What is the difference between animation and simulation?
Animation is a cartoon rendering of a particular subject. It can be based on something real, or on something fictional. Simulation is a mathematical model based on something in reality. A simulation does not necessarily involve pictures — it can be purely mathematical. A cartoon that is also a simulation is based on a mathematical model of whatever is being shown (human body motion, background motion, animal motion, perspective, camera angle, camera field-of-view, etc.). These motions and perspectives are all modeled mathematically and a computer calculates motion and perspective. In an animation, it is simply up to the artist to draw each individual frame.
