University of Calgary 3-D Computer Animation System

The computer has been used as a tool to aid animation artists in several ways, from controlling rostrum cameras to producing complete animation sequences from 3-D descriptions of real objects. This article describes Graphicsland, a suite of programs developed to explore the medium of 3-D computer animation. Comparisons are made with traditional methods of animation, and the capabilities of the system are described from the point of view of the end user, the animation artist. In Graphicsland, it is recognized that there is no single “correct” approach to solving problems of design, storage, movement, rendering, and production of animated film and video; instead, a variety of techniques are offered. The design of the system is such that it can easily be extended to incorporate new algorithms and graphical data bases in the future.

Print ISSN

0036-1682

Published

1986-06

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/J06524