Key frame

Keyframe and keyframe animation are terms from the technology and digital video compression. The key frame animation, keyframe animation or keyframing also, is an animation technique which originated in the production of animated films. The keyframes roughly reflect the movement before, in the sequence by intermediate images (inter- frames, in-betweens ) is refined.

Traditional keyframe animation

Here first are of main signatories ( key signatories, Keyframer ) important individual images ( keyframes ) made ​​, set the coarse motion sequences, which should happen in the plot. Between the keyframes are then used by other artists (interim ( phase ) draftsman, inbetweener ) so many more images drawn (Inter frames) until the movement results in a fluid image.

The keyframes for themselves are still considered comparable with comic stories whose images are still far apart. Only with the new, additional inter- frames results in a liquid film. The production of keyframes requires a lot of experience because they can not subsequently be connected to interframes incorrect drawing that the film looks natural or believable.

The artist involved in the keyframe animation are in a strict hierarchy. At deeper levels more signatories are needed because getting much more inter frames are to be drawn as keyframes. The hierarchy of the signer can be high or low depending on the requirement and production structure. Example of a simple structure:

• Director (created storyboard )
• Key animator ( keyframing )
• Intermediate ( phase ) draftsman (Create interframes )
• Safety Specialist ( breaks all the images again cleanly ( cleanup) ).

This classic keyframe animation is very labor intensive.

Modern keyframe animation

In computer graphics, this principle works well. However, there will be no more needed between artist, as this work is picked up from the computer.

The Object to animate is in the form of a 3D coordinate body, can be assigned to the positions and shapes (parameters) that correspond to the keyframes in classical animation. The following inter- frames are independently interpolated by the computer. This leads to a complete sequence of movements that can be produced with any number of inter- frames.

Thus, for example for the animation of an arm locks into the air upwards, three keyframes are defined which correspond to snapshots of the movement. The Inter frames are calculated by the computer. Can (also called Bezier curves ) effected in various ways, linear or splines. The actual methods are varied.

The benefits consist of reductions in staff costs. On the other hand, the method considerable demands on the skills of the designers and computer graphics. The method can not be applied to complex animations, such as the appearance of facial expressions and gestures. Here are other methods, sometimes used in combination, such as motion capture ( Mocap ).

A program for keyframe animation, for example, After Effects from Adobe.

See also: animator, storyboard, script breakdown (animation).

Video Compression

In the digital video compression are keyframes ( I-frames and I- frames or slices ) frames that are coded independently of other images surrounding it. This means they are completely against. They serve the encoder as reference points for the following on them inter frames.

They continued to serve as start and end points for changes in the signal at the non-linear video editing and compositing, such as effects such as fades.

• Moving
• Animation