200 results about "Computer animation" patented technology

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus wherein physics models are integrated with motion capture animation to allow for variability in animations, dynamic response, such as animating events different from those for which motion capture data was obtained, including changes in character purpose and collisions. The physical model may include sets of internal forces and/or external forces. To facilitate the integration of mo-cap animation data with physics models, mo-cap animation data is played back using forces on physical models rather than directly setting joint angles or positions in a graphical skeleton, which allows the animation to be dynamically altered in real-time in a physically realistic manner by external forces and impulses.

Disclosed are a system and method for creating multi-angle views of an object-of-interest from images stored in a dataset. A user specifies the location of an object-of-interest. As the user virtually navigates through the locality represented by the image dataset, his current virtual position is determined. Using the user's virtual position and the location of the object-of-interest, images in the image dataset are selected and interpolated or stitched together, if necessary, to present to the user a view from his current virtual position looking toward the object-of-interest. The object-of-interest remains in the view no matter where the user virtually travels. From the same image dataset, another user can select a different object-of-interest and virtually navigate in a similar manner, with his own object-of-interest always in view. The object-of-interest also can be “virtual,” added by computer-animation techniques to the image dataset. For some image datasets, the user can virtually navigate through time as well as through space.

Methods for defining smooth and continuous coordinate systems in a volume comprised of a lattice structure of guide columns derived from arbitrarily modeled surface topologies involving polygons, nurbs, linear segments, and subdivision surfaces. Applications of these techniques in computer graphics and computer animation include: (1) the definition of pseudo-coordinate systems for use in creating geometry which must grow from said surface (2) the creation of a highly stable coordinate system involving guide columns in which Cartesian physical simulations may be carried out and rendered as well as deformed and rerendered if desired.

Methods and systems are disclosed to realistically simulate facial wrinkle aging of a person using a neutral state (natural look) image and one or more expression images (e.g., smile, frown, pout, wink) that induce wrinkles. The neutral and expression images are processed to simulate wrinkle aging by registering the wrinkles that are visible in the expression image onto the neutral image, thereby generating a wrinkle-aged simulated image. Advantageously, a person's own wrinkle histological data is utilized, hence providing an accurate and realistic wrinkle aging simulation. Similarly, the neutral image is processed to eliminate all visible wrinkles thereby generating a wrinkle de-aged simulation image. Additionally, blending of a neutral image with an aged or de-aged simulation image is disclosed, where the degree of blending is based on statistical modeling of skin condition with age and/or expected outcome of a particular type of treatment. The methods and systems disclosed have wide applicability, including, for example, areas such as dermatology, cosmetics and computer animation, among others.

System and methods for computer animations of 3D models of heads generated from images of faces is disclosed. A 2D captured image that includes an image of a face can be received and used to generate a static 3D model of a head. A rig can be fit to the static 3D model to generate an animation-ready 3D generative model. Sets of rigs can be parameters that each map to particular sounds or particular facial movement observed in a video. These mappings can be used to generate a playlists of sets of rig parameters based upon received audio or video content. The playlist may be played in synchronization with an audio rendition of the audio content. Methods can receive a captured image, identify taxonomy attributes from the captured image, select a template model for the captured image, and perform a shape solve for the selected template model based on the identified taxonomy attributes.

Methods and/or systems for modeling 3-dimensional objects (for example, human faces). In certain example embodiments, methods and/or systems usable for computer animation or static manipulation or modification of modeled images (e.g., faces), image processing, or for facial (or other object) recognition methods and/or systems.

A computer-animated scene illuminated by indirect light is shaded. The scene is comprised of sample locations on a surface element of an object in the scene. A point cloud representation of the scene is generated. Optionally, an importance map of the scene, based on the point cloud representation, is generated. The importance map is generated by rasterizing one or more points in the point cloud and designating areas of interest based on the energy value of the one or more points in the point cloud. A ray tracing engine is biased, based on the importance map. The biased ray tracing engine calculates the path of the ray to the sample locations in the scene to an area of interest. The scene is shaded using the output from the biased ray tracing engine.

This disclosure relates to computer-generated imagery (CGI) and computer-aided animation. More specifically, this disclosure relates to techniques for preserving the shape of simulated and dynamic objects for use in CGI and computer-aided animation.

The present invention is related to rendering computer animated video and/or images generally, and to simulating motion blur efficiently in computer graphics. The present invention includes selecting a plurality of sample locations from which to sample an object scene. If a given sample location overlaps a moving object, existing sample data computed or initialized for the sample location is replicated. This data is then separately updated by sampling the moving object at a plurality of times during the object scene. The replicated data is updated further by subsequently sampling moving and non-moving objects at some or all of the plurality of times. After all of the objects that overlap the sample location have been processed, the replicated data, which may be updated, is combined.

An exercise simulator and a method of encouraging exercise are disclosed. The exercise simulator has a steering component including a user-movable element and a steering sensor. The sensor outputs a sensor signal indicative of the amount of movement of the user-movable element to provide steering input to a computer. The computer has a program and data for providing a visually displayable simulated environment. The visually displayable simulated environment is navigable by user input comprising movement of the user-movable element. The visually displayable simulated environment can be part of a computer animated game.

The invention discloses a convex hull and OBB (Oriented Bounding Box)-based three-dimensional grid model framework extracting method, which comprises the steps of: partitioning a three-dimensional grid model to generate a plurality of sub grid models; solving a minimal convex hull for a point set of each sub grid, constructing convex hull approximation for the sub grids by using convex hull apexes and calculating a centroid of each convex hull point set to construct original framework points; then solving intersected point sets and generating joint framework points by using OBB for repeated calculation; and finally forming a complete framework by connecting the original framework points and the joint framework points. The convex hull and OBB-based three-dimensional grid model framework extracting method has the advantages of accurate data, convenience for operating, high calculating efficiency and the like. The invention also has an important application value in fields, such as computer animation, object identifying and matching, model reconstruction, virtual navigation and the like.

A method of globally analyzing intersections between objects in computer animation includes providing objects represented by meshes, with each of the meshes being formed by a set of vertices, where a set of pairs of vertices defines a set of edges of the mesh. All edges of the meshes are checked to determine if the edges intersect with any of the meshes. An intersection path, formed by the intersection of the meshes, is traced and which vertices that are contained within the intersection path are determined. A polarity of each of the contained vertices is set to indicate that those vertices are contained within the intersection path. The analysis forms the backbone of a collision-response algorithm for unoriented objects such as cloth that is better than previous existing algorithms. The analysis also allows objects to be simulated even when hand-animated elements of the simulation have extreme amounts of interpenetration. Finally, simply displaying the nature and extent of the data found from the analysis provides extremely useful feedback to an end-user.

A method for simulating objects includes receiving a target shape associated with a simulated object. A difference is determined between the target shape and a measured shape associated with the simulated object. One or more forces are generated to act on the simulated object to reduce the difference between the target shape and the measured shape. The target shape may be updated when the difference between the target shape and the measured shape exceeds a predetermined tolerance. Updating the target shape may include reducing the target shape to move the target shape closer to the measured shape.