Interpolation

Interpolation greatly simplifies 3D object's animation. Unlike parametric curves, it is not necessary to define the position of the object as a function of time. When interpolation is used, we only need to define control points or knots. The set of control points describes the path that the object that we want to animate will follow. There are many interpolation methods in the literature; however, it is always a good idea to start from the basics.

Linear interpolation

This method requires that we define the starting and ending points for the location of our object and also the number of interpolating steps. The object will move on the line determined by the starting and ending points.

Polynomial interpolation

This method allows us to determine as many control points as we want. The object will move from the starting point to the ending point and it will go through each one of the control points in between.

When using polynomials, an increasing number of control points can produce...