Exploiting real time animation specification for traditional animation

Información del proyecto

ERASTA

Identificador del acuerdo de subvención: 24113

Proyecto cerrado

Fecha de inicio 1 Marzo 1997

Fecha de finalización 30 Abril 1999

Financiado con arreglo a

• Specific research and technological development programme in the field of information technologies, 1994-1998

Coste total

€ 1 160 000,00

Aportación de la UE

€ 670 000,00

Coordinado por

Limburgs Universitair Centrum
Belgium

Objetivo

Within a growing number of multimedia (MM) applications, recourse is taken to animated sequences in order to improve the look-and-feel of the titles at issue. These sequences can be produced utilizing traditional hand-crafted techniques, or can be created by means of computer based approaches. In the computer animation domain computers and software are supporting the animation production which is almost entirely directed towards three-dimensional (3D) animation. In traditional animation, which is mostly dealing with two-dimensional (2D) and two-and-a-half-dimensional (2.5D) animation (being layers of 2D animation), various categories can be indicated: ranging from pencil-drawn animation over cut-out shape animation to the conventional cell-based key-frame animation (an exception of 3D traditional animation is, e.g. physical puppet animation).
The emphasis of ERASTA will be put on servicing the MM industry involved in traditional animation.

With the continuing proliferation of television channels internationally, the growing global home video market, and interactive title production in general, the demand for traditional animation production is growing rapidly. As the production of traditional animation sequences can often be a very tedious and time-consuming task, it is worthwhile to take recourse to tools improving the production process. The various partners of the ERASTA consortium have the intention of integrating and utilizing high-end real-time animation specification techniques for servicing the various players in this field: At LUC-EDM, specific effort is put into servicing the development of tools for facilitating the production of two specific kinds of traditional animation: (i) cut-out shape animation, in which animators have to position and orient carefully dozens of (paper) cut-out shapes for each frame, and (ii) free form 2D character animation with the look-and-feel of traditional comic strip books. This is done by integrating a growing set of software modules on a graphics supercomputer (SGI ONYX) with a later migration to more standard equipment; ANDROME is looking for opportunities to utilise these tools in the service they currently offer to their animation customers; NOB Interactive envisions to integrate and to utilised innovative real-time 2D animation specification techniques in facilities for the TV broadcast world; Wavecrest wants to look for arising new market opportunities in context of its links to Cambridge Animation Systems (a major worldwide developer and vendor of 2D cartoon animation systems).

In this context, the objectives and expected results of the ERASTA Multimedia Support Network proposal are:
- to put a real-time animation specification system as a service at the disposal of the European multimedia industry involved in the production of animation (in two targeted traditional animation domains: cut-out shape animation and comic stripbook cartoon animation);
- to utilise the real-time 2D animation specification techniques as a facility service in TV broadcast applications;
- to put supercomputer 2D animation services at the disposal of SME's;
- to investigate the exploitation capabilities of a selected set of real-time 2D animation specification techniques as a new capability in existing systems;
- to increase awareness of the European multimedia industry utilizing 2D animation techniques of the potential in real-time 2D animation specification;
- to continuously search for spin-off activities utilizing the ERASTA (alike) services: e.g. generation of cartoon movies; generation of interactive comic strip-books; generation of Internet-based applications; ...
- to collaborate with an open character in the European MMSN-formula of ESPRIT, both on specific animation services as well as on the advancement of MM in general.

Ámbito científico (EuroSciVoc)

• ciencias naturales › informática y ciencias de la información › software
• humanidades › artes › arte moderno y contemporáneo › película
• ingeniería y tecnología › ingeniería eléctrica, ingeniería electrónica, ingeniería de la información › ingeniería electrónica › hardware informático › superordenador

Programa(s)

• FP4-ESPRIT 4 - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of information technologies, 1994-1998

Tema(s)

• 3.12 - Multimedia Support Centres

Convocatoria de propuestas

Datos no disponibles

Régimen de financiación

ACM - Preparatory, accompanying and support measures

Coordinador

Limburgs Universitair Centrum

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Dirección: Universitaire Campus/Wetenschapspark 2 ; 3590 Diepenbeek ; Bélgica
• Coste total: Sin datos

Participantes (3)

Androme

Bélgica

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Dirección: Wetenschapspark 1 ; 3590 Diepenbeek
• Coste total: Sin datos

NEDERLANDS OMROEPPRODUKTIE BEDRIJF N.V.

Países Bajos

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Dirección: SUMATRALAAN 45 ; 1217 GP HILVERSUM
• Coste total: Sin datos

Wavecrest Systems

Reino Unido

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Dirección: Roe Green Lane 9A ; AL10 OSH Hatfield
• Coste total: Sin datos