CORPORATE & PERSONAL ICONS, FONTS AND LOGOS
…come in one of two forms. One is the simple image. It exists as a computer file in any number of formats. JPEG (.jpg) is probably the most common. These images, also called bitmap or raster files are created through a series of very small spots of color called pixels. The other form is called a vector graphic. These files are built around mathematical equations applied the points, lines and curves that form the shapes and color gradations of the objects. The two most common forms of vector files are name AI (.ai) and EPS (eps). In 3D animation of graphics, text and logos. ALL objects need to begin as (converted to) vector graphics. Only vector graphics can be infinitely sized and ‘thickened’ to become 3 dimensional. If you are looking to have an image file converted into 3D, someone will have to convert it or re-build it from scratch as a vector graphic.
FONTS …are almost always built as vector graphics. Common types are TTF (.ttf) and OTF (.otf) If there are extensive font/text elements in your logo, it is sometimes quicker to find and convert the original font than to convert the multi-letter word one shape at a time.
RENDERING (from Wikipedia) …is the process of generating an image from a model (or models in what collectively could be called a scene file), by means of computer programs. A scene file contains objects in a strictly defined language or data structure; it would contain geometry, viewpoint, texture, lighting and shading information as a description of the virtual scene. The data contained in the scene file is then passed to a rendering program to be processed and output as a sequence of raster images.
RENDERING TIME …can be the singlemost important factor in computing a price for any particular animation. The longer my one single computer spends ‘processing’ the information of each frame of animation, the less time I have do to other projects. Some of the individual factors that increase render time are: multiple object, extensive shadowing, highly reflective surfaces, the total running time of the animation and the final output size of the final files.
FINAL OUTPUT FILES …can be any number of types. Know that 3DStudiomax renders one raster image for every frame of animation. Generally, each second of animation is a compiled sequence of 30 frames. While these frames stacks/images sequences can be handy for some applications, there are others for…others! I am fully capable of providing the file type(s) you will need for your animation.
FLASH …is a software program. It has come to be synonymous with animation, motion graphics…any kind of animated sequence. Know that FLASH files are a very specific type of file and may not be at all what you need. If you’re not totally sure you know what you need, just ask!