CMSC 425 : Lecture 13 Animation for Games : Basics Tuesday , Mar 26 , 2013

Game Animation: Most computer games revolve around characters that move around in a fluid and continuous manner. Unlike objects that move according to the basic laws of physics (e.g., balls, projectiles, vehicles, water, smoke), the animation of skeletal structures may be subject to many complex issues, such as physiological constraints (how to jump onto a platform), athletic technique (how a basketball player performs a lay-up shot or a warrior hurls a spear), stylistic choices (how a dancer moves), or simply the arbitrary conventions of everyday life (how a person steps out of a car or how a dog wags its tail). Producing natural looking animation is the topic of our next few lectures.