Computer Graphics: Animation and GKS Standards
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├── 1. Animation
│ ├── Introduction to Animation
│ ├── Principles of Animation
│ ├── Types of Animation
│ └── Types of Animation Systems
│ ├── Scripting Systems
│ ├── Procedural Systems
│ ├── Representational Systems
│ └── Stochastic Systems
│
└── 2. GKS (Graphical Kernel System) Standards
├── GKS Primitives
│ ├── Polyline
│ ├── Polymarker
│ ├── Fill Area
│ └── Text
└── GKS Workstation and Metafiles
Example Of Animation
Animation isn’t just about moving drawings — it’s about bringing characters and actions to life in a way that feels real and engaging. To do that well, animators follow a set of tried-and-true principles that make movements look more natural and expressive. Whether you're making a simple cartoon or a complex 3D movie, these principles help give your animations personality, clarity, and flow. Let’s break them down in a simple way:
Principle | Description |
---|---|
Squash and Stretch | Makes things look more alive by showing how they stretch or squash — like a ball flattening when it hits the ground and stretching as it bounces back up. |
Anticipation | Prepares the viewer for what’s coming. For example, a character bends their knees before jumping — it helps the action feel believable. |
Staging | Helps the audience focus on what’s important in a scene — like using lighting or positioning to draw attention to a key moment or character. |
Straight Ahead & Pose to Pose | Two ways to animate: “Straight Ahead” means drawing frame by frame in order — great for spontaneous actions. “Pose to Pose” uses planned key poses first, then fills in the gaps — good for control and timing. |
Follow Through & Overlapping Action | Things don’t just stop all at once. If a character runs and stops, their hair or clothes might keep moving — that’s follow through. Overlapping means different parts move at slightly different times. |
Slow In and Slow Out | Movements usually start slowly, speed up, then slow down again. This makes things feel smoother and more natural. |
Arcs | Most actions in nature don’t move in straight lines — they follow a curved path. Using arcs makes movements feel more realistic. |
Secondary Action | Extra little movements that support the main action. Like a character talking while also moving their hands or shifting weight — it adds depth. |
Timing | How fast or slow something happens. Quick timing can show energy or excitement; slow timing can show calmness or sadness. |
Exaggeration | Pushing actions a bit beyond real life to make them more fun or dramatic. Like stretching a surprised face more than normal to get the emotion across. |
Solid Drawing | Even in cartoons, characters should feel like they have weight, depth, and balance — not flat or awkward. |
Appeal | Characters should be interesting to look at and easy to connect with. Think of it like the animation version of charisma. |
Animations can be created in different ways depending on how much control you want and how you want the motion to behave. Some systems let you write detailed instructions, others let the computer handle movements using rules or physics. Let's look at 4 major types — starting from the most manual and moving toward more automated or natural systems.
Main idea: You write code to control animations step by step.
In scripting systems, you're basically telling the animation exactly what to do using a programming language. Want a square to bounce or rotate on click? You write the code for that. This method gives you full control and is great for custom effects or repetitive tasks.
Main idea: Instead of coding every frame, you define rules or physics, and the system generates motion automatically.
Unlike scripting, where you control every move, procedural animation uses mathematical formulas or physics simulations to create motion. For example, a waving flag, water ripples, or falling leaves — the movement is generated based on behavior, not pre-written steps.
Main idea: Animates digital models using bones, joints, and real-world movement logic.
Here, characters are rigged with a digital skeleton (like bones and joints), and you animate those bones to move the character. It’s how most 3D movies and games animate humans, animals, and creatures.
Main idea: Adds natural randomness to make animations feel less robotic and more organic.
Stochastic animation doesn't create the main motion, but it adds subtle variations to make things look real. Think of a crowd of people where no two walk the same, or a fire where every flame flickers slightly differently. It relies on randomness — but in a controlled way.
GKS stands for Graphical Kernel System. It’s not a kernel like the Linux OS kernel — instead, it’s a standard set of core graphics functions (like drawing lines, circles, text, etc.) used to create 2D vector graphics. The term "kernel" here simply means "core" — like a shared toolbox or foundation that all systems could use to handle graphics in the same way.
Back in the 1970s–80s, every computer, monitor, printer, or plotter had its own unique way of drawing graphics. There was no common format or system, which made life difficult for developers. Imagine this:
This lack of standardization meant you couldn’t build one graphics program and expect it to work everywhere. Everything had to be customized — making graphics programming frustrating and inefficient.
That’s why the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) created GKS. It became the first official standard for 2D computer graphics. The goal was simple:
draw_line()
, fill_area()
, etc.)So rather than building separate “kernels” into printers or monitors, device manufacturers and software platforms simply agreed to follow this GKS standard API — making it easier for everyone to speak the same graphics language.
In short, GKS acted like a universal translator for drawing commands. It made graphics portable, consistent, and cross-compatible — just like how HTML standardized web pages or how USB standardized device connections.
GKS gives programmers four basic tools that combine like LEGO to make complex images:
GKS's clever solution to the device problem:
How GKS saves and shares drawings:
Concept | Modern Equivalent | Where You See It |
---|---|---|
GKS Primitives | HTML Canvas/SVG shapes | Web charts, mobile apps |
Workstation | Graphics drivers | Games adjusting to your GPU |
Metafiles | PDF vector graphics | Scalable logos, digital art |