Developments in animation technology

The development in animation technology from early inception to present digital technology. 


Phenakistoscope was early animation that used a spinning disk of performed images to create a illusion of motion. It was in 1832 when Joseph Plateau introduced Phenakistoscope. It was also invented separately in the same year by Simon von Stampfer of Vienna, Simon called his invention a stroboscope. Josephs inspiration came from the work of Michael Faraday and  Peter Mark Roget, the compiler of Roget's Thesaurus. Michael had invented a device he himself called ''Michael Faraday's Wheel, that composed of two discs that spun opposite directions from each other. After Joseph took another step, adapting Michael's wheel into a toy he later named the phenakistoscope.  It consisted of two discs mounted on the same axis. The first disc had slots around the edge and the second contained drawings of successive action, drawn around the disc in concentric circles. Unlike Faraday's wheel, whose pair of disc spun in opposite directions, a phenakistoscope's discs spin together in the same direction. When viewed in the mirror through the first disc's slots, on the second disc the pictures will appear to move. The benefits of the Phenakistoscope because it was the first steps for animation. The drawbacks are that there was only ever one person who was allowed to view or operate the animation at one time so not many people could watch the animation.





The zoetrope was invented in 1834 by William Horner, who originally called it a Daedalum, (wheel of the devil). It was based on Joseph Plateau's idea, the Phenakistoscope. It was more suitable since it did not need a viewing mirror and allowed more than one person to use it at the same time. Horner's invention became forgotten for nearly 30 years until 1867, when it became patented in England by M. Bradley and also in America by William F. Lincoln. Lincoln renamed the Daedalum, giving it the name of wheel of life. The zoetrope is the third major optical toy. It is a simple drum with an open top, supported on a central axis. A sequence of hand drawn pictures on strips of paper are placed around the inner bottom of the drum. Slots are cut at equal distances around the outer surface of the drum, just above where the picture strips were to be positioned. To create a illusion of motion, the drum is spun; the faster the spin, the smoother the progression of images. More than one person could use the zoetrope at the same time. The benefits of the zoetrope is that it allows more than one person to view it so more people can watch it. The drawbacks are that it stays with the same illusion of motion.





The praxinoscope was a invention by Emile Reynaud in 1876. Patented in 1877, its a toy giving the optical illusion of movement. It received honourable mention at the Exposition universelle in Paris in 1878. The praxinoscope incorporates the principle of William George Horne'rs zoetrope, using a removable strip printed in a series of 12 drawings that make a cyclical movement. This strip is placed inside a drum rotating an axis used as a base. He also added on the same axis, a cylinder on which are arranged 12 facets of mirrors, each reflecting a drawing. A candlestick with a lampshade is placed on top of it. The animation can be seen with low light by several people. With having the cylinder system of mirrors, the view sees one drawing at once, the one reflected in the small mirror he has in front of him. The benefits are it has 12 different drawings in. The drawbacks are the time was absorbing.




Edweard Muybridge invented the Zoopraxiscope in the summer of 1879. The device built on a long global history of interest in image projection. Eadweard borrowed the animated illusion of movement from moving image toys and combine this with the capacity for projection emovided in the magic lantern. After he adapted pictures rapid movement informed by the camera onto a screen. Tomany theorists the zoopraxinoscope therefore represents a pivotal moment in the history of moving image - a missing link between slide projection and cinema. He generally used painted sequences, directly informed by his motion photography for his glass discs with animals such as monkeys, kangaroos, leaping frogs, also it had dancing women, all being animated. The benefits are that the movement is in detail. The drawbacks are it was seen by people in a cylinder.
 
 
Kinetoscope is a motion-picture film projector invented by Thomas Edison and William Dickinson from the United States in 1891. A strip of film was passed quickly between a lens and an electric light bulb light while somebody viewed it through a peephole. There was a spinning wheel with a narrow slit that acted as a shutter, allowing a moment view of each of the 46 frames in front of the shutter every second behind the peephole. Firstly, Edison considered his invention as a unimportant toy.  In 1894 when the Kinetoscope was publicly displayed on Broadway, In New York. The benefits of this is that it was passed quickly. The drawbacks are that it was viewed through a peephole.




In 1895 the lumiere brothers invented their own device which is combining camera with print and projector and called it Cinematograph. The lumiere brothers used a film speed of 16 frames per second, much slower. The lumiere brothers recorded their first footage using their invention cinematographer, it was a three in one motion picture camera; developer, projector. It was a device competing to Thomas Edison's kinetoscope in 1895, march 19th. There film was in black and white, 46 seconds long and was a silent documentary. The cinematograph was operated manually by a hand crank. However Edison's electrically powered camera that similar to a piece of furniture and was not portable. The cinematograph was a sharper projected image than had previously been seen before. The cinematograph could be projected onto a screen to be viewed by a large audience. The benefits of the cinematograph was it could of been seen by a few people. The drawbacks could be it was only 46 seconds long on a film.

Translucent paper is to improve hand drawn techniques and also improves the drawings of characters.


Steamboat Willie was the first film in 1928 to use sound in animation.


CGI animation is the generating animated images by using computer graphics.
CGI is used for visual effects, the quality is often higher and effects are more controllable than other more physically based processes.

Performance Motion Devices; it is a world leader in motion control chipds, control cards, digital drives and motion control software.

CAD is short for computer aided design, which is the use of computer technology for design and design documentation. CAD software replaces manual drafting with an automated process. If a person works in the architecture, MEP, or structural engineering fields , then the person probably used 2D or 3D CAD programs.