230 likes | 432 Views
3D Computer Animation in Film and Video Games. 3D Computer Graphics. Computer animation is the art of creating moving images via the use of computers.
E N D
3D Computer Graphics • Computer animation is the art of creating moving images via the use of computers. • 3D computer graphics (in contrast to 2D computer graphics) are graphics that utilize a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images
Means of Animating • Keyframing • Motion Capture
Computer-Generated Imagery • The application of the field of computer graphics to special effects. • Movies • Keyframed – Just like Mickey Mouse • Digital successor to the art of stop motion animation of 3D models and frame-by-frame animation of 2D illustrations.
The Beginning for Movies (1975 – 1993) • 1976: The movie Futureworld uses CGI to create a computer-generated fake face and hand. • Created by John Whitney, Jr. and Gary Demos
Star Wars • 1977 – Larry Cuba uses 3D Wireframe to create the “Death Star Plans” • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbHF63b7g50
Tron • 1982 – Commercial Failure; • Used extensive 3D animation • “Light Bike” Scene, Tanks, Solar Sailer • Created 15 minutes of special effects with a computer with 2 MB of memory
The Adventures of André and Wally B • 1984 - A Lucasfilm animation made by a team headed by John Lassetter • Team would later break from Lucasfilm to become Pixar • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHcmUesenx4&feature=player_embedded
Other Notable Early Films with CGI • Alien (1979) – Used 3D wireframes for the ship’s navigational system • Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) – Had a one minute completely CGI. • Zelig(1983) – Combined shot footage with earlier historical films. Precursor to Forrest Gump. • The Abyss (1989) – First film to use water effects • Beauty and the Beast (1991) – Combined Hand-drawn 2D animation with 3D environments (the ballroom) • Jurassic Park (1993) – First physically textured CGI (Dinosaur Skin)
The Beginning for Video Games(1970 – 1995) • Spasim and Maze War (1974) • Spasim: Players flew in between different “networks” • Maze War: First “First-person Shooter.” Could walk forwards and backwards, left and right.
“The illusion of 3D” • Racing games in the 1980’s like F-Zero and Pole Position were not really 3D, they just appeared to be. • This is called Isometric Graphics: 2D sprite- and tile-based graphics can be made to represent a 3D gaming environment.
Other Notable Early “3D” games • Q*Bert (1982) • Zaxxon (1982) • Star Fox (1993) • Wolfenstein 3D (1992) • Doom (1993)
The Next Generation of 3D CGI in Film(1994 – 2008) • Toy Story (1995) • First fully 3D computer-generated film • First film in a category that includes Shrek, Finding Nemo, and Tangled
Titanic (1997) • Included and combined several different forms of CGI • Morphing (From the bow of the ship to the underwater wreck) • Digitally replacing one actresses iris with another • Water effects • Fully animated aspects of the ship (deck, smokestacks, etc.)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) • First film to use motion capture to allow a computer-generated character to interact with real, live actors. • Precedent for Avatar and District 9
Other Notable Films in this era • Fight Club (1998) • The Matrix (1999) • Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) • Shrek (2001) • The Polar Express (2004)
3D games from 1996-2009 • Quake • Super Mario 64 • Halo • Biggest Transformation: Evolution from worlds based off of “basic” 3D (Racetracks, hallways, etc.) to actual 3D environments and “worlds” (Princess Peach’s Castle, Hyrule, Futuristic Earth, etc.) • Allows movement of cameral to view avatar from a 3D perspective
Recent Films • Avatar (2009) • Inception(2010) • Tron: Legacy (2010)
New: Viewing games in 3D • Similar to Avatar • Sony’s next big project • Uncharted 3 • SOCOM 4 • Cars 2: The Video Game
Comparison • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3ODe9mqoDE • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNwt7xN5OnU