Animation is one of the new components in technology with respect to design and modeling. Animation involves designing of images and objects in a way they appear to be moving. It is a dynamic medium that usually helps in explaining concepts or mimicking. Animation is used both for educational and entertainment purposes. There is a high likelihood that you have only interacted with this art as a mode of entertainment. It is mostly used in this field because it is more appealing to the eye. While you find it entertaining, the developer is achieving the intended objective of using the animation, catching your attention. Once you attention is captured, any message that follows will automatically get to you. Usually, it is either a promotional video or educational, which you will have to listen to the content while enjoying your view.
History of Animations
Animation has evolved since its discovery in the last century. Originally, images were drawn on a special piece of paper, celluloid sheets that were the photographed then presented on a film. The art was a manual process done by artists using their bare hands. Technology advancements do not spare any field, particularly on design and development. Thus, animation has gone through various stages of advancement to make the art easier and faster. Today, experts model the animations using computer generated imagery (CGI). Integration of computers in the field has significantly changed the industry. Animation is now a professional and white collar jobs in with popular companies adopting this aspect of business.
Just like all other fields in the design and development field, there are more of freelancers in animation than in the office. Nevertheless, the progress is not different in either of these two environments. Employees in the office and freelancers working at home or in a bus are implementing the same kind of discipline and delivering work as per the required market standards. 2D was the best quality of animation you could find when the art was first discovered. This was new. You may not appreciate it now because you have across a better quality.
After 2D, the experts enhanced their skills thus raised the standards in the industry. As the animation products became popular in the market with increasing demand, market needs also changed. The art upgraded to 2.5D. It was not long before 3D came in the market to cater for different market needs.3D is the latest release and standards in the market. Of course, you would not want to use an older version of a product is there is a better quality that guarantees you more quality and better user experience.While they all serve the same function of styling, there are significant differences between 2D, 2.5D, and 3D.
2 Dimensional Animations
This was the first standard when animation was discovered in the design and modeling industry. 2D animation is traditionally created by hand, where objects are distinguished by axes, lengths, and widths. While hands are still used in producing 2D images, modern 2D utilizes computer software. Thus, the process is faster and includes enhanced features. 2D animation is characterized by motion. One image has to be followed by another and a third, and fourth in different positions according to your liking. The number of images and objects in your 2D animation project depends on how long you intend the project to be. Motion is achieved by creating consecutive image sin a way that either move on the sides or up and down. 2D images are represented by heights and width dimensions. There is no depth characteristic in 2D images. 2D images are drawn on 2 dimensional spaces.
2.5 Dimensional Animations
This is a merge and more artistic type of animation. It is a 2D animation drawn on 3-D space. It is more of a trick that animators use to give a 3D impression by using shadows behind 2D images. This is done either by hand or through the computer animation software. Shadows are added on the background of a normally drawn image to stretch it out for a wider and detailed view. When you draw any image in 2D on a white paper for instance, it will appear normal until you add shadows on the background. While you may notice the effect of shadows in stretching the image at close range, the same image at a distance will appear enhanced. 3-D is currently the best view for images and any form of objects. 2.5 animations therefore, utilize its paper and technique of widening view to give a better impression on images.
3 Dimensional images
The main difference between 2D and 3D is the number of axes. While 2D is drawn on two axes, 3D is drawn on a different paper with three axes. 3D animation involves a lot of effort and resources in achieving the enhanced look with all the details. Success in the animation field is defined by creating distinct and complete 3D images. The technique is used in the film industry to actualize scenes. The enhanced images combined with special lighting and texture gives you a feel of the real world. when watching a 3D movie, you might kick or tap a character in the movie when the scene is anxious or thrilling. The aim of 3D animation is to bring images in to the real world.
