3D Animation Generation for Kinematic Assemblies in Gaming Engines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gaming engines lack the capability to effectively generate three-dimensional animations of kinematic assemblies, particularly those designed by CAD tools, due to the absence of provisions for working with mechanisms and constraints, making it difficult to portray complex movements and behaviors in immersive engineering scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize CAD tools to generate three-dimensional animations in gaming engines by receiving transformation matrices from CAD tools, converting them into a gaming engine-understandable format, and applying tangential continuity to create smooth animations, leveraging Coordinate Systems and Quaternion representations for precise geometric and constraint information transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If gaming tools are used to create animations, then animation generation is possible, but the capability to work with mechanisms and constraints is absent
Solution Approach 1:
A data conversion module is introduced as an intermediary between CAD tools and gaming engines. This module receives transformation matrices from CAD tools, converts them into gaming engine understandable formats using coordinate system transformations, and transmits the converted data to the gaming engine, enabling mechanism and constraint compatibility without direct integration
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables a single transformation matrix data structure to serve multiple purposes: it contains position, orientation, and scale information that can be interpreted by both CAD tools and gaming engines through appropriate coordinate system conversions, allowing the same data to drive both precise engineering representations and game-ready animations
2Adaptability or versatility
If transformation matrices are converted to gaming engine format, then compatibility is improved, but data precision may be lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter representation format of transformation matrices based on the target system. Transformation matrices containing position, orientation, and scale information are converted between different coordinate system formats (e.g., from CAD right-handed system to gaming engine left-handed system) while preserving the underlying geometric relationships and precision through systematic parameter transformation
3Manufacturing precision
If manual animation curve creation is required, then animation control is precise, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system copies transformation matrix data directly from CAD tool simulations to drive gaming engine animations. By replicating the positional and orientational data generated during CAD kinematic analysis and transferring it through the coordinate conversion module, the animation curves are automatically generated from the copied transformation data, eliminating manual creation while preserving the precision of the original mechanism definitions
Data Source
AI summary
The present technique discloses a method and system generating three dimensional animation in gaming engine. A CAD tool is used to generate 3D animation of kinematic assembly and it also stores the information related to complex joints and constraints of each component of the kinematic assembly. Then, it extracts information related to the co-ordinates of each component of the kinematic assembly in unit time and generate transformation matrix for each of those components. This transformation information is stored in JSON file. The gaming engine receives this JSON file from the CAD tool and convert the transformation matrix into gaming engine understandable pattern based on the co-ordinate system supported by the gaming engine. The gaming engine stores this converted transformation matrix into Quaternion representation. Then, the gaming engine applies tangential continuity to the Quaternion representation of each of the components of kinematic assembly to generate the 3D animation in gaming engine.