Applying the Twelve Principles to 3D Computer Animatio

Applying the Twelve Principles to 3D Computer Animation

The twelve principles of animation were created in the early 1930s by animators at the Walt Disney Studios. These principles were used to guide production and creative discussions as well to train young animators better and faster. These twelve principles became one of the foundations of hand-drawn cartoon character animation. The twelve principles, as they are commonly referred to, also helped to transform animation from a novelty into an art form. By applying these principles to their work these pioneering animators produced many of the earliest animated feature films that became classics: Snow White (1937), Pinocchio and Fantasia (1940), Dumbo (1941), and Bambi (1942).

动画片的12原则在19世纪30年代早期由迪斯尼工作室的漫画者创立。这些原则用来指导作品和一些创造性的讨论，同时也用来训练年轻的漫画者更好更快的创作。这些原则成为手绘卡通角色动画的基础。12原则及其关联的一些东西，同样有助于以艺术的形式把小说转换成动画片。通过在工作中遵循这些原则那些漫画先锋们创作了许多早期的活泼形象的电影，后来成为经典。比如：白雪公主（1937），Pinocchio and Fantasia (1940), Dumbo (1941), and Bambi (1942)。

The twelve principles are mostly about five things: acting the performance, directing the performance, representing reality (through drawing, modeling, and rendering), interpreting real world physics, and editing a sequence of actions. The original principles are still relevant today because they help us to create more believable characters and situations. They can be applied to almost any type of animation, even though they work best for comedy. But, some of these principles require updates, and a few new additional principles are also needed to address the new techniques and styles of three-dimensional computer animation.

这12条原则主要关系到5件事情：执行表演，指导表演，重现现实（通过绘画，模型，和描写），解释真实世界物理，并且编辑一系列动作。直到今天最初的原则依然有用，因为他们帮助我们创造了更多可信的角色和场景。他们几乎可以被应用于任何动画原型，尽管他们最适合于喜剧。但是，这些原则中一部分需要更新，并且一些新的附加原则需要新的技术和三维电脑动画支持。

Animation techniques and styles, and the scope of productions, have changed tremendously since the 1930s. The dominant, almost exclusive, style of animation then was hand-drawn pose-to-pose cartoon narrative animation. Today we have more styles including non-linear interactive videogames and non-narrative music videos. In the 1930s some animation techniques and capabilities were underdeveloped, camera moves and lighting for example, or misunderstood: rotoscoping or stop-motion. Consider too the new tools that have transformed our craft: hand-held cameras, television, non-linear editing, compositing, motion capture, computer graphics and procedural tools. Other artforms have greatly evolved since the 1930s, creating new languages and new principles. It is time to do the same with animation, it is time to reinterpret and expand the original principles. We also need to create new additional principles that address today's new animation styles and techniques. This is our collective challenge.

动画技术和风格，以及作品全景，自20世纪30年代来发生了巨大变化。唯一的主导是手绘POP卡通叙述性动画。今天我们有更多风格，包括无线交互式视频游戏和非叙述性音频。在20世纪30年代，一些动画技术和能力没有发展，比如照相机移动和灯光，或者有些误解：自动全景和停止动作。考虑到新的工具改变了我们的工艺：手动式照相机，电视机，无线编辑，合成，动作捕捉，计算机图形和处理工具。其他的艺术形式自20世纪30年代来被涉及到，创立新的语言和新的原则。目前正是对动画做同样事情的时间，是重新解释和扩展最初原则的时间。我们同样需要去创造一些附加的原则能同当今新的动画风格和技术关联起来。这是我们集体的一个挑战。

1- Squash and stretch, the first principle from the original twelve, is used to exaggerate the amount of non-rigid body deformations usually with the purpose of achieving a more comedic effect. Three-dimensional squash and stretch can be implemented with a variety of techniques: skin and muscle, springs, direct mesh manipulation and morphing. It can also be implemented in more experimental ways with weighting, especially for dynamics simulations, and unusual IK systems.

1－挤压和伸展 ，12原则中第一条，通常被用来夸大柔性身体的变形，以达到更加喜剧的效果。三维的挤压和伸展可以被一系列的技术执行：皮肤和肌肉，弹跳，直接网格操作和变种。它同样可以通过更多实验型的方式来执行，比如重量，特别是针对动态模拟和不常用的IK系统。

2- The technique of anticipation helps to guide the audience's eyes to where the action is about to occur (Fig. 10.2.4). Anticipation, including motion holds, is great for "announcing the surprise." In three-dimensional computer animation it can be fine-tuned using digital time-editing tools such as time sheets, timelines, and curves. More anticipation equals less suspense. Horror films, for example, switch back and forth from lots of anticipation to total surprise.

2－参与技术有助于指导观众的眼睛关注到动作发生的地方。参与，包括动作保持，特别是对于“宣告惊奇”。在三维电脑动画中它可以用数字时间编辑工具，比如时间表，时间轴和和曲线图标进行良好的转换。越多的参与代表越少的悬念。比如恐怖电影中，

3- Staging, or mise-en-scene as it is also known, is about translating the mood and intention of a scene into specific character positions and actions. Staging the key character poses in the scene helps to define the nature of the action. Three-dimensional animatics are a great tool for previsualizing and blocking out the staging before the primary, secondary and facial animation. There are many staging techniques to tell the story visually: hiding or revealing the center of interest, and a chain reaction of actions-reactions are a couple of them. Staging can also be aided with contemporary cinematic techniques such as slow motion, frozen time, motion loops, and hand-held camera moves.

3－分段运输，或者说场景协定，众所周知，是关于翻译场景中的状态和目的成为特殊的位置和动作。分段运输是关键角色在场景中的姿势，有助于定义动作的自然性。三维动画是一个预先可视化和舞台场面分段设计的工具，它位于最初的，次要的和实际动画操作之前。有许多分段技术用来可视化的叙说故事：隐藏或者解释兴趣的中心点，和串联动作反应作为一组。分段同样作为电影片的半自动技术比如慢镜头，时间冰点，动作循环或者手动照相机的移动

4- Straight-ahead action and pose-to-pose are two different animation techniques that yield fairly different results. In the early days of hand-drawn animation pose-to-pose action became the standard animation technique because it breaks down structured motion into a series of clearly defined key poses. In straight-ahead action the character moves spontaneously through the action one step at a time until the action is finished. Motion capture and dynamics simulations, even three-dimensional rotoscoping, are clearly the straight-ahead techniques of three-dimensional computer animation. They can all be blended intelligently using channels.

4－标准动作和人物姿态是两种不同的动画技术并会产生不同的结果。在手绘早期POP成为标准动画技术因为它打破了结构性的动作，形成一系列清楚限定的关键姿势。在标准动作中，角色自发的一步步移动在一定时间内指导动作结束。动作捕捉和动态模拟，特别是三维自动全景，清楚地描述了三维动画的标准性技术。他们同样可以通过通道灵活的整合。

5- Follow-through and overlapping action are two techniques that help make the action richer and fuller with detail and subtlety. Follow-through action consists of the reactions of the character after an action, and it usually lets audiences know how he or she feels about what has just happened or is about to happen. In overlapping action multiple motions influence, blend, and overlap the position of the character. In three-dimensional computer animation a lot of the common follow-through motions of clothing and hair, for example, can be animated with dynamics simulations (figure below). The layers and channels in three-dimensional computer animation software allow us to mix and blend different overlapping motions from different areas of the character.

5－顺势移动和重叠动作是两种有助于通过细节和微妙动作来使动作更富有和完全技术、。顺势移动动作由角色在一个动作之后的反应组成，并且它通常让观众指导他或者她如何感觉到刚发生的或将要发生的。在重叠动作多重动作的影响，混合和重叠角色的位置。在三维电脑动画中许多常用的衣服和头发的顺势动作，比如，可以被动态的模拟表现（下面图片）。层和通道在三维电脑动画软件中可以让我们从不同的角色位置去混合和整合不同的重叠动作

FOLLOW-THRU

6- Slow-in and slow-out consist of slowing down the beginning and the end of an action, while speeding up the middle of it. A snappy effect is achieved when motion is accelerated and retarded in this way. In three-dimensional computer animation slow-ins and slow-outs can be fine-tuned with digital time-editing tools. When using motion capture techniques for cartoon-style animated characters it is essential to remind performers to do slow-ins and slow-outs. The inverse variation of this effect, a fast-in and fast-out, is often times seen in TV commercials and music videos where the beginning and end of the sequence are accelerated while the middle is slowed down giving it a surreal or dreamy feeling.

6－缓慢开始和缓慢结束，在一个动作的开始和结束处慢下来，在中部加速。当动作以这种方式加速和迟缓时，一个爽快的效果可以实现。在三维电脑动画中缓慢开始和缓慢结束能通过数字时间编辑工具良好的实现。当用动作捕捉技术以一种卡通风格的角色表现时，有必要去提醒表演者缓慢开始和缓慢结束。这种效果的对立变化就是，快速开始快速结束，通常在商业电视和音频中出现，序列的开始和结束加速但是中部慢下来，营造一种超现实或者梦幻般的感觉。

7- Using arcs to animate the movements of characters helps achieve a natural look because most living creatures move in curved paths, never in perfectly straight lines. Non-arc motion comes across as sinister, restricted or robotic. In three-dimensional computer animation we can use software constraints to force all or some of the motion within arcs. Even motion-captured performances can be fine-tuned with curve editors, as long as the motion is not flattened.

7－利用弧去表现角色的运动有助于达到一种自然的形象，因为大部分活体的运动都是曲线，从来不以完美的直线运动。非弧线通常来表示邪恶的，受限制的或者机器人的。在三维电脑动画中我们可以利用软件约束去迫使所有的或者部分动作以弧线运动。甚至动作捕捉表演也可以通过曲线编辑器良好的表现处理。

8- Secondary action consists of the smaller motions that complement the dominant action. In three-dimensional computer animation we can take advantage of layers and channels for building up different secondary motions, for example, a layer for hair, a layer for the character's hat, a layer for the cape, and so on.

8－次要动作组成一些小的运动作为主体动作的衍生。在三维电脑动画中我们可以利用层和通道的优势来建立不同的次要运动。例如，一个层来表示头发，一个层来表示角色的帽子，一个层来表示海角，等等。

9- Timing is the precise moment and the amount of time that a character spends on an action (figure below). Timing adds emotion and intention to the character's performance. Most three-dimensional computer animation tools allow us to fine tune the timing by shaving off or adding frames with non-linear time-editing. Timing can also be controlled and adjusted by placing each character on a separate track, and using sub-tracks for parts of the character such as head, torso, arms and legs.

9-定时是某个角色花在一个动作上的精确的瞬间和时间数量（下图）。定时给角色的表演增添了情感和意图。大部分三维电脑动画工具允许我们良好的应用定时通过调整或添加非线性的时间编辑帧。定时同样可以被控制和调整，通过放置每个角色在隔离的轨迹上，和通过子轨迹表示角色的某部分，比如头部，局部，手臂和大腿。

TIMING

10- Exaggeration usually helps cartoon characters to deliver the essence of an action. A lot of exaggeration can be achieved with squash and stretch. In three-dimensional computer animation we can use procedural techniques, motion ranges and scripts to exaggerate motion. The intensity of a moment can be increased with cinematography and editing, not just with performance.

10－夸大通常帮助卡通角色来传达动作的实质。许多夸大能通过挤压和拉伸实现。在三维电脑动画中我们可以利用程序技术，动作范围和脚本来夸大运动。一个瞬间的强度可以被增加通过电影技术和编辑，而不仅仅是表演。

11- Solid modeling and rigging, or solid drawing as it was called in the 1930s, emphasizes the clear delineation of shape necessary to bring animated characters to life. Solid and precise modeling helps to convey the weight, depth and balance of the character, and it also simplifies potential production complications due to poorly modeled characters. Animation rigs are at their best when they are optimized for the specific personality and motion of the character. Pay attention to silhouettes when aligning characters to the camera.

11－固体模型和装备。或者说按照我们20实际30年代所称呼的固体绘画。强盗清晰的定义外形给生活带来动画角色。固体精确模型有助于传达重量，深度和角色平衡，并且它可以通过模型角色简化复杂的作品。动画装备最能表现角色的个性和动作。在照相的时候要注意校正侧面轮廓。

SOLID MODELING AND RIGGING
Drawings by Steve Rittler

12- Character personality, or appeal as it was originally called, facilitates the emotional connection between character and audience. Characters must be well developed, have an interesting personality, and have a clear set of desires or needs that drive their behavior and actions. Complexity and consistency of motion are two elements of character appeal that can be easily developed with three-dimensional computer animation. Writing down the ways in which the character moves (Fig. 10.5.7), how he/she reacts to different situations, and how he/she relates to other characters can help define the main characteristics of the character's personality. Fine-tune the personality with the key poses and the character turnarounds.

12－角色个性特征。或者像它的原始称呼。在角色和观众之间建立起情感联系。角色必须被开发得很好，具有兴趣性得个性特征，并且有鲜明的愿望和需求来驱动他们的行为和动作。复杂性和一致性动作是角色表现的2个元素，它们可以简单地由三维电脑动画表现。记下角色移动的方式，他、她对不同场景的如何反应，他，她如何与其他角色联系有助于我们定义角色个性特征的主要特性。利用关键的姿势和转身方式能够良好的表现个性特征。

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