The
Low
Down
on
Digital
Animation
What
is
Digital
Animation?
Also
referred
to
as
digital
puppetry,
digital
animation
is
the
real
time
rendering
and
animation
of
2D
or
3D
figures
by
computers
for
use
in
films
and
television.
The
difference
between
computer
animation
and
digital
animation
can
become
quite
fuzzy.
The
defining
element
between
the
two
seems
to
be
that
graphic
animation
is
the
act
of
flashing
sequential
stills
one
after
the
other
to
give
the
illusion
of
movement.
Digital
animation
is
the
continual
rendering
of
the
subject
so
that
it
performs
“live”
so
to
speak.
How
is
Digital
Animation
Accomplished?
There
are
three
primary
methods
used
for
achieving
digital
animation:
Waldo
Puppetry
This
type
of
digital
animation
uses
a
tool
called
a
telemetric
input
device.
This
device
is
a
sophisticated
3D
ruler
of
sorts.
It
measures
the
north/south,
east/west,
and
altitude
of
the
device
at
all
times
and
transmits
that
information
back
to
the
computer.
The
computer
then
moves
a
graphic
representation
of
the
figure
in
the
same
manner
as
the
input
device.
Motion
Capture
Puppetry
This
digital
animation
technique
involves
placing
electrical
sensors
on
many
diverse
plains
of
a
physical
model.
The
sensors
report
precise
movement
measurement
data
to
the
computer.
The
computer
then
moves
a
computerized
figure
in
an
exact
duplication
of
the
physical
model’s
movements.
A
famous
example
of
the
use
of
this
technology
is
Pixar’s
“Toy
Story”.
Machinima
Machinima
is
the
method
of
digital
animation
most
widely
used
in
video
games.
In
this
type
of
digital
animation
3D
engines
are
used
to
constantly
recreate
or
re-render
3D
images.
The
3D
engines
are
sets
of
code
which
define
what
happens
when….
For
example,
beginning
with
a
3D
figure,
a
coder
will
write
the
specific
steps
of
flex,
bend,
and
motion
involved
in
every
action.
When
the
actions
are
commanded
to
the
3D
figure,
the
shape
is
re-drawn
to
reflect
the
movement
change.
These
almost
self
actualizing
images
are
filmed,
edited
and
incorporated
into
film,
TV,
and
game
media.
