How to make animations/pictures for physics?

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SUMMARY

This discussion focuses on creating animations and images for physical models using various software tools. Key recommendations include Adobe Flash for 2-D animations, Fireworks for GIF creation, and Inkscape for 2-D still images. For 3-D animations, tools like Blender3D and POV-Ray are highlighted. MATLAB and Mathematica are noted for their flexibility in coding animations and visualizations.

PREREQUISITES
  • Familiarity with Adobe Flash for 2-D animations
  • Understanding of GIF creation using Fireworks
  • Basic knowledge of 3-D modeling with Blender3D or POV-Ray
  • Experience with MATLAB for coding animations
NEXT STEPS
  • Explore advanced features of Adobe Flash for interactive animations
  • Learn how to create GIFs using Fireworks and Photoshop
  • Investigate 3-D animation techniques in Blender3D
  • Research MATLAB's capabilities for visualizing physical models
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for physicists, educators, and animators looking to create visual representations of physical concepts using specialized software tools.

gamesguru
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How do you make animations or descriptive pictures for physical models? They're not hand drawn and I'm pretty sure it's not done in photoshop. Is there special software for this? Here's a few pictures of what I mean:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Stokes_sphere.svg/403px-Stokes_sphere.svg.png"
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Pendulum_animation.gif"
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/N-body_problem_(3).gif"
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/45/Double-compound-pendulum.gif"
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/imgmec/icyl3a.gif"
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/imgmec/amp1.gif"
ect...

Thanks in advance.
 
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I also suggest using Flash to demostrate animations.
 
Flash is great for that, and you can save it as an animated image within the publish settings. Another program that can animate GIFs is Fireworks. In fact it can even be done in Photoshop.

Plus with Flash, you can add user interaction.
 
For 2-D still images like the first one on your list Inkscape would be a good candidate.

For 2-D animations Adobe Flash, Microsoft Silverlight, or Sun JavaFX, or if you want to be standards-oriented SMIL. These are also good for the purpose of creating some interactive simulations or exhibits.

For 3-D stills and animations there's POV-Ray, Blender3D, Wings3D and a variety of other options out there.

And there are special pieces of software for special applications: Celestia, for example, for some types of scenes in space.
⚛​
 
All those images/animations are done with different programs. First one is hand drawn, probably adobe flash. Second and fourth one is from a kinematic analysis/demonstration program like "working model". I saw somebody do similar stuff using excel macros but i don't know how exactly. Third one is might be from a plotter like "sigma plot" or "origin", multiple plots have been merged to a gif animation using another program, flash can do that. The most flexible platform is MATLAB where you can do all this stuff with code.
 
Mathematica can do all of this.
 

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