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How 3D Animation Puts You in the Game |  |
March 20, 2007
by Angelique Gervais
Design Programs Columnist
Have you ever played a video game and wondered how artists are able to bring you into a 360-degree world where everything around you springs into three-dimensional life? My curiosity got the better of me, so I asked a friend with 3D animation training to teach me a bit about it.
Bringing It All Down to Basics
When my friend sat down at his computer and created a flying, chirping bird, I was amazed. He explained that in his 3D animation training, he had learned that all things are made up of a bunch of simple shapes. By placing shapes, manipulating their surfaces, linking them together in different ways, and painting them with textures, he can make anything he wants.
The Importance of Axis in 3D Animation Programs
A large part of 3D animation training is learning to see the whole world as it sits on axes. In the 3D environment, there is a dimension added to the usual "x" and "y" axis that we are used to dealing with. It accounts for depth and is represented by the "z" axis.
A Brand New Lesson in Scissors and Glue
Learning how to intersect and connect the shapes using the 3D animation program wasn't as hard as I thought. A lot of 3D animation training is in learning the right way to see things. For instance, a mouth is not just a hole in the face but rather an open sphere that interacts with the larger sphere of the head.
Applying Texture
Even the coloring part of 3D creation is complicated by the depth aspect. Spheres are rounded so textures don't lie flat. Learning how to predict how something will look on a 3D shape is like envisioning everything as a skin tight t-shirt stretched over things.
I had a blast learning about 3D animation programs. If you want to try it, you can download free samples of 3D animation programs and try your hand at it. If you have as much fun as I did, perhaps it will become your passion and lead you to 3D animation training.
About the Author
Angelique Gervais owns and operates a graphic design business serving rural areas in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada.
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