3D & 2D Animation

What is the difference between 2D & 3D Animations?

The first thing that comes to our mind when we hear the term Animation is the cartoons and animated movies. Earlier the term is only associated with cartoon characters specifically designed to target the audience comprises of only toddlers and children. But from the past 8-10 years, improvement in technology and continuous research and development has led to the overall change in the outlook of the animation industry. Now the animated technology is being successfully employed in diverse fields ranging from commercial television content to media and entertainment industry including advertising sector, e-commerce and education industry. This change is primarily because of the shift from 2D technology to 3D technology of animation. Now let us discuss about the distinction about the two.

It is the process of generating three-dimensional moving images in a digital environment. Careful manipulation of 3D models or objects is carried out within 3D software for exporting picture sequences giving them the illusion of animation or movement. However, this is completely based on the technique used for manipulating the objects. The procedure of generating 3D is sequentially categorized into three main sections and these are modeling, layout and animation and rendering. Modeling is the phase that describes the procedure of generating 3D objects within a certain scene. Layout and animation phase describes the process followed for positioning and animating the objects within a certain scene. Lastly, rendering described the end result or output of completed computer graphics. The process of production is successfully completed with the careful combination of the sections mentioned above and also some other sub-sections. The market is filled with several software used for the creation of 3D Animation and these range from the professional high-end ones to the affordable low-end versions. Next, we will try and get through with the differences between the two animations.

Animation is an illusion made with a sequence of still pictures that are each slightly different. The pictures are shown quickly to give an impression of movement. Animation is generally filmed at 24 frames per second (fps) and 12 fps. The main types are cel, stop-frame, and COMPUTER ANIMATION.

2D Animation : The creation of moving pictures in a two-dimensional environment, such as through "traditional" cel animation or in computerized animation software. This is done by sequencing consecutive images, or "frames", that simulate motion by each image showing the next in a gradual progression of steps. The eye can be "fooled" into perceiving motion when these consecutive images are shown at a rate of 24 frames per second or faster. A 2D object can only be measured in height and width and exists on a 2D space, like a piece of paper, while a 3D object has a surface, casts a shadow, and can be measured by length, width, depth, or weight.

One of the most obvious differences between 2D and 3D Animation is the appearance of depth or the three-dimensional features. 2D Animation is a flat animation where all the actions happen in x and y-axes. One the other hand, 3D involves extra dimension and it is the z-axis. Traditional 2D Animation is a procedure where images are hand-drawn with every image showing some subtle changes from the other image. These images, when played back in a sequence, create an illusion of movement. When it comes to 3D, everything is carried out with the help of the computer and even exported to the computer. It is generated by changing the placement and the poses of the 3D models that have already been created. Generated scene can easily be viewed from a number of angles.

Visual preferences of an individual always play an important role in helping the individual decide between 3D and 2D Animation. However, there are even some other factors like timeline, target audience and budget which also influence an individual’s choice of animation. It is necessary to have a very clear idea of the ultimate video that you are looking forward to create, the objectives that you want to achieve and the audience that you are looking to reach with your video. These will actually have a major influence on your decision of creating 2D or 3D Animations.