What is Animation in Simulation Modelling ?

What do you think about Animation ?

        Talking about animation always reminds us animated films like Toy Story, Wall-E, Coco, Ratatouille, etc. But animation is not limited to films. It has wide use in every industry where visualization of a product or an idea is required like we design circuit simulations with animated components in Tinkercad, simulation models related to supply chain management in Simio and design blueprints of buildings, bridges and roads in AutoCAD. 

        Many topics in engineering curriculum rely on visual components to convey concepts that are difficult to describe in words. Similarly, raw data plotted in a colourful three-dimensional graph brings life to static numerical information. Providing a visual component in teaching-learning system has extra-ordinary value. Adding animation to visual components serves to enhance the learning experience. Thus, we can say that animation is an integral part of engineering, education and operations management

        Use of animation as a simulation tool has grown rapidly in the past few years. While animation is often seen as mainly an aid to presentation, we can observe that it enhances all stages of model development.

What is Simulation ?

        Simulation is a useful technique for solving a business problem where many values of the variables are not known or partly known in advance and there is no easy way to find these values. Simulation may be defined as a “Quantitative technique that uses a computerized symbolic model in order to represent actual decision making.”

What is Animation ?

        Animation is the rapid display of images in sequenced succession such that, because of persistence of vision i.e., our eyes can retain an image for approx. 1/10 seconds, so when multiple images appear in fast succession, the brain blends them into a single moving image, which gives the illusion of movement or of time progression. Each frame of an animation is slightly different from the frame that came before it.

        Animation is not restricted to designing static characters or models. There are many different kinds of animation. Even the videos that we see are frame-based animations.

Types of animation

1) Frame-based animation

Frame-based animation: Frame-based animation is the simplest type of animation. It is based on the same principle as the flipbook, where a collection of graphic files, each containing a single image, is displayed in sequence and performs like a flipbook. 

2) Computer-generated and computer -assisted animation

        In computer-generated animation the animator is typically working in a synthetic three-dimensional environment with the objective of specifying the motion of both the cameras and the 3D objects. Motion specification for computer-generated animation is divided into two broad categories, interpolation and basic techniques and advanced algorithms. These somewhat arbitrary names have been chosen to accentuate the computational differences among approaches to motion control.

3) Vector-based animation

        Vector animation refers to animation where the art or motion is controlled by vectors rather than pixels. Vector-based animation uses mathematical values to resize images, so motion is smooth. They can re-use these creations so the animator doesn’t need to keep drawing the same characters over and over again. It often allows cleaner smoother animation because images are displayed and resized using mathematical values. instead of stored pixel values.

4) Character Animation 

     Character animation is a special branch of animation. It is the kind of animation that you typically see when you watch cartoons. It differs from other kinds of animation, such as motion graphics or animated logos, in that character animation involves complex organic shapes with multiple secondary, hierarchical motions. The role of character animator is analogous to that of a film or stage actor and character animators are often said to be "Actors with pencil." Realistic character movements are often simulated using motion capture and soft body dynamics simulations.

8) 2D animations

        Traditional animation is most often 2D animation. Aladdin, The Lion King and other earlier cartoons are the best examples of this. In order to create the animated sequence, the animator must draw every frame. It’s the same mechanism as a flipbook, just on a grander scale. In traditional animation every second included 24 frames. With the development of computer technologies this process of drawing frames by hands was digitized with various 2D animation software. 

9) 3D animations

        

        Three-dimensional (3D) animations typically require a longer time to set up and create than 2D animations. 3D computer animations are based on 3D coordinate system, which is a mathematical system for describing three-dimensional space. The X, Y, Z coordinates of points in space are used to define polygons, and collections of polygons make up the definition of three-dimensional objects. Many 3D programs have integrated drawing, modelling, animating, and rendering tools.

 

Simulation Model: Animation Vs No animation

Simulation also has many types one of them is Operational and conceptual simulation. Conceptual models hold principles, concepts, and facts related to the system being simulated while operational models include sequences of cognitive and non-cognitive operations in the simulated system. Most widely used operational simulation is Monte Carlo Simulation. It is a method of risk analysis. Businesses use it prior to implementing a major project or change in a process, such as a manufacturing assembly line. 

For the model builder, animation is a productivity tool which speeds the process of locating and removing errors in the model. The greatest asset of animation is the increased communication it allows between the model builder and the model user. Because of this communication, the model user can be much more actively involved throughout the model development cycle than is possible without the animation. This leads to significant improvements in the model and in the benefits the user receives from it.

        As part of the normal development cycle of a simulation project, Developer produces a detailed simulation specification which describes the operational features to be modeled, the modelling approach to be taken, underlying assumptions, the data required for the model and the alternatives to be investigated. This document is approved by the model user and is the basis for construction of the model. For the machining and assembly line discussed here, this document would be thirty pages long. While it is a necessary part of a simulation project, this specification document is boring and unfriendly to the plant engineer who is the model user. Without extensive study, it is difficult to understand how various parts of the system interact.

Role of animation in visualizing simulations

Animation imagination can run into any sphere so, it is easier to portray even the facts which cannot be showcased using actual human beings. Animation process helps to bring out a positive attitude and creative thinking of the students or the professional engaged in creating animation videos. Exciting, colourful, and engaging, animation videos help to create a virtual model of the product and the machinery and can also show the entire process involved in it.

       With the use of animation as a tool to enhance the accessibility and credibility of a simulation study, simulation will more rapidly grow as a valuable, an accepted and, ultimately, as a standard methodology for the manufacturing engineer.

       Many objectives of the operations process could be easily achieved with proper use of well-prepared animations in simulations. Animations in simulations are irreplaceable didactic tool when we are talking about promotion of higher level of interactivity in the Simulation models of any form.

       No matter what the exact use, animation is one of the most powerful creative tools we have, and we should continue to use it as a form of uniting people, no matter their beliefs, biases, or interests.

By: Mustansir Bohari 

 

Bibliography: 

1. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-animation-definition/

2. https://www.thejigsaw.in/blog/importance-of-animation-in-todays-world

3. https://stratifydigital.com/what-is-the-importance-of-animation-in-todays-world/

4. http://ciit.finki.ukim.mk/data/papers/8CiiT/8CiiT-38.pdf

5. Smith RL, Platt L. Cover story: Benefits of animation in the simulation of a machining and assembly line. SIMULATION. 1987;48(1):28-30. doi:10.1177/003754978704800106