I DESIGNED AN ANIMATION MOTION CONTROL SYSTEM
THE EXPOSURE TOOL
The Prince of Egypt was a technical breakthrough because of its use of 3D/CGI techniques. It was one of the first times that three-dimensional computer-generated models were manipulated in a computer-generated environment to make the final film image. My team invented the software package, the Exposure Tool, which allowed the animators to create a 3D "virtual" space in the computer and place both 3D models and traditional, hand-drawn 2D artwork. The "camera" (or point-of-view) could then be moved anywhere in and around that set to create the desired movement or angle. The software's secret sauce "warps" the 2D artwork in the 3D space to maintain the proper perspective. The chariot race sequence in the film is just one of many such scenes created using this process. The Exposure Tool gave the animators great creative flexibility when building scenes and saved considerable time compared to traditional techniques.
Read about the SGI and Dreamworks partnership
Animators need to work like live action cinematographers
The actual chariots were modeled as three-dimensional objects, as was the roadway.
The horses, people and background were traditionally drawn 2D artwork, inserted into the 3D space.
The virtual "objects" in a virtual environment, could then be "moved" creating a sense of dynamic movement through space, while the software maintained the proper perspective..
