Tweening

1 definition found

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  tweening
       
           An {interpolation} technique where an {animation}
          program generates extra frames between the key frames that the
          user has created.  This gives smoother animation without the
          user having to draw every frame.


       
          A scene is described by a mathematical model - a set of two-
          or three-dimensional objects whose positions in are given by
          sets of coordinates.  Tweening uses mathematical formulae to
          generate these coordinates at a sequence of discrete times.
          The simplest system would move each point at a constant rate
          in a straight line between its initial and final positions,
          though other kinds of path are possible.  The coordinates at
          each time step are used to generate (or "render") a
          two-dimensional image of the scene which forms one "frame" of
          the animation.
       
          Tweening is similar to {morphing} except that morphing is
          usually performed by interpolating between corresponding
          points marked by the user on two images, rather than between
          two configurations of a model.
       
          (1995-04-04)