Types of Animations

[Alolan_Apples]

If we’re talking about animatronics, this is the blog entry you’re looking for. What I noticed about physical objects in general is that when they move, there are different types of movements. Even those that don’t move could have animations because of light or sound.

Here are the list of all animations I can name:

Light:

Digital animations aside, light-based animations apply to decorative lighting, holograms, and anything with hidden lights.

• Shining - also known as light-up (toys and decorations), these are simple lights that stay on without any special effects.
• Flashing Lights - lights that flash on and off.
• Dimming Lights - lights that gradually change brightness.
• Color-Changing Lights (Flash) - lights that flash through different colors.
• Color-Changing Lights (Fade) - lights that gradually change colors.
• Moving Lights - the source of light moves, making the light move.
• Chasing Lights - in a set of lights, the lights that turn on and off make it look like the lights are chasing each other, or are moving around predictably.
• Twinkling Lights - in a set of lights, the lights that turn on and off are unpredictable.

Sound:

Even sound counts as an animation. It’s more of a feature for hearing though.

• Playing - these are simple sound effects that stay on without any special effects.
• Instant Volume - the sound changes loudness like how lights flash.
• Instant Pitch - the sound changes pitch like how lights flash.
• Gradual Volume - the sound changes loudness gradually, like dimming lights.
• Gradual Pitch - the sound changes pitch gradually, like dimming lights.
• Moving Sound - different sources of sound play after one source stops playing. It takes turns.

Linear Motion:

Now we’re going through the actual kinds of movements. For your information, linear motion always involves straight line motion.

• Horizontal (straight) - the object moves back and forth, or just moves one way then resets by going back.
• Horizontal (sideways) - the object moves back and forth sideways, basically going left or right.
• Vertical - the object moves up and down. It can be a shot up or a drop, then resets.
• Horizontal Square - the object moves around like if it were following a square or rectangle. It never changes elevation.
• Vertical Square - the object moves around like if it were following a square or rectangle. It switches between vertical and horizontal each time.
• Diagonal - the object moves up and down while moving vertically or horizontally.
• Popping - a hidden object pops in and out.
• Ripple - an object moves as it’s rippling.
• Dilation - an object expands or contracts, or is made to look like it expands or contracts.

Angular Motion:

Easily more common than linear motion when it comes to animatronics. It may be the source of linear motion in cars, but angular motion applies to angles.

• Rotation (spin) - the object rotates on its Z-axis.
• Rotation (sideways) - the object rotates on its X-axis.
• Rotation (forward) - the object rotates on its Y-axis.
• Rotation (wobble) - the object rotates back and forth.
• Revolution (horizontal) - the object moves around in a circle without changing elevation.
• Revolution (vertical) - the object moves around in a circle while changing elevation, similar to Ferris Wheels.
• Revolution (wobble) the object moves around in a circle back and forth.
• Hinge - the object rotates from its support, kinda like doors or flaps.
• Pendulum - a hanging object revolves.
• Screen Change - a series of wedge-like objects revolve to make a screen look like it’s changing.

Projectile:

The last kind of animation would be projectile animations. That’s when an object is shot out from a source. This also applies to particle effects.

• Object - the projectile is a simple object, mostly balls.
• Squirt - the projectile is water or some other liquid.
• Waterfall - a source of liquid (usually water) pours out the liquid as if it were like a waterfall.
• Fog - the projectile is mostly fog coming from a fog machine.
• Fire - the projectile is mostly fire coming from a flame-emitting machine.