The Rise of 3D in Online Animations

Animated GIF images and Flash animations are rapidly becoming a relic of the past. Over the last several years, the Web has seen a growing number of visually rich animations using hi-def video formats and sophisticated 3D techniques. There are two main reasons for this:

	With the proliferation of high bandwidth Internet access, larger streams of richer content can be downloaded.
	The animation techniques that video game developers use are becoming mainstream for all content.

PlusOne Amsterdam, a Dutch production studio, is in the forefront of developing visually rich animations. Their content  creates an immersive experience for viewers. The implications for educational content in the future are enormous. Try viewing short examples of their work below.

BTW, I viewed these videos fullscreen in 1920x1080 screen resolution — they looked awesome!

Amsterdam DNA
The Amsterdam Museum's new exhibit takes you on a three-dimensional 45-minute journey through the Dutch capital’s history. Notice how adding depth to the animation brings it alive.

NCB Naturalis
NCB Naturalis, a recent merger of three institutes, is the Dutch center for excellence for biodiversity studies.

TED2011 Official Opening Film
The opening promo for the TED conference in Amsterdam, entitled "The Rediscovery of Wonder. There’s a lot of eye candy here.

For more examples of Plus One Amsterdam content, see PlusOne's videos on vimeo.

Animation Software
PlusOne Amsterdam uses the following software for designing and creating content:

Autodesk 3Ds Max Suite — for modeling, animation, rendering and compositing.
Maxon Cinema4D — for high-end 3D rendering
Adobe Creative Suite — for general purpose graphics design and editing