Introduction

Programming the animation of an object consists of generating numbers over time for the properties of the object. As opposed to motion in the real world, a computer animation consists of discrete steps—at each of which the values for the properties of an object must be generated. This can be as simple as adding two numbers at each step of the animation.

The important concept to grasp is how the numbers are behaving over time, not which property of the object is being animated. Once you understand how to get numbers to do what you want, you can animate any property you'd like. Most of the tutorial will deal with animating the location of a single object, since location shows what the numbers are doing better than other properties.

Several case studies will be presented that show how the ideas are used to produce complex animation.

Experimentation is highly encouraged. As you go through the tutorial, if you think "What if I did this? What if I did that?" make sure you try it out and see what happens!