For anyone looking into the world of animation, this question often comes up. Some people might think that 2D animation is the obvious route to take – at large, it seems to be less complex with fewer details to consider.
However, starting off with 3D animation has its own set of valuable advantages. The answer of which type of dimensions are easier to put into motion is not as clear cut, it depends on your already existing skill set, along with a variety of other subjects regarding hardware requirements and production time.
The correct answer is different for every individual and to determine your best course of action you would have to fully comprehend the basis of both 2D and 3D animation. So, let’s compare them.
3D animation utilizes computer generated characters that possess height, width, and depth. These aspects are what makes 3D more realistic and grants us three-dimensional art.
In regards to time – there are no two ways about it, 3D animation will take longer to develop. However, keep in mind that development is always going to take some time, and the results are tied to how many hours you’re willing to invest in mastering the project. This is evident in game development time frames, as it normally takes months to create a 2D game but it can take years to complete a 3D game. While 3D might be time consuming, the visuals are arguably much more rewarding.
A downside to 3D animation is that it’s going to be heavier on your hardware, because it’s created exclusively with computer software and manipulates pixels to animate 3D models.
Right now the best tool for 3D animation is Maya, and many people have a love-hate relationship with the software because of how finicky it can be. There’s a lot of technical functions and built in systems to work with. That being said, at the start of learning you will inevitably be faced with common frustrations, you could potentially spend five hours on a two second animation and it still wouldn’t look right. Equally, there’s a chance you may achieve stunning visuals within only a couple of hours.
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Pro’s:
– You don’t need to be able to draw
– It matches the modern industry standard
– 3D Models are reusable
Con’s:
– The tools are more complex
– The learning curve is steeper
2D animation is usually based around vectors consisting of curves and lines. It’s considered the foundation of animation, the models are drawn by hand and imported into software programs. This means you would have to possess some level of artistic talent if you want to jump into 2D animation.
Due to the fact that 2D animation is less reliant on computer generated pixels, it won’t be as demanding on your system, you might work exclusively in the Blender software. This makes for an inexpensive art and cuts down significantly on production time, but it also limits your scope of work.
Pro’s:
– Teaches you the fundamental principles of animation
– Improves your drawing skills
– Inexpensive
Con’s:
– It’s intensive labor
– Limited in the scope of work
Take into account the style of the game you want to create, if it’s something you’re immensely passionate about and want the best visuals for – then it might be worth investing the time to learn and master 3D animation. If your focus is more on the film industry, then perhaps 2D animation is a better point to start at.
The professional fields in animation are very vast. There’s a high demand for animators in video games, film, commercial, advertising, and education. Along with that you could specialize in certain sectors as a modeler, rigging or texture artist, director, compositor, and much more.
On the creative side you need an active imagination and a keen eye for detail. Technical wise you would have to learn skills such as: rigging, modeling or drawing, texturing, shading, lighting, and rendering.
