Datasheet

Any discussion of resolution must include the matter of aspect ratio. Aspect ratio is the
ratio of the screen’s width to its height, and of course, there are standards:
Academy Standard 1.33:1 or 4:3 The most common aspect ratio. The width
is 1.33 times the length of the height. This is
the NTSC (National Television Standards
Committee) television aspect ratio as well as
the aspect ratio of 16 mm films and some 35
mm films, especially classics such as Gone with
the Wind.
Widescreen (a.k.a. Academy Flat) 1.85:1 or 16:9 The most often used 35 mm film aspect today.
When it’s displayed on a television, horizontal
black bars appear above and below the pic-
ture so that the edges are not cropped off
(letterbox).
Anamorphic Ratio 2.35:1 Using a lens (called an anamorphic lens), the
image captured to 35 mm film is squeezed.
When played back with a projector with an
anamorphic lens, the image is projected with
a width at 2.35 times its height. On a standard
TV, the letterboxing would be more severe to
avoid cropping the sides.
How many frames are played back per second determines the frame rate of the anima-
tion. This is denoted as fps, or frames per second. The following shows the three standard
frame rates for media:
• NTSC: 30fps
• PAL: 25fps
• Film: 24fps
Knowing your output medium is important when beginning an animation project.
Though not crucial, it can affect how you design your framing, create your movements,
determine how to render, and so on. You can change the frame rate and render resolution
at any time in Maya, but it’s always better to know as best you can what the final resolu-
tion and fps will be before you begin.
Playing back a 24fps animation at 30fps will yield a slower-moving animation and will
either necessitate the repetition of some frames to fill in the gaps or end the animation
early. Conversely, playing a 30fps animation at 24fps will create a faster-moving anima-
tion that will either skip some frames or end later than it should.
3D Coordinate Space and Axes
It is essential with a 3D program to know where you are at all times. You can do so if you
understand the toolset you’re working with and the 3D space in which you’re working. 3D
space is merely the virtual area in which you create your models and execute your anima-
tion. It is based on the Cartesian coordinate system, a geometric map of sorts developed
by René Descartes.
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