Animation is a fusion of art and technology that includes portraying still images in sequences, in short, giving life to images. Though it seems like a modern concept, the history of animation is rich and long. Over the years, continuous technological advancements have paved the way for the genre to gain popularity among mature audiences and families. 3D animation is all about providing a seamless visual experience of placing still characters lively in a three-dimensional environment, delivering a feel of visualizing objects as if in the real world.  This article talks about the diverse applications of 3D animation across various industries and the contribution of prominent players shaping the 3D animation market.

Penetration of 3D animation across industries: 

Initially, 3D animation was applied in the field of gaming to provide an immersive gaming experience to players. Gradually, it has found its place in different contexts such as TV shows, and movies. These days, it has expanded its reach to several other areas including corporate ad campaigns, architectural modeling, medical research, and many others for various purposes. Here are some diverse uses of 3D animations in today’s world:

• Gaming: Among youth, gaming has become one of the fascinating leisure activities. 3D animation provides more lively displays of the video game characters and intensifies the players’ actions. Nowadays, the integration with modern technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality has uplifted the impact of animation in gaming by adding special effects. Such eye-catching effects allow players to enjoy their gaming sessions with a thrilling experience. Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the popularly known video game animations that have embraced 3D technology.
• Architecture and design: In this sector 3D animation acts as a handy tool for creating displays of houses, buildings, and other infrastructures before they are constructed. These days, many architects are using AR and VR-incorporated animation tools to step inside their designs and offer clients a concrete idea of how the buildings or homes are going to look. These tools also help interior designers present their ideas to clients before starting the work, aiding convenience and suitability.
• Prototyping: It is beneficial for many engineering firms, businesses, and especially, medical technology companies to manage their budget on raw materials and save time and manpower by crafting a low-cost prototype. 3D animation combined with 3D printing can help organizations and companies to create a low-cost prototype before developing a final product.
• Marketing: The innovative technique can also add valuable insights into the marketing sector. Marketers can use this technique to give a better sense of ideas to audiences about the goods and products and provide demos of using them realistically. This can enhance the brand value of product-based companies by creating captivating content to grab the audience’s attention. Borgata, a leading online casino app is a great example of using 3D techniques to achieve higher conversion rates.
• Corporate presentations: Gone are those days when corporate meetings used to be boring. Today, working professionals have started using 3D-animated features in their presentations to draw the attention of audiences or clients and provide a better understanding of their ideas and thoughts.

The future landscape of the 3D animation market:  

The increasing utilization of 3D techniques across many industries including healthcare, entertainment, real estate, education, and many others is predicted to augment the growth of the global 3D animation market in the approaching years. Moreover, the rising utilization of 3D animation simulations across industries such as manufacturing, automotive, and aerospace, and the growing popularity of esports among the younger generation are expected to create lucrative growth opportunities for the market in the upcoming era. Despite numerous advancements, the need for powerful hardware and the time-intensive nature of high-quality 3D animation may restrain the market’s growth. However, the industry is poised for further innovations, including advancements in AI-driven animation combining more accessible virtual production tools.

New product launches in the industry:  

Owing to the growing demand for AI-powered animation across various sectors, several leading companies in the industry have come up with innovative product launches. A notable example is the launch of MotionGPT by DeepMotion, a leading provider of AI-based motion capture technology solutions. This launch would leverage the power of generative AI in the field of 3D animation and make this technique accessible to a diverse audience of creators and industries.

In September 2022, Autodesk, a leading American multinational software corporation announced the launch of its new product namely, Maya Creative, an affordable and professional tool for content creation. This launch would benefit individual creators and artists at smaller facilities to create content including modeling, short filmmaking, game development, and animations.

Mergers and acquisitions among leading players: 

To reshape the competitive insights, several prominent market players have undergone a series of mergers and acquisitions. In July 2023, Chaos, a leading developer of 3D visualization technology for architecture announced its acquisition of AXYZ Design, a renowned provider of 3D/4D animation software. With this acquisition, the companies aimed to expand an ecosystem of real-time visualization tools, 3D asset libraries, and photorealistic renderers to help architects work with enhanced digital capabilities.

Another instance is the acquisition of Externa CGI, a renowned 3D animation company by Brightly, a leading digital transformation studio, in October 2023. This acquisition would be favorable for Brightly to expand its portfolio by increasing technical capabilities in the field of animation, and 3D visualization, optimizing the capabilities of visual storytelling.

To sum up, the continuous lookout of graphic design experts and enthusiasts for AI-powered animation tools to expand their creative endeavors can remarkably drive the 3D animation market in the coming epoch. Moreover, the rising integration of modern technologies in animation techniques to speed up designs and development time and reduce expenses can pave the way for greater market opportunities.