From linear to interactive animation: how autonomous characters change the process and product of animating

Abstract

There are significant differences between the art of animating for linear media such as film and video and the art of animating for interactive media such as computer and video games. In particular, these differences arise from the shift from linear characters to autonomous interactive characters. This article describes differences between linear animation and interactive animation in several areas of character design -- character intelligence, emotional expressiveness, navigation, transitions among animations, and multi-character interaction. These differences provide insight into the processes of both forms of animation and the final products that they create, and may provide a starting point for linear animators interested in becoming familiar with interactive animation.

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Index Terms

• Computing methodologies

  • Computer graphics

    • Animation

    • Graphics systems and interfaces

• Human-centered computing

  • Human computer interaction (HCI)

    • Interaction devices

      • Graphics input devices