I am confused about what software is used (bitmap or vector) in the making of anime characters and backgrounds. I’ve looked closely at anime and it looks like the backgrounds are made using bitmap software, but the characters with vector. Characters could be made with bitmap or vector software I suppose.
I noticed while watching anime that many times the camera zooms in on a character, yet the lines seem to stay the same thickness. This would suggest that characters are made with vector software. Of course, many times the camera will zoom in on backgrounds also.
Backgrounds and characters do not look like they were made with the same media in anime. I suppose it might be different from animation house to animation house. Perhaps there is no standard today.
Can anyone give me information on the subject of bitmap and vector based animation, as it pertains to character and background?
Thanks
Kori
Bitmap based or Vector based?
Moderators: Víctor Paredes, Belgarath, slowtiger
Short answer: The look of a film doesn't give away how it was done. Mostly.
Long answer: A director never lets a software dictate the style of his film. Rather, he will decide on a style, and then use a fitting combination of software to achieve that look.
Nowadays you can't judge from line quality wether it was produced by hand, analogue, digitally, bitmap-wise or vector-based. A straight line with sharp edges could be done in any of these. A line which looks like rough pencil is likely to be produced in a bitmap based program, however, good vector animation software like AS can imitate a pencil line quite good by means of brushes or other tricks.
You can try to track down a certain anime and find out how it was produced: sometimes they give away the name of their software in an interview.
The "standard" which still is followed for the majority of productions is the look of "cel animation" on painted background. The tools developed over the years had been optimized to mimick this look, that's why vector based animation software exists in the first place: in 1985 they thought it was a good idea. Remember that many "style" decisions were in fact "budget" decisions: in their search for producing animation as cheap as possible directors and artists found lots of shortcuts and tools which in return defined the "style" of their films.
Long answer: A director never lets a software dictate the style of his film. Rather, he will decide on a style, and then use a fitting combination of software to achieve that look.
Nowadays you can't judge from line quality wether it was produced by hand, analogue, digitally, bitmap-wise or vector-based. A straight line with sharp edges could be done in any of these. A line which looks like rough pencil is likely to be produced in a bitmap based program, however, good vector animation software like AS can imitate a pencil line quite good by means of brushes or other tricks.
You can try to track down a certain anime and find out how it was produced: sometimes they give away the name of their software in an interview.
The "standard" which still is followed for the majority of productions is the look of "cel animation" on painted background. The tools developed over the years had been optimized to mimick this look, that's why vector based animation software exists in the first place: in 1985 they thought it was a good idea. Remember that many "style" decisions were in fact "budget" decisions: in their search for producing animation as cheap as possible directors and artists found lots of shortcuts and tools which in return defined the "style" of their films.
And to further complicate things -- many studios (ALL major production houses) use custom software of some sort. Which you are unlikely to ever find out the details about unless you go to work there.
But this begs the bigger question -- why do you care? It doesn't really matter how somebody else does something. The important thing is to decide how YOU want to do something.
But this begs the bigger question -- why do you care? It doesn't really matter how somebody else does something. The important thing is to decide how YOU want to do something.
well i do think a good question related to this, since I'm still just messing with the trial AS6. is...
Do using bones on bitmap/png files look smooth when you do a lot of bending/warping with the bones? Does it get real jaggy using jpegs? I'll probably be using vectors all the way once I get serious gulp... and quit using my $1000 copy of Animate.
Do using bones on bitmap/png files look smooth when you do a lot of bending/warping with the bones? Does it get real jaggy using jpegs? I'll probably be using vectors all the way once I get serious gulp... and quit using my $1000 copy of Animate.
Thank you everyone for your help.
Slowtiger
You have always been good about answering my questions, as well as questions from others who, like me, need help. I want to thank you for spending your time to answer in such detail. I don’t think I have as much patience as you do.
About my question on bitmap and vector--- My goal is to make a three minute anime. (I have, so far, purchased Anime Studio and FlipBook.)
Regardless of what software anime is made with, most anime has the look of vector drawn characters, and traditional media made backgrounds (or perhaps bit-mapped). I have decided to use vector software for the characters, but I am unsure about what to use for the background, bitmapped or vector or traditional media.
Time is the problem. Backgrounds can eat up one’s time because of all the detail: buildings, trees, foliage, streets, etc. I am wondering which type of software, bitmapped or vector (or traditional media) would be the quickest solution for backgrounds. If they are all require about the same amount of time to make, that’s fine also. One other consideration I can think of is this, in anime, camera movement is used in almost all frames or clips. The backgrounds always have to be much larger than the viewing screen size to allow for these camera pans. Bitmapped images this large can create huge file sizes. I am not sure if this should be a consideration of vector over bitmapped.
Slowtiger
You have always been good about answering my questions, as well as questions from others who, like me, need help. I want to thank you for spending your time to answer in such detail. I don’t think I have as much patience as you do.
About my question on bitmap and vector--- My goal is to make a three minute anime. (I have, so far, purchased Anime Studio and FlipBook.)
Regardless of what software anime is made with, most anime has the look of vector drawn characters, and traditional media made backgrounds (or perhaps bit-mapped). I have decided to use vector software for the characters, but I am unsure about what to use for the background, bitmapped or vector or traditional media.
Time is the problem. Backgrounds can eat up one’s time because of all the detail: buildings, trees, foliage, streets, etc. I am wondering which type of software, bitmapped or vector (or traditional media) would be the quickest solution for backgrounds. If they are all require about the same amount of time to make, that’s fine also. One other consideration I can think of is this, in anime, camera movement is used in almost all frames or clips. The backgrounds always have to be much larger than the viewing screen size to allow for these camera pans. Bitmapped images this large can create huge file sizes. I am not sure if this should be a consideration of vector over bitmapped.
In regards to Japanese animation and the zooming thing, watch this Core Retas HD video (the bottom right video) from the US Celsys website.
http://www.celsys.co.jp/en/products/retas/hd/movie.html
This is the most common software package used in Japan for Animation production although some companies choose other software such as Ghibli (Digital Video's Toonz) and sometimes Production I.G. used Animo for some productions.
http://www.celsys.co.jp/en/products/retas/hd/movie.html
This is the most common software package used in Japan for Animation production although some companies choose other software such as Ghibli (Digital Video's Toonz) and sometimes Production I.G. used Animo for some productions.
In almost all "cell" style 2D animation... backgrounds don't move much. Characters move a lot. It isn't "vector" versus "raster" it is DETAIL versus LESS detail. In traditional anime long before they were done on computers the look of "vector" on "raster" was due to saving time by keeping the characters simple while spending more time and energy creating rich looking "painted" backgrounds. The backgrounds are not going to be changing every frame so they are static. The characters however are moving much more and have to be redrawn for each "frame" of change.
Along comes the computer and that same style is incorporated into the tools. Even though now with the speed and power of a computer the need to simplify the characters isn't always needed the style of anime was set by the earlier artists who were creating it.
Just some thoughts.
-vern
Along comes the computer and that same style is incorporated into the tools. Even though now with the speed and power of a computer the need to simplify the characters isn't always needed the style of anime was set by the earlier artists who were creating it.
Just some thoughts.
-vern
Not only that. A studio is a company like any other, it makes investments and wants to return a profit from that. Once a studio decided on a certain animation software, they will stick to it for the next 10 years, because the costs for the licences and the training of their employees must come in again. Of course this will restrict a director's choice of style to the limits of this software.the style of anime was set by the earlier artists who were creating it
As for your actual short film: I recommend you do a storyboard first. It doesn't have to be shiny, it only needs a sketch for each shot. Then you spread them on your floor and decide which look your film should have. Is it a story which needs very detailed backgrounds because they tell parts of the story? Is it a "universal" story not bound to any specific place and time? Then maybe a set of colour cards is good enough.
Only after this step you should decide in which technique the backgrounds have to be made.
kori,
I get the impression from questions like this that there is some desire to follow established guidelines for what is considered "official Anime". Is that the desire here? to make sure you follow the "rules" of "anme"? Or do you just like that style?
I was once "accused" of being an "anime" artist, even though I don't watch anime nor do I follow it. By coincidence or from some sort of subconscious influence in the popular culture a character I designed had an "anime" look to it.
I bring this up because apparently there are anime "purists" who get downright ANGRY about what is anime and what isn't. They have a check list of absolute rules that determine exactly what qualifies as "anime". I once saw a discussion on a different forum that got absolutely nasty because a new animated film came out that everyone called "anime" and some people were furious because it didn't follow "the rules" EXACTLY.
I am just curious about where the question comes from. I think artists don't need to lock themselves into rules or guidelines... like raster backgrounds and vector characters. You should follow slowtiger's advice and do what you think looks good and works for you.
I am clueless about the anime culture to be perfectly honest.
-vern
I get the impression from questions like this that there is some desire to follow established guidelines for what is considered "official Anime". Is that the desire here? to make sure you follow the "rules" of "anme"? Or do you just like that style?
I was once "accused" of being an "anime" artist, even though I don't watch anime nor do I follow it. By coincidence or from some sort of subconscious influence in the popular culture a character I designed had an "anime" look to it.
I bring this up because apparently there are anime "purists" who get downright ANGRY about what is anime and what isn't. They have a check list of absolute rules that determine exactly what qualifies as "anime". I once saw a discussion on a different forum that got absolutely nasty because a new animated film came out that everyone called "anime" and some people were furious because it didn't follow "the rules" EXACTLY.
I am just curious about where the question comes from. I think artists don't need to lock themselves into rules or guidelines... like raster backgrounds and vector characters. You should follow slowtiger's advice and do what you think looks good and works for you.
I am clueless about the anime culture to be perfectly honest.
-vern