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Chapter 11 Animation Composition
With an understanding of how motion exists in the real world, a designer
can create art and motion for the game world. The key components to
simulating motion in a game are animation, actor physics, and game physics.
Actor physics uses a mathematical model to control the articulation of a
character or object. Game physics uses a mathematical model to control the
general motion of objects in the virtual world.
Animating is the process of creating the illusion of movement in a drawing,
rendering, or inanimate object. An animation is the end result. Frank Thomas
and Ollie Johnson documented the 12 principles of animation in their 1981
book Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life. Thomas and Johnson were two
of Walt Disney Studio’s legendary Nine Old Men. The Nine Old Men were
the core group of animators who started working for Disney between 1927
through 1935. The book, shown in Figure 11-6, contains a huge collection of
animations and has become known as the “bible of animation.” It details the
physics involved in simulating real life through animation. The 12 principles of
animation are:
• squash and stretch;
• anticipation;
• staging;
• straight-ahead and pose-to-pose action;
• follow-through and overlapping action;
• slow in and slow out;
• arcs;
• secondary action;
• timing;
• exaggeration;
• solid drawing; and
• appeal.
Principles of Animation
Figure 11-6
On its release,
The Illusion of Life
became the bible for
animation.
Goodheart-Willcox Publisher; model Autodesk