The Art and Science of Computer Animation

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

PART ONE:



1. THE NATURE OF ANIMATION

1.1 Frame rates

1.2 Animation devices

1.3 Storyboards

1.4 Traditional methods

1.4.1 Model animation

1.5 Keyframing

1.6 The role of computers

1.7 Manipulation by computer

1.8 Paint systems

1.9 Other roles for the computer

1. 10 Three dimensions

1.11 Kinematics/dynamics

1.12 Rule-based systems

1.13 Artificial intelligence

2. APPLICATIONS OF COMPUTER ANIMATION

2.1 TV graphics

2.2 Scientific visualisation

2.3 Simulation

2.4 Flight simulators

2.5 Military

2.6 Space

2.7 Architecture

2.8 Archaeology

2.9 Medical

2.10 Film



2.11 Special effect

2.12 Advertising

2.13 Corporate video

2.14 Education

2.15 Games

2.16 Art

2.17 Multimedia

2.18 Conclusion

3. BASICS OF COMPUTER GRAPHICS

3.1 Pixels

3.2 Coordinates

3.3 Raster/vector

3.4 Transformations

3.5 Modelling

3.6 Hidden surfaces

3.7 Rendering

3.8 Textures

3.9 Artifacts

3.10 Hardware

3.11 Expense

4. MOVEMENT CONTROL

4.1 Paths

4.1.1 Curved paths

4.1.2 Other uses

4.2 Kinematics

4.3 Parametrics

4.4 Dynamics

4.5 Inverse control

4.6 Hybrid control

4.7 Control level

4.8 Metamorphosis

4.9 Displacement animation

4.10 Rotation

4.11 Motion blur

4.12 Conclusion



5. THE HUMAN/COMPUTER INTERFACE

5.1 Requirements

5.2 Input devices

5.2.1 Keyboard

5.2.2Mouse

5.2.3 Tracker ball

5.2.4 Joystick

5.2.5 Digitising pad

5.2.6 Other devices

5.3 Feedback

5.4 The screen environment

5.5 The 3-D environment

5.6 HCI for animators

6. HARDWARE CONSIDERATIONS

6.1 Bits and chips

6.2 Architecture

6.3Memory

6.4 Types of computer

6.5 Display

6.6 Frame buffers

6.7 Saving the image

6.7.1 Hard copy

6.7.2 Film

6.7.3 Video

6.8 Image input devices

6.9 Standards

6.10 Hardware for animation

7. SOFTWARE

7.1 Choice

7.2 Examples

7 .2.1 Modelling

7.2.2 Rendering

7.2.3 Choreography

7.2.4 2-D

7.3 Customised

7.4 Compatibility







The Art and Science of Computer Animation



7.4.1 Standards

7.4.2 Postscript

7.4.3 RenderMan

7.5 Device control

7.5.1 Multimedia

7.6 Conclusion

8. LANGUAGE CONSIDERATIONS

8.1 Language types

8.1.1 Low level/high level

8.1.2 Interpreted/compiled

8.1.3 ProceduraVdedarative

8.1.4 Object-orientated

8.1.5 ParalleVsequential

8.1.6 Dedicated languages

8.1.7 Hybrid languages

8.2 Relevant languages

8.2.1 Algol

8.2.2 Assembler

8.2.3 BASIC

8.2.4 C

8.2.5C++

8.2.6FORTH

8.2.7 FORTRAN

8.2.8 LISP

8.2.9Logo

8.2.10 Occam

8.2.11 Pascal

8.2.12 PROLOG

8.2.13 Pseudocode

8.2.14 SmallTalk

8.3 Choice of language

PART TWO:

9. STATE-OF-THE-ART: SIMULATION

9.1 Dynamics

9.2 Physically based modelling

9.3 Constraints



9.4 Collisions

9.4.1 Collision detection

9 .4.2 Collision response

9.4.3 Collision avoidance

9.5 Behaviour

9.6 Teleological modelling

10. STATE-OF-THE-ART: SOFT MODELLING

10.1 Particle systems

10.1.1 Globular dynamics

10.2 Parametric modelling

10.2.1 Clouds

10.2.2 Waves

10.2.3 Plant models

10.3 Voxels

10.4 Fractals

10.4.1 Iterated function systems

10.5 Finite element methods

10.5.1 Cloth

10.6 Fur and texels

10.7 Stochastics

10.8 Conclusion

11. STATE-OF-THE-ART: BEHAVIOURAL ANIMATION

11.1 Artificial intelligence

11.1.1 Distributed AI

11.1.2 Expert systems

11.1.3 Human intelligence

11.2 Grouping

11.3 Goal seeking

11.4 Vision

11.5 Stimulus-response animation

11.6 Arbitration

11.7 Conclusion

12. STATE-OF-THE-ART: SYNTHETIC HUMANS

12.1 Locomotion

12.2 Tasks

12.3 Appearance



12.4 Facial animation

12.5 Characterisation

13. THE FUTURE TODAY

13.1 Virtual reality

13.2 Interfaces

13.3 Digital dough

13.4 Eric

13.5 Hardware

13.5.1 Nanotechnology

13.6 Multimedia

13.7 Conclusion

APPENDICES

A. Book recommendations

B. Dynamics formulae

C. 'Pencil test'

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX