# US 12,770,313 B1 · Control object for curve-based animation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,770,313 B1 - Document ID: US12770313B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 18/651,363 - Filed: 2024-04-30 - Granted: 2026-10-20 - Earliest claimed: 2024-04-30 - Assignees: Pixar - Applicants: Pixar - Inventors: Duc Nguyen; Jeremie Talbot; William F. Sheffler; Mark C. Hessler; Kurt Fleischer; Fernado De Goes - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12770313B1 ## CPC - G06T 13/40: of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings - G06T 17/20: Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, {tesselation} - G06T 19/20: Editing of three-dimensional [3D] images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts - G06T 2200/24: involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs] - G06T 2207/20101: Interactive definition of point of interest, landmark or seed - G06T 2219/2016: Rotation, translation, scaling - G06T 2219/2021: Shape modification - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract Systems and methods configure animation using profile curve controls. A set of profile curves defining a surface of an item are obtained and displayed on a user interface. Based on detecting the selection of a point on the set of profile curves, a control object configured for deforming the set of profile curves is generated, the control object being associated with the point, a plurality of translation values, and a plurality of rotation values. Based on detecting user interaction with the control object, the set of profile curves is deformed by applying changes to one or more of the plurality of translation values and the plurality of rotation values. Based on the deformation of the set of profile curves, a corresponding surface mesh is deformed for generating an animation of the item. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of providing an animation control, the method comprising: obtaining a set of profile curves defining a surface of an item; displaying the set of profile curves on a user interface; detecting, via the user interface, a selection of a point on the set of profile curves; based on detecting the selection of the point, generating a control object configured for deforming the set of profile curves, the control object being associated with the point, a plurality of translation values, and a plurality of rotation values; detecting a user interaction with the control object; based on the user interaction with the control object, deforming the set of profile curves by applying changes to one or more of the plurality of translation values and the plurality of rotation values; and based on the deformation of the set of profile curves, deforming a corresponding surface mesh for generating an animation of the item, wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface that displays the item, the control object, a name of the point, the plurality of translation values, and the plurality of rotation values. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the profile curves comprise a set of cubic Bézier splines. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the control object is further associated with a plurality of scale values. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the user interaction with the control object comprises dragging a handle of the control object to a desired position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the user interaction with the control object comprises rotating a handle of the control object to rotate a tangent point around the point. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying the updated plurality of translation and rotation values via the user interface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the control object includes a set of tangent bars terminating in tangent points. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the control object is generated in real time upon detecting selection of the point. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the item is a character and wherein the surface mesh defines body parts of the character. ### Claim 10 A system for performing animation, the system comprising one or more processors configured to: obtaining a set of profile curves defining a surface of an item; displaying the set of profile curves on a user interface; detecting, via the user interface, a selection of a point on the set of profile curves; based on detecting the selection of the point, generating a control object configured for deforming the set of profile curves, the control object being associated with the point, a plurality of translation values, and a plurality of rotation values; detecting a user interaction with the control object; based on the user interaction with the control object, deforming the set of profile curves by applying changes to one or more of the plurality of translation values and the plurality of rotation values; and based on the deformation of the set of profile curves, deforming a corresponding surface mesh for generating an animation of the item, wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface that displays the item, the control object, a name of the point, the plurality of translation values, and the plurality of rotation values. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, the profile curves comprise a set of cubic Bézier splines. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the control object is further associated with a plurality of scale values. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the user interaction with the control object comprises dragging a handle of the control object to a desired position. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the user interaction with the control object comprises rotating a handle of the control object to rotate a tangent point around the point. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: display the updated plurality of translation and rotation values via the user interface. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the control object includes a set of tangent bars terminating in tangent points. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the control object is generated in real time upon detecting selection of the point. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the item is a character and wherein the surface mesh defines body parts of the character.