Procedural Animation
Procedural animation is a technique in computer graphics and game development where animations are generated algorithmically at runtime, rather than being pre-authored by animators. It uses mathematical functions, physics simulations, or rule-based systems to create dynamic and responsive movements, such as character locomotion, cloth simulation, or environmental effects. This approach allows for more natural, adaptable, and efficient animations that can react to changing conditions in real-time.
Developers should learn procedural animation when creating interactive applications like video games, simulations, or virtual reality, where animations need to respond dynamically to user input or environmental variables. It is particularly useful for reducing manual animation work, enabling scalable content generation, and achieving realistic physics-based behaviors, such as in crowd simulations, procedural terrain, or character rigging with inverse kinematics.