Automatic generation of avatar body models

A non-transitory computer-readable medium with instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

• obtaining a three-dimensional (3D) mesh of a virtual character, wherein the 3D mesh includes a plurality of vertices with respective positions in 3D space with one or more connections between the vertices;
• generating, based on the 3D mesh, an avatar body model for the virtual character, wherein the avatar body model includes a skinned 3D mesh, a plurality of body part meshes, and cage meshes corresponding to respective body part meshes of the plurality of body part meshes wherein the generating comprises:
• generating a skeleton for the virtual character based on the 3D mesh, wherein the skeleton includes a plurality of joints connected by respective bones, wherein individual joints of the plurality of joints are pre-defined joints based on a body type of the virtual character;
• associating each of the plurality of joints of the skeleton to at least one respective vertex of the plurality of vertices of the 3D mesh to obtain the skinned 3D mesh, wherein a respective skinning weight is assigned to each vertex of the plurality of vertices;
• segmenting the skinned 3D mesh, based on the skinning weights associated with the plurality of vertices into the plurality of body part meshes that correspond to respective body parts of the virtual character;
• and
• determining the cage mesh for each body part mesh;
• and
• animating the avatar body model to depict motion of the virtual character in a virtual environment.

A system comprising:

• a memory with instructions stored thereon;
• and
• a processing device, coupled to the memory, the processing device configured to access the memory and execute the instructions, wherein the instructions cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:
• obtaining a three-dimensional (3D) mesh of a virtual character, wherein the 3D mesh includes a plurality of vertices with respective positions in 3D space with one or more connections between the vertices;
• generating, based on the 3D mesh, an avatar body model for the virtual character, wherein the avatar body model includes a skinned 3D mesh, a plurality of body part meshes, and cage meshes corresponding to respective body part meshes of the plurality of body part meshes wherein the generating comprises:
• generating a skeleton for the virtual character based on the 3D mesh, wherein the skeleton includes a plurality of joints connected by respective bones, wherein individual joints of the plurality of joints are pre-defined joints based on a body type of the virtual character;
• associating each of the plurality of joints of the skeleton to at least one respective vertex of the plurality of vertices of the 3D mesh to obtain the skinned 3D mesh, wherein a respective skinning weight is assigned to each vertex of the plurality of vertices;
• segmenting the skinned 3D mesh, based on the skinning weights associated with the plurality of vertices into the plurality of body part meshes that correspond to respective body parts of the virtual character;
• and
• determining the cage mesh for each body part mesh;
• and
• animating the avatar body model to depict motion of the virtual character in a virtual environment.