Posing animation hierarchies with dynamic posing roots

A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions adapted to direct a processor to perform an operation, the operation comprising:

• presenting an animation hierarchy to a user, wherein the animation hierarchy includes a model root node and animation nodes, wherein each animation node is associated with an animation variable value specifying at least one of a position and an orientation of the animation node relative to the model root node, wherein the animation node in the animation hierarchy designated as the model root node is fixed;
• receiving a selection of a first animation node of the animation nodes as a posing root node;
• upon determining that a second animation node of the animation nodes is between the posing root node and the model root node, changing, in response to the selection of the posing root node, a value of the animation variable for the second animation node, wherein the changed value specifies at least one of the position and the orientation of the second animation node relative to the posing root node and not the model root node, and wherein the changed value of the animation variable for the second animation node specifies a rotation angle between the second animation node and a third one of the animation nodes, wherein the third animation node is closer to the posing root node than the second animation node,
• wherein the values of the animation variables for the animation nodes not between the posing root node and the model root node are unchanged in response to the selection of the posing root node;
• and
• creating a presentation of the values of the animation variables for display to the user.

A method of posing a computer graphics model, the method comprising:

• receiving an animation hierarchy including a model root node and animation nodes, wherein each animation node is associated with at least one animation variable specifying at least one of a position and an orientation of the animation node relative to the model root node, wherein the node in the animation hierarchy designated as the model root node is fixed;
• receiving a selection of a first animation node of the animation nodes as a posing root node;
• upon determining that a second animation node of the animation nodes is between the posing root node and the model root node, changing, in response to the selection of the posing root node, a value of the animation variable for the second animation node, wherein the changed value specifies at least one of the position and the orientation of the second animation node relative to the posing root node and not the model root node, and wherein the changed value of the animation variable for the second animation node specifies a rotation angle between the second animation node and a third one of the animation nodes, wherein the third animation node is closer to the posing root node than the second animation node,
• wherein the values of the animation variables for the animation nodes not between the posing root node and the model root node are unchanged in response to the selection of the posing root node;
• posing the computer graphics model associated with the animation hierarchy using the animation variables for the animation nodes;
• and
• rendering a computer graphics image including the posed computer graphics model.

A method of posing a computer graphics model, the method comprising:

• presenting an animation hierarchy to a user, wherein the animation hierarchy includes a model root node and animation nodes, wherein each animation node is associated with at least one model animation variable value specifying at least one of a position and an orientation of the animation node relative to the model root node, wherein the animation node in the animation hierarchy designated as the model root node is fixed;
• receiving a selection of a first animation node of the animation nodes as a posing root node;
• changing, in response to the selection of the posing root node, a value of the animation variable for a second animation node of the animation nodes, wherein the second animation node is between the posing root node and the model root node in the animation hierarchy, wherein the changed value specifies at least one of the position and the orientation of the second animation node relative to the posing root node and not the model root node, and wherein the changed value of the animation variable for the second animation node specifies a rotation angle between the second animation node and a third one of the animation nodes, wherein the third animation node is closer to the posing root node than the second animation node,
• wherein the values of the animation variables for the animation nodes not between the posing root node and the model root node in the animation hierarchy are unchanged in response to the selection of the posing root node;
• and
• creating a presentation of the values of the animation variables for display to the user.

A non-transitory medium including at least one computer-generated image, wherein the computer-generated image is created using a process comprising:

• receiving an animation hierarchy including a model root node and animation nodes, wherein each animation node is associated with at least one model animation variable specifying a position of the animation node relative to the model root node, wherein the animation node in the animation hierarchy designated as the model root node is fixed;
• receiving a selection of a first animation node of the animation nodes as a posing root node;
• changing, in response to the selection of the posing root node, a value of the animation variable for a second animation node of the animation nodes, wherein the second animation node is between the posing root node and the model root node in the animation hierarchy, wherein the changed value specifies at least one of the position and the orientation of the second animation node relative to the posing root node and not the model root node, and wherein the changed value of the animation variable for the second animation node specifies a rotation angle between the second animation node and a third one of the animation nodes, wherein the third animation node is closer to the posing root node than the second animation node,
• wherein the values of the animation variables for the animation nodes not between the posing root node and the model root node in the animation hierarchy are unchanged in response to the selection of the posing root node;
• posing a computer graphics model associated with the animation hierarchy using at least the values of the animation variables;
• and
• rendering the computer-generated image including the posed computer graphics model.