Even a basic understanding of the technology, the complex mathematics (expedited by computer software), and the hours of manpower behind the making of a movie such as Toy Story (1995) or A Bug's Life (1998) could change the way a viewer watches computer-animated movies. Knowing more about computer animation helps one better appreciate scenes in which Buzz and Woody careen down the street, passing other cars and whizzing by trees in a background so near to real life that it is easy to forget that the entire movie is fully computer animated.

Animation

The word "animate" means "to give life to," and animating is the process of moving something that cannot move itself. Computer animation creates the illusion of movement through a succession of computer-generated still images. Fully appreciating the high-speed efficiency and the complexity of computer animation requires a basic understanding of how animation was achieved before...