The image shows a swinging pendulum. As it swings, it reaches an extreme position and then reverses its motion. In animation, what is this commonly referred to as?
Show Hint
"Slow in" refers to arriving at a pose slowly (decelerating). "Slow out" refers to leaving a pose slowly (accelerating). This principle adds realism to movement by mimicking real-world physics and inertia.
Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question asks for the specific animation term that describes the change in speed of an object as it approaches and leaves an extreme position in its path of action, like a pendulum at the top of its swing.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The motion of a pendulum is a classic example used to teach animation principles.
The pendulum moves fastest at the bottom of its arc.
As it swings up towards its highest point (the "extreme position"), it decelerates, or slows down.
At the extreme, it momentarily stops before accelerating again in the opposite direction.
Let's analyze the options in the context of animation terminology:
A. Pendulum principle: While animators study pendulum physics for timing, this is not a standard named principle of animation itself.
B. Slow in Slow out: This is one of the 12 basic principles of animation. It states that most natural movements start slowly, build speed, and then slow down before stopping. "Slow in" refers to the deceleration into an extreme pose or a stop. "Slow out" refers to the acceleration out of that pose. This perfectly describes the pendulum's motion at the peak of its swing.
C. Smooth Motion: This is a general goal of good animation, not a specific term for this action. "Slow in Slow out" is one of the techniques used to achieve smooth motion.
D. Squash and Stretch: This principle is used to give objects a sense of weight and volume. It's about deforming the object, not about the timing of its movement through space.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The act of slowing down as an object reaches an extreme position and then accelerating as it leaves is called "Slow in and Slow out".
