Aparatus and method for generating behaviour in an object

A method of controlling the behaviour of an articulate object, the method comprising the steps of:

• assigning a value to a behavioural parameter set associated with a behavioural characteristic of the object using a behavioural design interface arranged to provide input to a behavioural controller for the object, each said behavioural parameter set comprising at least one parameter affecting the behavioural characteristic;
• associating each parameter in the parameter set with a parameter value obtained by performing a function on the assigned value with a default value defined by a behavioural profile;
• inputting the parameter value to the behavioural controller for the object;
• inferring from said input, output generated by the behavioural controller;
• associating the output with a behavioural action by the object;
• and causing the object to perform the behavioural action.

A method of directly manipulating an object to control its behaviour, the method comprising the steps of:

• manipulating the object to perform a behavioural action;
• providing input representing the behavioural action to an output node of a behavioural framework, the output node being also arranged to provide output which is used to generate equivalent behaviour by the object,
• mapping the input received by the output node of the behavioural framework within the framework to derive a set of at least one parameter values for other behavioural nodes of the framework;
• inferring from the set of at least one parameter values derived a set of output values which will generate other equivalent behaviour by the object.

A method of inferring a plurality of internal parameter values for a behavioural controller for an object, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving input representing a behavioural action;
• inferring from said received input a set of at least one output values which corresponds to an equivalent behavioural action by the object;
• and
• inferring a value for each said plurality of internal parameters from said set of at least one output values, wherein the value inferred for each said plurality of internal parameters produces output by the behavioural controller resulting in equivalent behaviour to the equivalent behavioural action.

A method of generating behaviour in an object under the control of a behavioural controller comprising a framework of nodes, the method comprising the steps of:

• at least one node receiving input associated with a behavioural action;
• each said at least one node mapping received input to output;
• inferring a plurality of behavioural parameter values for other nodes in the framework using said output;
• mapping the received input using said inferred behavioural parameter values to provide output by the behavioural controller which generates equivalent behaviour by the object.

A method of generating behaviour in an object under the control of a behavioural controller, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving input associated with a behaviour action;
• mapping said received input to a set at least one output values which corresponds to equivalent behaviour by the object;
• inferring a plurality of behavioural parameter values from said set of at least one output values in accordance with a behavioural framework arranged to generate behaviour by the object;
• and
• generating equivalent behaviour in the object using said parameter values by loading these into the behavioural controller.

A behavioural controller arranged to generate behaviour in an object, the controller comprising:

• means to receive input associated with a behavioural action;
• means to infer a plurality of behavioural parameter values from said input in accordance with a behavioural framework arranged to generate behaviour by the object;
• means to derive output from the inferred plurality of behavioural parameter values;
• and
• means to generate equivalent behaviour by the object using the output derived from the parameter values.