Predicting the appearance of deformable objects in video games

A computer-implemented method of training a machine-learning model for predicting an appearance of a deformable object in a video game, the method comprising:

• performing one or more simulations of the deformable object overlying a moveable object, wherein the moveable object is in a particular configuration for each time step of a plurality of time steps of a simulation;
• for each simulation of the one or more simulations:
• generating one or more training examples for the simulation, wherein each training example comprises, for a particular time step of the simulation:
• (i) a representation of a configuration for the moveable object, (ii) a code for mesh data for the deformable object, and (iii) a code for texture data for the deformable object;
• and
• updating parameters of the machine-learning model, comprising for each of one or more training examples:
• inputting, into the machine-learning model, input data for the training example, the input data comprising the representation of the configuration of the moveable object;
• generating, as output of the machine-learning model, a model output including both a code for a predicted normal map and a code for a predicted mesh for predicting the appearance of the deformable object;
• and
• updating parameters of the machine-learning model based on a comparison of the model output for the training example with both:
• (i) the code for the mesh data, and (ii) the code for the texture data.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

• determining a configuration of a moveable object underlying a deformable object in a video game;
• inputting, into a machine-learning model, input data comprising a representation of the configuration of the moveable object;
• generating, as output of the machine-learning model, a model output including both a code for mesh data and a code for texture data for predicting an appearance of the deformable object;
• determining, from the model output including both the code for the mesh data and the code for the texture data, the mesh and texture data for the deformable object;
• and
• rendering the deformable object using the generated mesh and texture data.