UNIT -3

Introduction to 2D Animation
FILL IN THE BLANKS
1. Some computer programs, such as Anime Studio can create characters much like puppets.
2. Rotoscoping is made by tracing over live video to create realistic movement.
3. Toon Boon Studio is an all in one animation application for beginners.
4. A Flash Animation or Flash Cartoon is created by Adobe Flash or similar animation software
and often distributed in the .swf file format.
5. Cutout Animation is made by cut pieces of paper, card, fabric etc.
6. The Pencil software is a studio application designed to resemble the Traditional Flipbook
style animation.
7. Path Based Animation is the simplest form of animation and the easiest to learn. It moves
an object along a predetermined path on the screen.
8. Tween is the short for In Between
9. Synfig is a free, open source program for 2D animators that offers a powerful suite of
tools.
10. Digital Animation is a paperless version of traditional animation.
11. The difference between 2D and 3D animation is the appearance of depth.
12. 2D animation uses onion tool kit while 3D animation requires digital modeling.
13. ANIMATE encourages artists to draw in an environment that feels natural with most digital
drawing tablets.
14. CUT-OUT ANIMATION is considered the oldest animation technique around – probably
the first in animation history.
15. Motions tweening requires that the SAME BASE GRAPHIC (bitmap or vector) be used
at both ends of the tween.
16. A SHAPE TWEEN is a transformation tween, while a MOTION TWEEN OR CLASSIC
TWEEN affects position and rotation.
17. Cinemagraphs are still photographs in the form of animated GIF where the animator
chooses the part where to animate.

Question -Answer
Q1. Differentiate between 2D and 3D animation.
Ans.
1 "2D", short for "two dimensional". "3 D", short for "three dimensional".
Animating objects appear in a two- Animating objects appear in a three-
dimensional space. In 2D animation, all dimensional space. Anything created in a
of the images and actions are flat, 3D animation program exists in an X, Y, Z
occurring over an x and y axes. world
2 2D animation uses traditional animation 3D animation is completely done using
method or computer animation. Some of computer software.
the most used and popular 2D animation Some of the most used and popular 3D
programs are Synfig, Pencil2D, Crita, animation programs are Autodesk Maya,
Animate etc. Autodesk 3Ds Max, Blender, Cinema 4D,
ZBrush, and LightWave 3D.
 3 The characters can move up and down, The characters can move up and down, left
left and right. They do not appear to move and right, they appear to move toward or
toward or away from the viewer, as they away from the viewer, can be rotated 360
would do in 3D animation. degree and moved like real objects.
4 The most familiar form of 2D animation 3D animation is at the heart of games and
are traditional cartoons, web virtual reality; it may also be used
advertisements, E-cards, cartoon shorts, Television and Movies, Education,
television shows and computer games Commercials and Other Advertising,
Marketing, Medicine, Architecture and
Design, Simulations etc.
5 2D animation uses bitmap and vector Many modern animation studios (such as
graphics to create and edit the animated Dream Works and Pixar) use 3D animation
images and is created using computers tools to create the characters and
and software programs, such as Adobe environments for their movies, sculpting
Photoshop, Flash, After Effects and them out of thousands of tiny digital
Encore. polygons and animating them with
computer code.
6 2D animation does not employ any fancy 3D animation, uses fancy digital models.
digital models, but uses a more
straightforward approach. Massive digital
drawing tablets enable animators to draw
their key frames digitally and create the
tweens automatically using 2D animation
software.

Q2. Write a note on “2D animation.

The creation of moving pictures in a two-dimensional environment, such as through
"traditional" cel animation or in computerized animation software. This is done by sequencing
consecutive images, or "frames", that simulate motion by each
image showing the next in a gradual progression of steps. The eye can be "fooled" into
perceiving motion when these consecutive images are shown at a rate of 24 frames per
second or faster.
2D animation figures are created and/or edited on the computer using 2D bitmap graphics or
created and edited using 2D vector graphics. This includes automated computerized versions
of traditional animation techniques such as of interpolated
morphing, onion skinning and interpolated rotoscoping.
2D animation has many applications, including analog computer animation, Flash animation
and Power Point animation. The overall process of creating a 2D animation is divided into
three parts: pre-production, production, and post-production.
Q3. Explain the overall process of creating a 2D animation
Ans. The overall process of creating a 2D animation is divided into three
parts: pre-production, production, and post-production.
1. Pre-Production
Pre-production involves establishing the plot of the completed animation. Because each shot
in animation is so labour-intensive, that it is necessary to get shots right during the pre-
production. Re-animating a shot is very expensive, especially compared to live-action filming,
therefore, almost care needs to be taken while
taking shots.
Most animations are storyboarded, in which the main action in each scene is drawn in
a comic book-like form. Storyboards are usually pasted on large foam-core or poster board
sheets, which can be quickly read through by the staff. During pre-production, the staff reviews
the storyboard for consistency, and parts of the
storyboard may be redrawn multiple times.
2. Production
Each shot in a 2D animation involves multiple single drawings of characters. These drawings
are divided into "keys" and "in-betweens."
The drawing is now considered a "cel." Before computers, the drawing would now be
photocopied onto a sheet of clear celluloid or acetate, then hand-painted. This created a "cel,"
which was placed on top of a background painting and filmed with the click of a film camera.
Today, the digital cels are coloured on a computer. Meanwhile, a background is drawn (on
the computer, or hand-drawn and scanned). The background is imported into an animation
program, and each cel is layered onto the background in succession. This is then saved on
the computer as a single video file.
In practice, the keys are usually drawn by a top animator, and these are then scanned
and assembled into a "rough cut" of the shot while the junior animator, will draw the tweens.
The film can then be assembled during production and junior animators can be directed in
small adjustments to improve the flow of each shot and scene.
3. Post-Production
Even after all the tweens have been colored and added to the animation, the film is far from
complete. There's still music and sound effects to be added, as well as visual effects. The
animation also may need to be edited in the more traditional film sense; shots cut slightly short
or held longer, even scenes cut entirely.
Q4. What is “2D Cel ?
Traditional animation (classical animation, cel animation, hand-drawn animation) is an
animation technique in which each frame is drawn by hand. The technique was the dominant
form of animation in cinema until the advent of computer animation. In Cel animation,
following a planning process, the drawing would be photocopied onto a sheet of clear
celluloid or acetate, then hand-painted. This created a "cel," (2D cel) which was placed on top
of a background painting and filmed with the click of a film camera. Each cel features one
drawing with an outline on one side of the plastic and the color is filled in on the other.
Today, the digital cels are coloured on a computer. Meanwhile, a background is drawn (on
the computer, or hand-drawn and scanned). The background is imported into an animation
program, and each cel is layered onto the background in succession. This is then saved on
the computer as a single video file.
Q5. What is computer animation?
What was once done with pencils, cells, and paint by a team of dozens of animators can now
be accomplished by a single person with a powerful enough home computer and the right
software.
The term "computer animation" broadly covers a wide variety of types and
applications, though the simplest way to break it down is into the categories of 2D and 3D
animation. "2D", short for "two dimensional", is sometimes also called "vector animation", and
is typically done in programs like Macromedia Flash and Macromedia Director.
Today, visual development requires much less manual labor, but is no less an important step
in the creation of an animated film. Artists use specialized tools to digitally draw and refine the
characters and scenes, saving hundreds of hours of sketching, inking and painting. After the
designs of each character and scene have been finalized, the production process can begin.
Q6. Define Cinemagraphe.
Ans. Cinemagraphs are still photographs in the form of animated GIF where the
animator chooses the part where to animate.
Q7. What are the different types of 2DAnimation?
2D animation is created on a computer using bitmap images, or it can be created and edited
using 2D vector graphics. 2D animation can be used for many different things, like video
games, advertisements or creating an animated film.
1. Cel Animation - (traditional animation) is based on a series of frames or cels in which
the object is redrawn in each consecutive cel to depict motion. Cel comes from the word
celluloid (a transparent sheet material) which was first used to draw the images and place
them on a stationary background.
2. Digital Animation – It is a paperless version of traditional animation, where drawings
are drawn straight out the computer.
3. Path Animation - Path Based animation is the simplest form of animation and the
easiest to learn. It moves an object along a predetermined path on the screen. The path could
be a straight line or it could include any number of curves. Often the object does not change,
although it might be resized or reshaped.
4. Stop Motion Animation - although this can be classified also as 3D animation, Stop
Motion Animation can work with 2d objects, such as illustration and photos.
5. Sand Animation - sand is moved around on a back- or front lighted piece of glass to
create each frame for an animated film. This creates an interesting effect when animated
because of the light contrast.
6. Cut-out Animation- It is made by cut pieces of paper card fabric etc. They are placed
under glass and then a frame is taken and cut out is moved slightly and again a new frame is
taken.
7. Rotoscoping - Rotoscoping is made by tracing over live video to create realistic
movement. Each frame is traced over individually then the reel footage is removed leaving
you with just the traced drawing.
8. Cinemagraphs – Cinemagraphs are still photographs in the form of animated GIF
where the animator chooses the part where to animate.
Q8. Write a note on Flip Book/ Flip Book animation
Ans. A Flip Book or Flick Book is a book with a series of pictures that vary gradually from
one page to the next, so that when the pages are turned rapidly, the pictures appear to
animate by simulating motion or some other change. Flip books are often illustrated books for
children, but may also be geared towards adults and
employ a series of photographs rather than drawings.
Flip books are essentially a primitive form of animation. Like motion pictures, they rely on
persistence of vision to create the illusion that continuous motion is being seen rather than a
series of discontinuous images being exchanged in succession. Rather than "reading" left to
right, a viewer simply stares at the
same location of the pictures in the flip book as the pages turn. The book must also be flipped
with enough speed for the illusion to work, so the standard way to "read" a flip book is to hold
the book with one hand and flip through its pages with the thumb of the other hand.
Q9. Explain Walk Cycle 2D
Ans. A walk cycle is a series of frames or illustrations drawn in sequence that loop
to create an animation of a walking character. The walk cycle is looped over and over, thus
having to avoid animating each step again.
Walk cycles can be broken up into 4 key frames
• Forward Contact Point
• Passing Pose1
• Back Contact Point
• Passing Pose 2
Frames that are drawn between these key poses (traditionally known as in-betweens/In
betweening) are either hand-drawn or using computer software to interpolate them. Besides
the apparent move of the legs, many more details are necessary for a convincing walk cycle,
like animation timing, movement of the arms, head and torsion of the whole body.
There exist many techniques to create walk cycles. Traditionally walk-cycles are hand drawn
but over time with the introduction of new technologies for new mediums, walk cycles can be
made in pixel art, 2D computer graphics, 3D computer graphics, stop motion method, cut-out
animation or using techniques like rotoscoping.
Q10 . Describe flash animation
Ans.
A Flash Animation or Flash Cartoon is an animated film which is created by Adobe
Flash or similar animation software and often distributed in the .swf file format. The term Flash
animation not only refers to the file format but to a certain kind of movement and visual style.
Flash is able to integrate bitmaps and other raster-based art, as well as video, though most
Flash films are created using only vector-based drawings which often result in a somewhat
clean graphic appearance. Flash animations are typically distributed by way of the World Wide
Web, in which case they are often referred to as Internet cartoons, online cartoons, and
webtoons. Web Flash animations may be interactive and are often created in a series.
A Flash animation is distinguished from a Webcomic, which is a comic strip distributed via the
Web, rather than an animated cartoon.
When building animations in Flash you have two directions you can go: create each individual
frame (frame-by-frame) or ask Flash for help (tweening). You can also have an animation that
has both frame by frame and tweening.
"Tween" is actually short for "in-between", and refers to auto rendering of graphics, by Flash,
of the frames between two author defined key frames.
Flash's has three forms of tweening - motion (new), Classic (used to be called Motion) and
Shape.
Q11. Explain the different forms of tweening used in Flash
Ans.
1. Motion Tween - A motion tween animates symbols moving in space; when you
create a motion tween, then you can click on any frame in the tween, move the symbol on
that frame, and a motion path animating the frames between that frame and the next key
frame. Any frame where you've manually moved the tweened symbol becomes a keyframe.
Motions tweening requires that the same base graphic (bitmap or vector) be used at both
ends of the tween. Because the same base graphic is used at both ends of the tween, we
convert that graphic into a symbol. Symbol use decreases file size, allows for much faster
editing and is a prerequisite for Motion Tweens.
2. Classic Tweening - A classic tween works the way old motion tweens used to, in
versions CS3 and earlier. In this kind of motion tween, you'd have to manually create all your
keyframes and connect all of them with motion tweens that followed point A to point B. So
basically, a shape tween is a transformation tween, while a motion tween/classic tween affects
position and rotation.
3. Shape Tween - Shape tweens, on the other hand, perform distortions on non-symbol
shapes/vector graphics. If you create one shape on one keyframe and another shape on
another keyframe, you can connect those two shapes with a shape tween. The tween will
perform whatever calculations and morphs needed to transform the first shape into the
second.

Q12. Write a note on the following software:

a. Pencil software - is a studio application designed to resemble the traditional flipbook
style animation. It is simple to uses as its user interface offers only the tools a beginning
animator needs to start creating basic animations on their own.
b. Synfig - is a free, open source program for 2D animators that offers a powerful suite
of tools that can be used to make anything from quick motion graphics to cinema quality
animation.
c. Toon Boom Studio – Toon Boom Studio, is an all in one animation application for
beginners that is actually designed to teach you the fundamentals of 2D animation as you
work.
d. Animate - Animate, encourages artists to draw in an environment that feels natural
with most digital drawing tablets, and simulates an entire animation studio within a small, easy
to use application. This animation suite provides advanced features like interactive camera
tools that drastically cut down on the time and effort needed to achieve that perfect studio
quality aesthetic.