Unit 31 M2 Rob Adams

Rob Adams

Unit 31

M2 - Compare different animation formats 

There are many advantages and disadvantages to using a certain animation format. Some will be smaller in file size, whilst others may provide better quality. This blog post will cover the advantages and disadvantages of three different animation formats, and compare all three of them. 

Animated GIF
Animated GIFs (Graphical Interchange Format) are a series of 4 or more images that are played in frames one after another to create the illusion of movement. The first advantage of animated GIF's is that they are extremely small in file size. This is because they can only benefit from 256 colors. They can also reap the benefits of lossless compression, meaning their file size can be lowered even further, without the GIF actually losing any quality. 
However GIF's doe have disadvantages. They can only benefit from 256 colors, which is not a huge amount at all. If the GIF does have a lot of colors, the process of lossless compression can actually decrease the quality. With the tiny file size and lack of quality that GIF's provide, they are not really suitable for a bigger project, and so are generally used as logo's or images on a web page. 

Flash
Flash animations are created using a timeline. They are played in adobe flash player and have a wide range of uses. From web page animation, to television animations, Flash is used in a wide range of formats. The first advantage of Flash is that it allows the user to use a number of effects to their advantage. Blurring and expanding image are just a few of the features that allow for more artistic expression with flash animation. Another advantage is that flash can create 3D effect, meaning animations are much more intricate and can be used for a wider range of purposes than GIF's. 
However the disadvantages are that Flash files cannot be used on iPhones or iPads, which are very popular in modern society. Another disadvantage is that Flash animations can actually slow the loading time of a website, which would drive potential viewers of the site away. 

Dynamic HTML
Dynamic HTML allows website to become more 'dynamic'. Users can execute a function that, when supported by DHTML, becomes much more dynamic. AN example of this would be the drop down box on a website. This drop down animation means that web designer can store their links to other pages around the website, creating much more room on the main page. One advantage of DHTML is that most we browser already support it. This ensures that it is accessible to everyone, unlike Flash, which is not accessible to users who are trying to view via an iPad or iPhone. Another advantage is that, as stated before, web designers can create pages where link are stored, rather than listed, saving loading time and giving the page a much more professional look. 
DHTML does have some disadvantages however, one being that it can be very expensive. Becomes DHTML provides so much functionality, it is a very expensive tool. The coding for DHTML can also be very complex, meaning users may have to be an expert in it before they can acctually implement it ont their webpage. 

Comparisons
It is a difficult task to choose which of these 3 animation formats is the best. They all have their advantages and disadvantages, and are all suitable for different kinds of projects. If the user wanted to create a dynamic web page for their personal business, DHTML would be the best option. This is because DHTML provides the detail and functionality that GIF's do not, and also ensures that all users can see the animations, something which Flash cannot guarantee. If the user wanted to make a short animated movie, they would be best off using Flash. This is because Flash can provide the tools and effects that the animator needs to express their artistic ideas in the animation, and also allows for 3D effects. DHTML and GIIF's cannot boast these attributes. Finally, if the user wanted to create an animated logo that they could display on their web page, then animated GIF would be the best format. As they are simple and very small file size, the logo culd be easily animated and displayed on the webpage. GIF would be better than Flash for this task because not only is the file size much smaller, but the GIF can be displayed in pretty much every web browser. Flash however cannot be seen on iPhones or iPads, meaning the web designers logo could not bne viewed by users of these products. GIF would also be better than DHTML for an animated logo, because GIF the details and lengthy coding that DHTML requires is simply not needed for a small aniamted logo on a web page. 

Rob Adams Unit 31 M1 Persistence of Vision

Rob Adams

Unit 31

M1 - Explain the Theory of Persistence of Vision.


The theory of the Persistence of Vision is the phenomenon where the retina of a persons eye actually retains an image it sees for a very short time. When images are shown one after another in at a certain rate, the human eye supposedly retains the image it see's, meaning that the space between each image is not noticeable, giving the illusion of animation. As seen in the video to the right, an illusion of constant movement can be created when images are played one after another. To create the animations shown in this video, the creator would have spent a lengthy amount of time slightly adjusting the image and then adding it to the next frame, before moving on and doing the same thing. The theory of persistence of vision would say that the retention of an image within the retina, ensures that when these frames are played in a sequence, it would create the illusion of animation, as the human eye does not see the pause pause between each frame.

Harvard Referencing:

Glossary: Persistence of Vision. 2013. Glossary: Persistence of Vision. [ONLINE] Available at: http://animation.about.com/od/glossaryofterms/g/pervision_def.htm. [Accessed 04 November 2013].

 Persistence of vision. 2013. Persistence of vision. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Persistence_of_vision.html. [Accessed 04 November 2013].

 

Rob Adams Unit 31 P2

Rob Adams

Unit 31

P2  - Explain different uses of animation.  Add a page to your blog describing, how the animations are used in the following cases? 
- Advertising
-Creative Arts
-Entertainment
-Education
-Simulation


Animation has a variety of uses in modern culture. From public advertising, to simulating real life situation. Animation can be used in a wide range of ways to benefit a certain goal.


Advertising

Animation can be used in advertising to enhance the chance of trying to persuade the public to buy an item. For example, car manufacturers tend to use animation in advertising to enhance the cars. This could range from simply using animation to make the car seem very fast, to using animation to transform the car altogether. This use of animation not only makes the public more inclined to buy the product, but to also ensures that potential customers associate their products with the animation in the advertising, so that the general view of the company is enhanced.


Creative Arts

Animation can be used in creative arts to create an image that is animated, but still considered art. An example of this would be 'Cinemagraphs'. Cinemagraphs are a still image that contain a slight use of animation to create a piece of still art that actually has life in it. This is a very modern form of art, and uses animation techniques to blend the still image with the animated one, meaning that an image can be brought to life. This use of animation creates an effect where the viewer feels as if they are watching a video, when in fact it is a still image with only slight movement. This image of a trapped butterfly is an example, Note how the rest of the image is completely still, yet the butterfly continues to move around. It creates an effect that makes it seem as though time has stopped around the butterfly. This is an efective use of animation, as it means that art is no longer a piece of work that has to be hung up on a wall. Cinemagraphs take art to a new level, meaning that a painting could actually be brought to life. 


Entertainment

Animation is extremely popular in entertainment. As animation techniques have progressed so much in modern times, it can now be used to create almost anything that the user can imagine. One such use of animation in entertainment is the Lightsaber in the Star Wars franchise. Although a very simple method is used to create the effect of a Lightsaber, the fictional weapon has become one of the most iconic items in the modern culture. Animation was also used to create the scenery for the final battle in Revenge of the Sith. This final battle is again one of the most iconic battles in the film industry. This use of animation in entertainment shows that it can not only enhance the reception of a film, but can also potentially create something that is impossible for viewers to forget.



Education

Animation is used in various ways in education. Animation can be used to bring diagrams and charts to life, meaning that students are more engaged and inclined to focus on what they are being taught. For example, a student would be less inclined to look at a simple diagram of a spider. However if animation were used to bring the spider to life, this would catch the attention of the student, who would then be more inclined to focus on it and concentrate on what they are being told about it. Animation can also be used to show a much clearer picture of what the teacher is trying to explain. It can be used to show where things go, how fast they go, where they go in and out and much more, helping students to understand more clearly what they are being taught.



Simulation

Animation can be used in simulation to train employees and workers. A common use of animation to simulate a working environment is in the army. The army use 3D animation to simulate the soldier being on a battlefield. This simulation is then used to train the soldiers perceptions and senses, as well as their tactics and fitness. It can provide the realism and stress of a real life battlefield, without actually endangering the solider. This is a very practical use of animation, as it means that people can be trained to a high standard, without actually going into the environment that they are training for.

Rob Adams Unit 31 P3

Rob Adams

Unit 31

P3 - Discuss the advantages and limitations of animated GIFs. Produce an entry in your blog that discusses the different animation formats and tools available in the animation industry. You should also discuss the features, advantages and limitations of animated GIFs.

There are many different formats and tools that can be used to create an animation. In this blog I will look at some of the key formats, and their individual advantages and disadvantages. 

GIF
GIF stands for Graphic Interchange Format. They contain multiple frames of 4 or more images being played one after another to create a short animation. GIF's will usually be played in a never ending loop, so when it ends, it will simply restart. The images in a GIF can be played in any order, and can be any image, as long as the image is no more than 256 colors. 

Pro's

GIF's can be controlled, and so the creator has a lot of freedom to create what he or she wants to. They are also very small file size, and so do not take up much memory. This also means that multiple GIF's can be created and used with no problems. GIFS can also benefit from 'lossless compression', meaning that the file size can be compressed and reduced, without losing any quality in the GIF. GIF's can also support transparent backgrounds, meaning that they can fit with the primary color of a webpage. 

Con's 

A GIF file can only contain 256 colors. While this may seem like a lot, it actually isn't at all in terms of images on a computer. IT also provides much less detail than a JPEG, and so images can lack quality. Lossless compression, although beneficial, can also decrease quality in a GIF if the images have a lot of colors. 

Dynamic HTML

Dynamic HTML (DHTML) is a format that allows web browser to become more 'dynamic'. When a user uses a function that is supported by Dynamic HTML, it will modify the function to become more Dynamic. An example of this would be a drop down menu on a web page. Without Dynamic HTML, the animated menu would not drop down, and so the link that are placed on the menu would simply list on the page rather than drop down when the mouse hovers over the menu. 

Pro's

Most browsers already support this, and so the user does not need to download any file for this to work. They also allows websites to become more unique and accessible  as well as allowing more information and options to be put onto the page, as links that would previously have been listed on a page, can now be stored into a menu which is only accessed when the user requires it. 

Con's

DHTML tools can be very expensive. The coding can also be a long, complex and difficult task for the creator. A final disadvantage would be that whilst the majority of browsers to support DHTML, there are some that do not, meaning DHTML is not available to everyone. 

Flash

Flash is an application that runs animations specifically created in Adobe Flash Player. They are created using a timeline.Animations are created by editing the size, colour and other properties of an object between each frame.  

Pro's

There are a number of effects available to the user such as expanding and blurring. IT can also help to display messages much more effectively on a website

Con's

Flash files don't work on iPhones and iPads, which are extremely popular these days. Also, using a lot of flash on a website can lead to slow loading times. 

Quicktime

Quicktime is an animation format that was developed by Apple. It comes with most Mac computer systems and supports sound and video, as well as animation. 

Pro's

Quicktime supports sound, video and animation. It can also perform lossless compression. It is free to download, meaning that anyone can use it.

Con's

File size can be bigger than other formats.

Shockwave

Shockwave was developed by Macromedia and allows web pages to support 'multimedia objects'. It allows publications in Adobe director to be displayed as a web page on a web browser. 

Pro's

It is freely available to anyone. It also provides much more tools and additional perks than Flash. 

Con's

Is not available on all platforms, and Shockwave Plug-In must be installed before it can be used. 

P1 Different Types of Animation

Rob Adams

Task 1

P1 Explain the different types of animation.

Definition

A definition of Animation from http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/animation.html (webopedia) is the 'simulation of movement created by displaying a series of pictures or frames.' The frames are played one after another to create and illusion of animation, as if the animation has been brought to life. Modern animation is used in almost all forms of media. Animation plays a huge part in cinema, as well as television, advertising, websites and much more.

Traditional methods

Lumiere Brothers

A traditional method of animation would be the Lumiere brothers who invented the cinematograph. This was a pioneering invention as it was much more portable than anything previously invented. It produced a much better quality image then anything previously used.  It also allowed more than one viewer to see the animation that was being shown. The invention was patented in 1895 and marked the birth of modern cinematography.

William Horner

Another traditional method would be William Horners' Daedalum. This was a cylindrical machine that viewers would look into via a small slit. The rapid movement inside the machine would create the illusion of animation. William Horner invented the Daedalum in 1834, but its popularity only gained in 1867, over 30 years after its initial invention, when it was patented by M. Bradley and William F. Lincoln, who renamed it the Zoetrope. With the birth of modern cinema in 1895, the Zoetrope's popularity rapidly decreased.

Computer Animation Techniques

Frame by Frame

One technique of computer animation is Frame by Frame. This is when images are placed in chronological order and are then played one after another at a continuous speed so that it seems as if the images are moving.  Whilst simple, it can take a very long time to create and edit.

Tweening/Morphing

A second method is Tweening. This is when you create and animation of one shape transforming into another. For example, and animation of a Triangle transforming into a Square would be an example of Tweening. It the smooth transformation of one image to another. This is also known as morphing.

Masking

A final technique would be masking, which is when something in the animation is covered over and replaced with something else. It can also be used to mask certain images in an animation from the viewer. An example would be the images below. The circle on the  first image shows what will be seen when the animation is viewed, and the second shows the animation being masked.