P4, D1

Animation tools

In this post I will only be mentioning a few of the different tools available to animators within a certain software package.

The software that I will be comparing will be Adobe Flash, Autodesk Maya and Blender.
Two of these I already have experience with, namely Flash and Maya, but I will be learning some of the features of Blender so that I can comment as accurately as I can.

Adobe Flash

Shape tween - The shape tween allows the user to create a shape that gradually morphs into another shape. This is done by using another one of the animation tools called insert keyframe, In each frame that is added the user changes the shape in the animation then by selecting the section between frames and selecting the shape tween tool, the program will automatically morph the shape from the starting image to the final image.

Layers - when creating an animation it is important to keep different elements on separate layers, this aids in the editing process as individual elements can be edited or removed with much greater ease. New layers are created by selecting the new layer button at the bottom left of the window.

Autodesk Maya

When first looking at Maya, the multitude of tools and functions can be very daunting and does tend to put off a lot of hobbyist animators. However there is a reason why this is an industry standard for animation in films, TV and games.

Keyframe/nonlinear animation

After animating a character with keyframes you can collect its animation data into a single, editable sequence. This animation sequence is called an animation clip. When an animation clip is created you will never actually use that "source clip" again, this is to preserve the current animation progress. What you will use when actually animating your model is and instance of the source clip called a "Regular clip".

this allows the user to move, manipulate and blend motion clips into a smooth animation. This feature is used through an aspect of the Maya program called Trax Editor.

Trax Editor

The Trax editor is an animation tool that allows the user a multitude of functions including layering and blending animation clips, selecting and controlling characters and their animation clips, synchronizing audio and video clips and also the ability to drag and drop animation clips between character models.  

This feature gives the user options such as creating animation cycles and even editing animation speed and rhythm, for example if you had a clip of a character walking and you wanted to change it to a walking cycle in a marching rhythm, that would be entirely possible using this software.

Here is a video made using Autodesk Maya. Witcher 2: Assassins of kings

Blender

Blender, much like Maya is a piece of software designed to create high quality three dimensional images. However unlike Autodesk, blender is completely free and open source which allows for those without the funds to buy Maya to create stunning images and animations for use in animation show reels, portfolios and the creation of game animations.

Blender is not only a program, it is a foundation and a community, as a result whenever you use blender, you are not alone, hundreds of people around the world from programing hobbyists to professionals devoted to the Blender cause contribute enhancements and additional features on a daily bases.

With support ranging from a wide variety of available online resources to friendly irc communities, Blender will just keep getting better

When comparing these three different software packages, you first need to consider that one of them, namely Flash, is not as in depth as the Maya and Blender programs and is not capable of the same level of image quality and lacks the ability to build three dimensional models.

The capabilities of Maya and Blender are very similar. Both can produce a high level of graphics detail as well as both possessing high quality rendering capabilities. However Maya is still the superior program due to the fact that Maya features a wider and more complex array of controls and features. Blender also has some problems with lag during the animation of large, detailed files.

While Blender is capable of high quality 3D modeling and animation while coming at no cost to the user, the smoother operation, increased number of tools and features and the improved graphic capability of Maya make it a more suitable as a 3D animation tool for professionals.

Flash animations, while much simpler than those that can be created with with the other two programs in this post are still used widely by amateurs and professionals alike, however not for the same purpose. Flash is more often used for animated shorts, web banners and small web games. This is a program that can't really be compared to the others as its capabilities are no where near as high, but it does feature many useful tools for the creation of basic animations such as the creation of layers, keyframes and automatic object movement paths.