Virtual Character Expression Transition via Segmented Facial Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for expressing virtual characters in interactive media, such as 3D skeletal animation and 2D facial mapping, face issues with high resource consumption and unnatural expression switching, leading to jams and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A method that acquires sequence frames of virtual character parts, identifies transition sequences for smooth expression changes, and plays these sequences in a specific order to achieve natural transitions between expressions, reducing resource waste and improving switching fluency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If 3D skeletal animation or 3D facial mapping is used to realize virtual character expressions, then expression accuracy and detail are improved, but resource consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The face is divided into multiple independent parts (eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, etc.), and each part is processed separately through 2D mapping and sequencing. This segmentation allows the system to achieve accurate expression control without processing the entire face as a single 3D model, thereby reducing resource consumption while maintaining expression precision.
2Use of energy by moving object
If 2D facial mapping is used to reduce resource consumption, then resource efficiency is improved, but expression switching becomes unnatural and prone to jams
Solution Approach 1:
Transition part sequences are pre-generated and stored in the resource library before actual expression switching is needed. When expression switching is required, the system retrieves and plays the pre-prepared transition sequence, which ensures smooth transitions without real-time computation delays, thereby avoiding jams and maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously generates and stores transition part sequences between different facial expressions in advance. This ensures that when expression switching is needed, the transition can be executed continuously and smoothly without interruption or jamming, as the transition path is already prepared and stored.
3Adaptability or versatility
If entire facial mappings are replaced for expression switching, then expression change is achieved, but resource waste increases and switching becomes unnatural
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of replacing the entire facial mapping, the system segments the face into multiple parts and only replaces the specific parts that need to change for a given expression. This selective replacement reduces resource waste while maintaining the ability to achieve diverse expression changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the base facial mapping with transition part sequences and expression part sequences into a unified playback mechanism. This combining allows the system to reuse the base mapping while overlaying transitions and expression changes, thereby avoiding complete replacement and reducing resource consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are an expression realization method and device for virtual character, and a storage medium, the method comprising: acquiring sequence frames of respective parts of a face of the virtual character, wherein the sequence frames of respective parts contain part sequences corresponding to respective expressions; acquiring a first part sequence corresponding to a first expression and a second part sequence corresponding to a second expression from the sequence frames of respective parts, wherein the first part sequence comprises a first transition part sequence, and the second part sequence comprises a second transition part sequence; and successively playing the first part sequence and the second part sequence according to a first preset instruction, wherein a playing of the first transition part sequence is located at a tail of the playing of the first part sequence, and a playing of the second transition part sequence is located at a head of the playing of the second part sequence.