Doc:Manual/Animation/Basic

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Animation is making an object move or change shape over time. Objects can be animated in many ways. They can be animated as one or more simultaneous ways:

Moving as a whole object 

Changing their position, orientation or size in time;

Deforming them 

animating their vertices or control points;

Character Animation via Armature 

animated to deform by the movement of bones inside the mesh, a very complex and flexible interaction that makes character-shaped objects appear to walk and jump.

In this chapter we will cover the first case, but the basics given here are actually vital for understanding the following chapters as well.

Three methods are normally used in animation software to make a 3D object move:

Key frames 

Complete positions are saved for units of time (frames). An animation is created by interpolating an object fluidly through the frames. The advantage of this method is that it allows you to work with clearly visualized units. The animator can work from one position to the next and can change previously created positions, or move them in time.

Motion Curves 

Curves can be drawn for each XYZ component for location, rotation, and size. These form the graphs for the movement, with time set out horizontally and the value set out vertically. The advantage of this method is that it gives you precise control over the results of the movement.

Path 

A curve is drawn in 3D space, and the Object is constrained to follow it according to a given time function of the position along the path.

The first two systems in Blender are completely integrated in a single one, the IPO (InterPOlation) system. Fundamentally, the IPO system consists of standard motion curves. A simple press of a button changes the IPO to a key system, without conversion, and with no change to the results. The user can work any way he chooses to with the keys, switching to motion curves and back again, in whatever way produces the best result or satisfies the user's preferences. The IPO system also has relevant implication in Path animations.

[edit] Chapters

General Principles and Tools

Ipo Types

Creating Ipo Keyframes

Editing Ipo Curves and Keyframes

The Timeline - The Timeline Window

Animation by Moving Objects Around

Manual/Following a Path

Changing Object Layers

Animation by Basic Deformation

Manual/Animation Deformations

Shape Keys

Absolute Shape Keys

Deforming by a Lattice

See also Manual/Hooks - Uses a modifier as a way to change the shape of a mesh. Sorta like sticking a fish hook in a mesh and pulling. Uses the principles discussed in Shape Keys.

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