← Animation Glossary

Level of Detail

Level of Detail in animation is when different parts of a character or object are shown with more or less detail depending on how important they are. For example, if a character is in the background, they might not have as much detail as if they were up close and important to the scene.

Please note that Level of Detail is not directly applicable to Brush Ninja.

In the world of animation, LOD (Level of Detail) is an essential technique that is used to streamline the rendering process. It’s all about optimizing the complexity of an object or scene based on its proximity to the viewer. By reducing the level of detail in far-off objects, we can conserve resources and increase the render speed.

As a general rule, objects that are farther away from the viewer appear smaller and less detailed. This means that they don’t need to be rendered with as many polygons as their close-up counterparts. By using LOD techniques, animators can reduce the computational load on their graphics processors without sacrificing visual quality.

The benefits of LOD are particularly evident in real-time applications such as video games and simulations. In these scenarios, high frame rates are essential for creating a smooth and immersive experience. Without LOD, it would be much more difficult to maintain a consistent frame rate since there would be too many polygons to render.

Another way that LOD can be used in animation is by reducing the level of detail in large, complex scenes. For example, if there’s a sprawling cityscape in the background of a shot, it may make sense to use lower-detail models for buildings and other objects that are far away from the camera. This allows animators to conserve resources while still maintaining visual fidelity.

There are several different techniques that animators can use to implement LOD in their work. One approach is to use pre-made models at different levels of detail and switch between them depending on proximity to the camera. Another option is to dynamically adjust the level of detail based on factors like distance and angle.

Level of detail can also be used as a stylistic choice. In 2d animation drawing simpler images in the background will keep the focus on the elements in the foreground.

Overall, LOD is an essential technique for any animator or game developer who wants to create high-quality work that runs smoothly and looks great. By optimizing the level of detail in their scenes and objects, they can achieve a balance between visual fidelity and performance that will keep audiences engaged and immersed in their work.

Animation Terms

2

2D Animation

3

3D Animation

A

Alpha Channel

Ambient sound

Animation

Anti-Aliasing

Anticipation

Aspect Ratio

B

Bezier Curve

Bitmap

Blue Screen

Bone Animation

Bounce

Broadcast Standards

C

Camera Angle

Camera Shake

Casting

Cel Animation

Character Animation

Character Design Sheets

Cinematic lighting

Claymation

Clean-up

Close-up

Color Correction

Color Grading

Compositing

Composition

Concept Art

Continuity editing

Cross-cutting

Cut

Cutout nimation

D

Depth of Field

Dialogue

Dissolve

Distributed Rendering

Dolby Atmos

Dope Sheet

Dutch Angle

E

Easing

Emitter

Exaggeration

Eyedropper

F

Foley

Follow through

Forward Kinematics

Frame Rate

Frame

Framing

Freeze Frame

G

Ghosting

GIF File Format

Golden Ratio

Graph Editor

H

High key lighting

Hue and Saturation

I

Inertia

Infographic Animation

Inverse Kinematics

J

Joint

JPEG File Format

Jump cut

K

Keyframe Interpolation

Keyframe

Kinetic typography

L

Layers

Lens distortion

Level of Detail

Lighting

Line of action

Lip syncing

Low key lighting

M

Match cut

Matte painting

Montage

Morphing

Motion blur

Motion capture

Motion graphics

Motion path

Motion trail

Mouth shapes

MP3 File Format

MP4 File Format

N

Network rendering

Non-linear editing

O

Occlusion culling

Onion skinning

Overlapping action

P

Pan

Parallel rendering

Particle system

Persistance of Vision

Phonemes

Playback speed

Plot

PNG File Format

Pose-to-pose animation

Props

Puppet animation

R

Render farm

Rendering

Resolution

Rigging

Rotoscoping

Rule of thirds

Run cycle

S

Safe zone

Scene

Score

Screenplay

Script

Shot

Silhouette

Skeletal animation

Slow Motion

Smears

Sound Design

Sound effects

Soundtrack

Special Effects

Split screen

Squash and Stretch

Staging

Stop Motion Animation

Storyboard

Straight-ahead Animation

T

Time Remapping

Timeline

Timing

Title Card

Title Sequence

Tracking shot

Tweening

V

Vector graphics

Visemes

Voice acting

Voice-over Narration

W

Walk cycle

WebM File Format

Weighting

Wide shot

Z

Z-depth

Zoom

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