Adaptive mesh skinning in a foveated rendering system

A computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• memory coupled to the processor and having stored therein instructions that, if executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to execute a method for implementing a graphics pipeline, comprising:
• generating a plurality of bones for an object defining positioning relationships between bones in the plurality of bones, wherein the plurality of bones is used for computer generated animation of the object in a plurality of images of a virtual scene using the graphics pipeline;
• determining a subsystem of bones from the plurality of bones for the object, the subsystem of bones including less bones than the plurality of bones when representing the object in whole;
• determining a foveal region when rendering a current image of the virtual scene including the object using the graphics pipeline, wherein the foveal region corresponds to where an attention of a user is directed such that gaze of the user is focused on the foveal region for the current image;
• determining that at least one portion of the object is located in a peripheral region for the current image;
• and
• animating the object for the current image by applying a transformation to the subsystem of bones reflecting a change in positioning of bones in the subsystem of bones from a previous image to the current image, the subsystem of bones used for the animating based on the at least one portion of the object being located in the peripheral region away from the attention of the user,
• wherein the plurality of bones and a plurality of joints for connecting the plurality of bones define a bone hierarchy of the object,
• wherein the subsystem of bones including less bones is a reduced representation of the bone hierarchy.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program for implementing a graphics pipeline, the computer-readable medium comprising:

• program instructions for generating a plurality of bones for an object defining positioning relationships between bones in the plurality of bones, wherein the plurality of bones is used for computer generated animation of the object in a plurality of images of a virtual scene using the graphics pipeline;
• program instructions for determining a subsystem of bones from the plurality of bones for the object, the subsystem of bones including less bones than the plurality of bones when representing the object in whole;
• program instructions for determining a foveal region when rendering a current image of the virtual scene including the object using the graphics pipeline, wherein the foveal region corresponds to where an attention of a user is directed such that gaze of the user is focused on the foveal region for the current image;
• program instructions for determining that at least one portion of the object is located in a peripheral region for the current image;
• and
• program instructions for animating the object for the current image by applying a transformation to the subsystem of bones reflecting a change in positioning of bones in the subsystem of bones from a previous image to the current image, the subsystem of bones used for the animating based on the at least one portion of the object being located in the peripheral region away from the attention of the user,
• wherein the plurality of bones and a plurality of joints for connecting the plurality of bones define a bone hierarchy of the object,
• wherein the subsystem of bones including less bones is a reduced representation of the bone hierarchy.