The use of motion capture in non-realistic animation

The Use of Motion Capture in Non-realistic Animation explores the possibility of creating non-realistic animation through the use of motion capture. In this study we look to the particularities of cartoony/non-realistic animation while trying to as-certain if it is viable to create this type of animation through the process of motion capture. This dissertation will, firstly, expose the historical, theoretical, technical and artistic context. There will be a brief description of important landmarks and general overview of the history of animation. There will also be an explanation of how animators’ will to mimic real life motion, led to the invention of several technologies in order to achieve this goal. Next we will describe the several stages that compose the motion capture process. Lastly there will be a comparison be-tween key-frame animation and motion capture animation techniques and also the analysis of several examples of films where motion capture was used. Finally there will be a description of the production phases of an animated short film called Na-poleon’s Unsung Battle. In this film the majority of its animated content was obtained through the use of motion capture while aiming for a cartoony/non-realistic style of animation. There is still margin for improvement on the final results but there is also proof that it is possible to obtain a non-realistic style of animation while using motion capture technology. The questions that remain are: is it time effective and can the process be optimized for this less than common use

The Stretch-Engine: A Method for Creating Exaggeration in Animation Through Squash and Stretch

Animators exaggerate character motion to emphasize personality and actions. Exaggeration is expressed by pushing a character’s pose, changing the action’s timing, or by changing a character’s form. This last method, referred to as squash and stretch, creates the most noticeable change in exaggeration. However, without practice, squash and stretch can adversely affect the animation. This work introduces a method to create exaggeration in motion by focusing solely on squash and stretch to control changes in a character’s form. It does this by displaying a limbs' path of motion and altering the shape of that path to create a change in the limb’s form. This paper provides information on tools that exist to create animation and exaggeration, then discusses the functionality and effectiveness of these tools and how they influenced the design of the Stretch-Engine. The Stretch-Engine is a prototype tool developed to demonstrate this approach and is designed to be integrated into an existing animation software, Maya. The Stretch-Engine contains a bipedal-humanoid rig with controls necessary for animation and the ability to squash and stretch. It can be accessed through a user interface that allows the animator to control squash and stretch by changing the shape of generated paths of motion. This method is then evaluated by comparing animations of realistic motion to versions created with the Stretch-Engine. These stretched versions displayed exaggerated results for their realistic counterparts, creating similar effects to Looney Tunes animation. This method fits within the animator’s workflow and helps new artists visualize and control squash and stretch to create exaggeration

The Effect of Interface Animations on the Usability of Accommodation Booking Applications

Animatsioonide kasutamine kasutajaliidese disainis kogub aina rohkem populaarsust. Kasutajaliidese animatsioonide mõju veebilehtede kasutajamugavusele on küll palju uuritud, kuid mõju mobiilirakendustele on teadmata. Selle bakalaureusetöö eesmärgiks on uurida kasutajaliidese animatsioonide mõju majusutasutuste broneerimise mobiilirakenduste kasutajamugavusele. Antud töö käigus uuritakse nii üldist kasutajamugavust kui ka tõhusust ja mõjusust.The usage of animations in interface design is gaining more and more popularity. While the effect of interface animation on the usability of web sites is relatively studied, there is a significant gap in researching the effect of animation on the usability of mobile applications. The purpose of this thesis is to study the effect of animation on usability in accommodation booking applications. It investigates the general usability as well as two usability´s performance metrics effectiveness and efficiency separately

The Stretch-Engine: A Method for Creating Exaggeration in Animation Through Squash and Stretch

Animators exaggerate character motion to emphasize personality and actions. Exaggeration is expressed by pushing a character’s pose, changing the action’s timing, or by changing a character’s form. This last method, referred to as squash and stretch, creates the most noticeable change in exaggeration. However, without practice, squash and stretch can adversely affect the animation. This work introduces a method to create exaggeration in motion by focusing solely on squash and stretch to control changes in a character’s form. It does this by displaying a limbs' path of motion and altering the shape of that path to create a change in the limb’s form. This paper provides information on tools that exist to create animation and exaggeration, then discusses the functionality and effectiveness of these tools and how they influenced the design of the Stretch-Engine. The Stretch-Engine is a prototype tool developed to demonstrate this approach and is designed to be integrated into an existing animation software, Maya. The Stretch-Engine contains a bipedal-humanoid rig with controls necessary for animation and the ability to squash and stretch. It can be accessed through a user interface that allows the animator to control squash and stretch by changing the shape of generated paths of motion. This method is then evaluated by comparing animations of realistic motion to versions created with the Stretch-Engine. These stretched versions displayed exaggerated results for their realistic counterparts, creating similar effects to Looney Tunes animation. This method fits within the animator’s workflow and helps new artists visualize and control squash and stretch to create exaggeration