Sliding Skin Deformer for Flexible Animation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for creating nondynamic sliding deformers in computer-generated imagery (CGI) and computer-aided animation are inflexible and time-consuming, lacking adequate creative control and efficiency in simulating the movement of objects like skin on a surface.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced that generates a sliding deformer based on a weight map and direction field for an irregular mesh, allowing users to constrain and transfer information along the shape of the mesh, using a geodesic distance approach to simulate the movement of features such as vertices, edges, or faces, enabling more flexible and efficient animation control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional methods are used to create nondynamic sliding deformers, then the process is straightforward, but it is inflexible and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-computes geodesic distances and direction fields on the mesh surface before the actual animation process. This preliminary preparation allows the sliding deformer to operate efficiently during animation by simply applying pre-calculated geometric information, thus achieving flexibility without time-consuming computations during production.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate data structures including weight maps, direction fields, and pre-computed geodesic distance information. These intermediaries act as mediators between the mesh geometry and the sliding deformer, enabling flexible control of surface movement without requiring complex real-time calculations.
2Reliability
If complex simulations are used to achieve realistic movement, then realism improves, but computational complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex dynamic physics simulations with a geometric approach based on geodesic distances and direction fields. Instead of simulating physical forces and interactions, the system uses pre-computed geometric properties of the mesh surface to determine movement, achieving realistic skin sliding effects without the computational overhead of physics engines.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates simplified geometric representations (weight maps and direction fields) that copy essential surface properties without requiring full geometric detail. These copied representations enable realistic movement simulation while reducing computational complexity by working with condensed geometric information rather than complete mesh structures.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates to methods and systems for generating deformers that allow nondynamic objects, such as representations of skin, to appear to slide on a target surface. Computer simulations can be inflexible when it comes to creative input and also introduces extra time into the production process. One or more controls (e.g., a slider or a dial) can be generated based on a weight map and a direction field of an irregular surface that allow the user to slide nondynamic objects, such as representations of skin, on the surface facilitating computer-generated animation.