computer game and animation past, present, and future
TRANSCRIPT
Computer Game and Animation Past, Present, and Future
Computation‐Based
Has gameplay, a pattern defined
though a set of rules
Changing objects over time: motion and
deformation
Animation Has Two Definitions
• (Narrowly) Animation as a graphics application– 2D cartoon animation– 2D/3D Animation movies
• (Broadly) Animation as a graphics technique– Producing special effects in movies and games– Animation movies– Gaming effect
Graphics Pipeline• Time is continuous, but computers handle discrete data
Objectsin
reference space
Time 0
Time 1
Time n
Geometry Modeling
Animation Rendering
Frame 0
Frame 1
Frame n
Display
Graphics Pipeline
• I can generate the frames fast! (real‐time)– Generate one frame and then send it to display immediately
– Such as games
• I CANNOT generate the frames fast… (offline)– Save the frames into the disk
– Play them back in the future
– Such as movies
Graphics Pipeline
• The data you can produce at each frame?
– Position
– Orientation
– Shape
– Appearance
– Phase change
Computer Animation Perception
• Beta motion– Appearance of motion from a set of still images
• Flicker– Failure to achieve beta motion effect– Frame rate is too low (image update is too slow)
• Motion blur
Frame Rate• How many images are updated per second? (Frames per second, i.e., FPS)
Movie and TV Game LCD Display
24FPS Film
25FPS TV in Europe
30FPS Graphics Research
Standard for Action Games
48FPS Some films (Avatar, the Hobbit)
60FPS TV in the US, high‐end HDTV Standard
72FPS Experimental Can be higher
Animations in Movies
from to
For another look at the history of animation, check outThe Art of Animation and Motion Graphics | Off Book | PBS
Conventional Animation
• Stuart Blackton (The first draw animation movie)– Humorous Phases of Funny Faces
• Winsor McCay (The first keyframe cartoon)– Gertie the Dinosaur
Conventional Animation Production
• Storyboard: the proposal• Model sheet: consistency• Animatic: storyboard with timing• Key frames & in‐betweens• Test shot• Pencil tests• Inking: drawings onto cells• Painting: coloring in• Sound: voice, body, special effects, background
Modern Computer Animation Production
Story Dept.
Art Dept.
Modeling Dept. Lighting Dept.
Animation Dept.
Rendering Dept.
Computer Generated Special Effects(CGI: Computer Generated Imagery)
• Real‐world data capture (these exist in the real world)• Animation (those do not exist in the real world)• Composition: merging these two together
Your goal is to get the Academy Award in Visual Effects!
Steve May, PhD in 1998, CTO of Pixar (2010 to Present)
Computer Game History
• First games, consoles• Video game crash of 1983• 8 and 16 bit eras• 32 and 64 bit eras• Current era
For more on the history of games, check outThe Video Game Revolution | PBS
Computer Games Today
• Multiple platforms– PC– Consoles– Tablets– Smart phones
• Multiple audiences– Hardcore– Casual– Online– Motion control
How Game Companies Make Profit?
• Make a game, sell it...
• Free to play, but pay to win…–Many app games
• Subscription (MMORPG games)– New content– Uncertainty
Game Development Process
• Concept• Design document• Prototype• Production
– Design, Levels– Programming– Art, Audio
• Testing• Deployment• Maintenance
Read more at:http://vgsales.wikia.com/wiki/Video_game_costshttp://www.forbes.com/2006/12/19/ps3‐xbox360‐costs‐tech‐cx_rr_game06_1219expensivegames.html
http://www.newgamernation.com/wp‐content/uploads/2011/05/game‐cost.jpg (Data from Forbes 2006 study)
Types of Game Programming
• Game engine– Modeling and rendering– Animation
• Artificial Intelligence• Sound• Game logic / scripts• User Interfaces• Networking• Databases• Development tools• Systems/Parallel programming