What should you know about 2D and 3D animation
4 min read
Animation makes web products look attractive and entertaining. They keep the eyes of the web users glued to the screen and encourage them to stay on a web page. There are 2D and 3D animations the designers apply. Each of them is applied in distinct situations and not for similar purposes. To understand the notions of 2D and 3D animation let’s consider them in detail.
What is a 2D animation?
2D production is an example of traditional animation. Taking into account the fact that video content tends to dominate the online sector, companies more often make use of the animated videos for marketing purposes. Apart from this, there are 2D cartoons, films, ads, and even games.
As a business owner you can apply to a motion graphics animation company or develop powerful videos with the help of special construction tools.
Such videos have a strong influence on people because of activating a range of perceptions. 2D products make us see, hear, and think. In such a way, they virtually absorb our attention.
Two-dimensional or 2D animation is featured by the representation of the environment in two dimensions. In the 2D world the objects have only width and height dimensions.
2D animation is believed to be a classical kind of animation that appeared in the 19th century. Originally, it was created by arranging frames so that each drawing was followed by another, somewhat different from the previous one.
There are some typical examples of 2D products everyone knows. Have you watched such cartoons as “Bambi”, “Cinderella” or «Red Riding Hood»? If yes, you have watched the masterpieces filmed with the help of 2D animators.
In the era of computer technologies development the process of creating 2D products was digitized. It enabled designers to draw and animate characters and objects using just a computer and various programs and tools for bringing to life 2D images installed on it.
What is a 3D animation?
3D animation appeared with the boost in computer technologies development. 3D graphics become more dynamic, diverse, and attractive.
The entertainment industry is not the only area of 3D animation application. It is widely used in the healthcare, architecture, and educational spheres. What’s more, it is almost impossible to imagine the marketing world without animated videos. 3D animation has become the most popular kind of animation, especially among the representatives of the younger generation.
Well, this tendency can be explained easily. 3D animations are bright, attractive, and can express a range of feelings and emotions. Due to this the vast majority of brands prefer to tell their stories and create their image with the help of 3D animation. It helps to attract new clients thanks to engaging videos.
3D animation appears as the result of moving and manipulating with the characters and objects in 3D space and creating the illusion of movement. The objects based on 3D models resemble real-life items. To create a three-dimensional object you can make use of 3D construction tools or benefit from 3d artists for hire.
The main objective of any 3D animator is to depict the movements of objects and characters as realistic as possible. You can create a perfect cartoon character, but if its movements are unnatural, not smooth, or like a robot, all the work will go down the drain. Therefore, animators spend a lot of time on learning the basic principles of movement to make people believe the animation they see.
The difference between 2D and 3D animation
The main difference between two- and three-dimensional graphics is the way they are created and displayed. The first type uses a flat coordinate system with two vectors, the second – a three-dimensional one.
3D animation differs from the two-dimensionsional one in the following criteria:
- different ways of objects’ translation;
- more sophisticated playback equipment;
- bright special effects;
- the effect of the presence;
- a more realistic picture.
Final thoughts
Animations add colours to our lives. They attract our attention, express a range of emotions and just make us stay on a particular page. The appearance of 3D animation has marked the beginning of a new era in the industry. Despite this fact two-dimensional objects and characters are still widely used. You do not always need such complicated images for some common things like ads. But if you want to become a designer, 3D animation offers more career and salary opportunities now.
