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  • March 20, 2024
  • By Admin

What is 3D Animation | Types | 2D vs. 3D Animation

3D Animation is the process of bringing real-life objects (e.g., flowers, characters, trucks, etc.) to the 3-dimensional world including creating the object to move 360 degrees in a 3D environment through motion.

What’s Next?

In this comprehensive 3D Animation guide, we will move through what 3D Animation is and cover such terms surrounded by Animation like Types of Animation, 2D vs. 3D Animation, and how 3D Animation works.

What is 3D Animation?

3D Animation refers to the process of creating a real-life object such as a character, car, river, etc. to the 3D environment, giving the ability to move 360 degrees throughout the 3D space and motion. It is like moving an image from its starting to the endpoint, turning up to down and left to right from any angle.

A 3D Animation object includes features like, turn, move, walk, fly, shift, etc. rotates around its sides like a 360-degree view in a 3D space environment.

The 3D objects are created with computer software like Adobe, Maya, Unity Blender, etc. which bring the motion and a kind of ability to turn an object around its all corners. In today’s digital world 3D Animations appear in Cartoon shows, Cartoon Films, and Cartoon Series, etc., some 3D Animation movies are Scoob, Frozen II, The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019), and Toy Story 4, etc.

How 3D Animation Works?

The process of 3D Animation begins by implementing computer art to the life objects. A 3D Animation is drawn by a computer from software like Unity, Blender, Autodesk 3ds Max, Adobe, LightWave 3D, etc.

Let’s take a look at how 3D Animation works.

The process starts with building 3D models also known as “meshes,” which are then moved to the rigged with a skeleton, also known as the “armature” system. Furthermore, the animator is allowed to move and manipulate the rigged models. In the next step, the images are rendered according to the frames per second (generally, 30fps) in the sequence of images. Now, when the images i.e., animation are played, it creates the illusion of motion in a 3D space environment or world. This world can be created using different objects like scenery, chairs, sky, etc. by bringing lifelines to them.

To make an object move around its corner, the animator starts with a 3D environment, which is done by working on “keyframes”, a keyframe is like a screenshot of the characters or objects taken at different moving angles. This all helps to clarify how an object should look in the moving position in the 3D environment.

Then the process of “tweening” starts, in which the software automatically generates the essential steps from transition to next keyframes and so on.

What are the types of 3D Animation?

Let’s explore the types of 3D Animation. Nowadays 3D animations have made a big stand whether it is in gaming, movies, marketing, company representation, etc. With the help of animated concepts, audiences find themselves at a better understanding level.

Now moving ahead, we will explore the 3D Animation types:

1. Digital 3D or CGI: CGI stands for computer-generated imagery with the help of 3D video and Film along with computer software, an animator becomes capable of building real 3D realistic objects like 3D characters, environments, and other special subjects. This special technique is always implemented in the movie-making process.

3D movies and Films refer to a 3D environment where images move frame by frame in 360 degrees of digital environment. The particular object moves around the environment using motion graphics. One of the most common software used for CGI is Unity.

The 3D Animation is dedicated to only the visual representation in which the user does not interact with the 3D environment. The use of 3D video and Films is the most famous in the movies and entertainment world.

2. Interactive 3D: The 3D animation refers the process of making a 3D space digital environment using the computer software. There is an interaction and an attentive look between the objects and the viewers. Users can move the 3D objects by controlling the computer’s mouse and keyboard and even can travel within the 3D digital environment too. This type of animation is always implemented in the gaming creation process.

3. Virtual Reality 3D: The 3D virtual reality is an outstanding experience of 3D environment. It provides immersive entertainment of the digital landscape, objects, or subjects within the 3D space to have a look or feel like a real thing. Simply, Virtual Reality 3D is one of the difficult processes of implementing 3D animation that takes a lot of time.

What is the 2D vs. 3D Animation?

Since a long time ago, movies and films were used to produce in 2D dimension. Further with time technology was upgraded and we were introduced to the concept of computer-generated imagery (CGI). Therefore today in the digital world, various technologies are used to create the animation of both 2D and 3D Films.

So, now it’s time to draw attention to the difference between the 2D vs. 3D Animation.

2D Animation: The process begins with creating 2D animation on simple transparent celluloid sheets with drawings or paintings, then it is photographed and placed together in a frame. When the frames are rendered at a fast speed of succession, images appear to be moved. 2D Animation can begin with hand drawing or computer application too. In both cases, each frame is created using computer applications like Unity, After Effects, and Adobe Photoshop. After finalizing the frames, they all are kept together to photograph them and edited together to produce the final animation.

3D Animation: The process of 3D animation begins with rendering a three-dimensional object on a two-dimensional surface. Then the objects are checked and photographed from various angles, and the resulting images are added to the sequence. Finally, this sequence is played back at a higher frame rate to give a glimpse of the movement of the illusion.

A quick comparison of 2D and 3D Animation

3D animation gives more realistic looks and feelings; therefore, it is more expensive to create and produce as well as a time-consuming process even with trendy animation computer software. On the other hand, 2D animation is always cheaper than 3D animation and also takes less time to produce in comparison to 3D projects. 2D animation also holds the capability of providing a good experience to the viewer when it is being modified and updated with technologies.

Overall, both types of animation have their advantage and disadvantages, it is best to choose which one is suitable for your project based on the specific requirements of the industry projects.

Conclusion

Animation has changed the way people can represent an object to another person. It has opened a different world of visualization in which people can feel the real human touching the feelings of the object. Whether it is 2D or 3D animation, both are good at their representation and hold the special kind of ability to change the object differently to provide a real-life glimpse of looks.

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How 3D video animation helpful for education

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