of dynamics and the laws of motion.
We cover these concepts here. This study is intended to underpin the work
of the animator; for our purposes at least, this study should not become the
work itself. We need what we need as animators; we do not need to push the
boundaries of our understanding of the world and everything in it.
Forces of Nature
We, along with everything else on earth, are governed by the laws of physics
and by the forces of nature, though for the most part we might not be aware of
these laws or forces. Indeed, it is not always possible for us to detect these forces,
and it's only in recent times that we have gained a fuller understanding of them.
Understanding some of these universal laws of nature may prove useful for
animators, not simply when making animation that is intended to illustrate
movement in environments of which we have first-hand experience, but
also by allowing us to make believable animation of all manner of alien and
