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| Analog 3D graphics computer developed by Lee Harrison III in the 1960s to animate simple stick figure characters by manipulating knobs and/or joysticks. |
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| During pre-production, this preview of hte final animationn is sometimes created, typically using simple animation software packages at low resolutions, when storyboarding alone does not provide sufficient information. They are intended only to be referenced as guides during production, & will not be included in the final animation. |
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| In 3D computer animation, this is the process of changing a model's position or shape over a period of time. |
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| Animation Production House |
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| As opposed to independent animator, these companies supply animation work for commercials, television, & feature films, & vary in size. |
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| Alson known as celluloid, this method of animation involves handtracing individual drawings onto acetate celluloid, & subsequently placing them over painted backgrounds. |
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| Acronym for computer-generated imagery. |
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| In an animation production house, these managers ensure the consistency of the work supplied by the different animators, & oversee the creative development of the computer animation process. |
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| Basically a type of stop motion, this animation technique involves moving & recording objects made of clay, one frame at a time. The use of clay in animation allows for the distortion & manipulation of characters, capturing a variety of movements unable to be achieved using other stopmotion media. |
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| Process of layering together the separately rendered characters, objects, shadows, & highlights in computer animation. |
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| Different from the tracing process used in 2D cel rotoscoping, this is the computer technique used to intergrate animated & live-action elements when compsiting. |
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| This collection of an animator's work serves as a visual resume to be distributed among potential employers when seeking work, & should be customized for each targeted position. |
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| Electro-mechanical Motion Capture |
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| Type of motion capture records teh movement of the actor through an outfit the actor wears; any mechanical change in the hardware is read by the computer. |
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| Animation software provides the use of fluid effects for certain elements that are too complex to be animated manually. Fluid effects differ from particle effects in that they account for a wider range of variables, allowing for a more realistic simulation. |
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| Process of creating animated movement in which an animator must make individual adjustments to each skeletal joint when positioning a character. |
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| Thin masks placed in front of spotlights to shape the light beam & create a variety of possible patterns. |
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| Used in key-framing process of 3D computer animation; the process by which the computer generates the assumed actions of the model by reading the differences between key poses. |
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| Process by which a computer is programmed to intuit the position of a model's joints, how they move, & their ascribed limits. |
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| In 3D computer animation, it's the process of changing the position of key poses). The animation sofware then creates the positions in between these key poses through a process called interpolation. |
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| Used in the key-framing process of 3D computer animation; the specific changes in the model's position at prescribed times within the scene. |
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| Branch of mechanics studies the distinct motion of bodies, regardless of any external active forces. The two basic divisions of kinematics are forward & inverse. |
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| An optical effect commonly used in animation when aiming the camera ata bright light source, such as the sun. This effect provides the small discs of light seen in many of today's video games that originate from a light source & are distributed out in a linear pattern. |
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| In 3D computer animation, this is the process by which changes in placement are sensed by the computer, which reads markers worn by the actor. |
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| During pre-production, ths small detailed figure is created in the likeness of the final accepted image to be used as a physical, visual reference when creating the 3D object or character. |
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| In 3D computer animation, this is the actual creation of the three-dimensional objects. |
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| In animation, the ability to distort & deform one object & smoothly transition it into another form. |
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| In the 3D computer animation process, actors are outfitted with special hardware that tracks & records their movement within the computer. |
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| NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines) |
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| These forms are created by drawing & attaching curved lines called splines to achieve more realistic models in animation. |
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| In animation software, this range of effects can be used to enhance objects that emit illumination onscreen. |
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| In 3D computer animation, this is the process by which changes in placement are "seen" by cameras, which read reflective badges worn by the actor. |
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| Animation software provides the use of particle effects for certain elements that are too complex to be animated manually, for example, when creating smoke, fire, or rain. Particle effects account for fewer environmental variables than fluid effects, & are generally employed in simple situations. |
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| Short for pre-visualization; during pre-production, this preview of the final animation is sometimes created, typically using simple animation software packages at low resolutions, when storyboarding alone does not provide sufficiant information. They are intended only to be referenced as guides during production, & will not be included in the final animation. |
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| Basic shape with a foundaton in polygons that is already modeled within animation software for manipulation, generally includes spheres, cubes, cylinders, & pyramids. |
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| Network group of computers that work in tandem to streamline otherwise time-consuming rendering tasks. |
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| In 3D computer animation, this is the process of actually "painting" the finished animation with all the lighting, shading, textures, & color information. Rendering takes all the 3D data & converts it into 2D data. |
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| Process performed by an animator to arrange a character's joints & design how its elements will move. |
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| In 2D cel animation, the process of tracing a motion picture, frame by frame, to create a fluid animated movement. |
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| Updated 1969 version of the ANIMAC; its vacuum tubes were included for a greater range of functionality. |
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| Acronym for the Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics. |
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| These curved lines are used to generate NURBS; they can be created & attached to one another to achieve smoother, more realistic models in animation. |
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| With this animation technique, skeletal armatures, cutout paper, puppets, or any form of actual objects are moved & then recorded by a camera, one frame at a time. |
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| During animation pre-production, this process is essential to outling the plot, & to determine what scenes will be required for the finished product. |
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| This area of specific process of creating animated models allows the lesser-detailed parts of a model to composed simply, as in with polygons, while other areas of the model may be based more like NURBS to achieve curved or smooth appearances. |
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| In an animation production house, these managers ensure the consistancy of the work supplied by the different animators, & oversee the creative development of the computer animation process. |
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| In 3D computer animation, this process involves the creation of the model's outward appearance. |
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