Computer Game and Animation Techniques – a brief history

Matt BoggusCSE 3451/5541

• Computer – using a computer• Game – a form of play with rules and an objective• Animation – moving things that can’t move

themselves

• Motion techniques– Procedural

• Geometry transformations• Physically based• Behaviorally based

– Artist driven– Data-driven

Heritage of animation

•Early devices•Conventional animation•Disney and the 12 basic principles of animation•Stop motion animation•Computer graphics animation

Early animation devices

•Thaumatrop

•Flipbook and Zoetrope

Conventional animation

• Winsor McCay– Gertie the Dinosaur– How much effort to make this film?• Number of frames * time per frame

• Making a Hand Drawn Animated 16mm film

12 Principles of Animation•Squash and stretch•Arcs•Secondary action•Slow in & slow out•Anticipation•Exaggeration•Solid drawing•Appeal•In-between v. straight ahead•Follow-through•Staging•Timing

As articulated by Disney’s “9 old men”

To summarize:Simulate physicsMake it appealingEffective presentationProduction alternatives Rotoscoping Animation reuse

Principles of Filmmaking

•180 degree rule•rule of thirds•types of shots•3-point lighting•tilt•framing•focus the viewer’s attention

Animation production

•Production->sequence->shot->frame•Storyboard: the proposal•Model sheet: consistency•Animatic: storyboard with timing•Key frames & in-betweens•Test shot•Pencil tests•Inking: drawings onto cells•Painting: coloring in•Sound: voice, body, special effects, background

Storyboard

Production

•Pencil tests – examples

•For 3d animations – allow rendering controls– Shadows– Physics– Articulation– Textures– Facial animation– Interpolation

Production tasksStory Dept.

Art Dept.

Modeling Dept. Lighting Dept.

Animation Dept.

Rendering Dept.

Computer graphics and animation pervade film

For another look at the history of animation, check outThe Art of Animation and Motion Graphics | Off Book | PBS

Computer game history eras

• First games, consoles• Video game crash• 8 and 16 bit eras• 32 and 64 bit eras• Current era

For more on the history of games, check outThe Video Game Revolution | PBS

Game development process

• Concept• Design document• Prototype• Production– Design, Levels– Programming– Art, Audio

• Testing• Deployment• Maintenance

Types of game programming

• Game engine– Graphics– Animation

• Artificial Intelligence• Sound• Game logic / scripts• User Interfaces• Networking• Databases• Development tools• Systems/Parallel programming

http://www.newgamernation.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/vgdevcost.jpg

Read more at:http://vgsales.wikia.com/wiki/Video_game_costshttp://www.forbes.com/2006/12/19/ps3-xbox360-costs-tech-cx_rr_game06_1219expensivegames.html

http://www.newgamernation.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/game-cost.jpg (Data from Forbes 2006 study)