Who invented animation software

Whether fanciful or realistic, animations routinely appear in a number of other places, including advertisements, websites, educational videos and video games, to name but a few. The computer-generated imagery CGI characters and objects we increasingly see in live-action movies are created by animators using software, too. Many of the concepts and methods haven't changed much from traditional to computer animation. It's still the painstaking work and skill of the animator that determines how the final product will look, but software can help speed up the process by providing shortcuts and automating some tasks that had to be done manually in the past.

Dedicated software gives animators new tools and a nearly unlimited virtual palette of materials with which to create anything they can imagine. You might think computer-generated animation is a relatively new thing, but it's been around for decades in one form or another. Read on to find out about the history of animation software, and what the newer packages can do.

In , MIT Ph. The TX-2 was a giant multitasking mainframe created in the s that was used for military applications, air traffic control , payroll and census processing, and various other tasks. The TX series machines were some of the first computers to have monitors. Sutherland used it to create a program called Sketchpad, which enabled the user create line drawings and make them move on a computer screen with a light pen and tablet.

It was, in effect, the first interactive animation software. Although conceived for engineering applications, he noted in his dissertation that "it might be exciting to try making cartoons. But it would be a while before anyone was creating animations with user-friendly software applications.

Most computer graphics for the next couple of decades were created by people with programming skills and access to expensive government, corporate or university mainframes. One early wireframe animation of a satellite orbiting a planet was created by Edward E. It featured a moving wireframe hand and face, as well as those same models covered in smooth skin. Not surprisingly, Catmull would go on to co-found Pixar.

First, he made realistic computer animations of the Voyager missions that aired on news programs starting in , and then he and his team at the JPL contracted to do graphical renderings for Carl Sagan's PBS series "Cosmos.

It wasn't long before some of the top computer graphics talent started working in the film industry for outfits like George Lucas's movie special effects powerhouse, Industrial Light and Magic ILM , originally created to do special effects work for "Star Wars.

Both ILM and Pixar, along with other emerging computer graphics houses, would develop lots of technical innovations for use in computer animation, some of which eventually filtered into commercially available software. The advent of small, affordable personal computers was another major step that made this possible. Computer animation is now routine in television, movies and advertisement, and it's entirely possible to create in your own home.

Several programs that let users create computer graphics were released in the s, including Autodesk's AutoCAD in , MacPaint in and Adobe Illustrator in Adobe Photoshop was developed in , and version 1.

Autodesk even released an animation program called AutoFlix in In the s, more animation packages began to hit the market. LightWave 3-D was later ported to Mac and Windows. Alias's software PowerAnimator, used on the breakthrough CG film "Jurassic Park," among others, was eventually combined with two other software applications Advanced Visualizer and Explore to become Maya.

Newer versions of all three are still in use as of It's now Adobe Flash, a 2-D animation package still in wide use. You can pick the one that best suits your needs and get to work. Whether you're using software or animating free-hand, there are some basic concepts that apply. Knowledge of basic physics, especially the Newtonian laws of motion, will help make your characters move and interact in believable ways.

It's important to know how objects will behave when they bump into each other, or when forces such as gravity and friction act upon them. The attributes of the objects themselves think size and mass will also affect how they should move and interact in your animated world.

One commonly cited animation principle is that many actions in nature follow an arc, including animal and human motions. The study of how body parts or other grouped objects and their joints move to get from one place to another is called kinematics , and it's a term you'll hear often in relation to animation and animation software. To some extent, animators learn these rules so that they can creatively break them.

Rather than striving for entirely realistic action, they often exaggerate movement, at least a little, to keep things lively. Animators use a number of other methods to make interesting animations with fluid motion.

For instance, rather than have things move at constant speed or start and stop abruptly which is rarely the way things move in the real world , the animator will incorporate slow-in and slow-out , meaning he or she will make them start slowly and accelerate to a faster speed, or decelerate and slow down before coming to a complete stop.

Follow-through and overlapping can also be used to create more realistic and interesting motion. Flexible objects, or objects attached to other objects, will not move all at once.

One part might start the motion and the other is pulled along, arriving at its final position or follow through a bit later than the first part. For instance, the upper part of a leg moves, followed by the calf, then the foot, with hair or clothing lagging behind and catching up after a person moves. There's also a lot of natural overlap to action. Rather than having a character complete one action before starting the next which would likely look unnatural and boring , he can begin the next action before the last ends.

Two other concepts often applied to non-rigid objects in animation are squash and stretch , which are flattening and lengthening of the object, respectively. For instance, a ball might squash a bit when it hits the ground, or a balloon might stretch a bit when pulled by its string. Another, anticipation, is used to broadcast an upcoming motion by moving an object or character in one direction just a little before it makes a larger motion in the other direction.

Animators have always had to plan out the timing of actions to build suspense or to make sure things happen at the right pace. They also have to take scene composition into account including contrast, lighting, perspective and what objects are visible to build the right mood, convey the intended story and make sure that the audience can tell what's going on. A lot of old-school animation was done by having the main artists draw out key frames that showed the beginnings and ends of motions, and having more junior artists draw the more numerous in-between frames that fill in the action from the first key frame to the next.

Another technique used in traditional animation was layering using see-through animation cels. Artists would create background images that could be reused, and then they'd draw the foreground elements and characters on animation cels that could be layered over the backgrounds and photographed. This means the background wouldn't have to be drawn in every time. These, along with many other basic animation concepts and methods, are still used by people animating on physical media and on software, and in some cases they have been worked into the basic functionality of the software packages.

Animation software provides you with computerized versions of old tools in addition to some nifty new tools, but it doesn't do the work of the animator. Someone still has to design and create characters, backgrounds and other elements and then carefully arrange them over a series of frames to create a moving picture. Everything is digital instead of physical a mouse and computer screen instead of pen and paper, for instance , but the methods are very similar, and it's still a lot of work.

Like any activity involving a computer, you have to tell it what to do, but animation software does include some handy time-savers. Anything involving math including algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus and physics can be represented by algorithms , which can be programmed into software.

All of these fields come into play in software's ability to create computer graphics and animation, and they've also been used to build a lot of handy quick tools and automation into the various software packages. Animation software lets you make nearly instantaneous adjustments to frames you've already modified, something that may have involved physical erasure or starting over with a new animation cel in traditional animation. The applications give you tools to draw or create elements using your input device of choice mouse, trackpad or pen tablet.

Cut, copy and paste features let you quickly rearrange or duplicate objects or parts of objects, again without the physical labor that would have been required in the old days. You can use a selector tool to drag already-created objects to the screen rather than redrawing them. You can click on lines, points or Bezier curves and drag to resize or otherwise modify objects.

These functions aren't limited to objects. You can also sometimes cut or copy and paste whole frames to move a scene or create looping motions. Another handy tool called onion skinning or ghosting allows you to see your objects in the current frame along with the objects at their positions in one or more previous frames to help you visualize how they are going to move from frame to frame.

You are basically seeing objects from multiple frames on the screen all at once. The software can also interpolate or auto-create the in-between frames, whereas in the old days, someone had to manually create art for every frame. The lack of the need for physical media also provides you with limitless virtual art supplies, including a vast palette of colors, which frees you up to create anything and everything you can imagine, given enough time. With enough processing power , skilled animators can now create and display fantastic things that wouldn't have been possible in the past, with an increasing level of realism if realism is the aim.

Some animation applications are easy to jump into after reading or watching a brief tutorial, and others have a steeper learning curve. In any case, practice and study are required to master any application, as well as the art of animation itself in any medium. Most animation software applications have similar features, although the specific tools that are available and their locations in the menus, toolbars and palettes will vary from app to app.

They are similar in layout to a lot of Windows or Mac apps , but with lots of tools specific to creating graphics and animation. There may be tools to draw freeform pen, pencil and paintbrush tools , erase things, fill areas with color and quickly create specific geometric shapes flat or three-dimensional, depending upon whether you are working in 2-D or 3-D animation software.

Often you need only consult the help menu, a manual or the Internet to find what you are looking for. The free animation tools presented in this guide allow aspiring animators to gain new skills. Additionally, a college education in digital media helps aspiring animators compete in the job market.

Common career paths for aspiring animators include junior-level design or animation roles. In the early stages of their careers, much of the work may be administrative. For example, they may support a senior animator by answering phone calls, setting up meetings, or preparing documentation for creative meetings. As more opportunities to contribute to animation projects arrive, individuals must keep track of their work contributions.

Gathering and organizing their work allows them to build a portfolio that proves their skills and experiences, opening doors toward advanced and senior roles. Animators have the foundational digital, art, and creative skills to take on any number of roles, including art director, multimedia artist and animator, and graphic designer.

According to the U. Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS , the median annual salaries for these roles as of are as follows:. With constant new technological developments, aspiring animators benefit from learning the commercial and open source animation tools and software presented in this guide. The animation industry is a fast-paced, competitive field. Employers seek animators who are creative, artistic, focused, attentive, and willing to work long hours sometimes.

If you want to bring static images and objects to life and create compelling stories, memorable characters, and exciting worlds, consider an animation career. Skip to main content. Apply Program Guide. Animation industry and career resources: Animation. This interdisciplinary, international, peer-reviewed journal focuses on scholarly animation research. Animation World Network. This resource brings together information about the animation field, covering areas such as film distribution, commercial studio activities, licensing, and animation technologies.

Animation Magazine. With an online and print version, this resource discusses technology, business, art, and other topics of interest to individuals in the animation industry. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Individuals looking for comprehensive insights about the responsibilities, salaries, and job outlook for animators can turn to this trusted resource.

Houston Chronicle. This resource provides animation career information, such as duties and education requirements. This resource offers insights about animation careers, including details about what an animation career looks like. Top 21 Animation Tools Animation is the process of transforming still images into moving images.

The following list offers a glimpse of the tools animators use: 3ds Max Autodesk. This commercial animation software tool allows digital artists to produce 3D animations, including developing models and rendering them into 2D or 3D images. After Effects Adobe. Digital artists can use this commercial tool to add visual effects and motion graphics elements to film, TV, video, online content, presentations, and more.

Animate Adobe. Users can create animations across multiple media, from cartoons and banner ads to interactive content for games, TV shows, academic content, and infographics. Blender The Blender Foundation. This free open source 3D graphics creation suite offers a comprehensive feature set to create animations, digital art, visual effects, 2D and 3D models, and more. Cartoon Animator 4 Reallusion. Digital artists across TV, film, web, and game development using this versatile animation tool can create 2D animation with 3D motion.

Character Animator Adobe. Digital artists can use their own movements and expressions to create animated characters in real time. The advanced image capture interface of this tool is popular among digital artists in the movie industry for stop motion animation, motion design, and visual effects.

FlipBook DigiCel. Whether drawing with a stylus and tablet or using pen and paper, this animation software offers digital artists intuitive tools to create 2D animations. Maya Autodesk. This commercial software provides digital artists with a comprehensive platform and an extensive feature set, including modeling, simulation, and rendering, to create 3D computer animations.

Moho Pro 13 Smith Micro. Formerly known as Anime Studio, this vector-based 2D animation software gives digital artists various tools to create animations and cartoons, including 2D and 3D characters.

Moovly Moovly. The novice and expert can use this cloud-based software to create animated videos and videos with animated graphics for various applications, including marketing and training.

This software tool allows digital artists to create 2D animations. For digital designers interested in using traditional drawing techniques, this open source software allows users to create 2D cartoons using both bitmap and vector graphics.

PhotoMirage Corel. For example, PhotoMirage is an animation tool that enables users to combine still images with motion graphics. This free online editor allows digital artists to create animations reminiscent of the pixel art in video games created in the s. Powtoon Powtoon. This cloud-based animation software for digital artists and amateurs alike in business, education, and other sectors allows users to create animated explainer videos, demos, and presentations.

Spine Esoteric Software. For digital artists interested in gaming, this software offers users the tools to create 2D animation for games, as well as 3D effects. At the end of 70th Technological institute of New York begun working on project of creation film « The works », completely constructed on computer using 3D animation.

These fragments demonstrated high quality of visualization, articulated figures and interacting objects. In technical development made headway. Is started to be shown movies with increasingly used computer special effects: simulated tornado using particle system, vampire transformation into flying characters, characters with no legs, etc. The important trend in computer animation was the creation of an artificial person, indistinguishable from real.

In these films the quality of animation was poor that was obviously for audience that characters not real, because of that computer heroes had secondary roles. Today's progress in models of light and texture makes it possible to design more realistic people.

At the end of XX century appeared new animation technology - motion capture. Motion capture object some technical measuring equipment. The method of motion capture used in production CGI cartoons , and for creating special effects in films. Friday, 12 November Animation studio based in Eugene Bugaev Animators create the art of animation.