Computer-assisted animation construction system using source poses within a pose transformation space

In a computer animation system, a process for creating animation drawings for use in an animation sequence depicting a transformation of an object, the process comprising:

• storing four source poses for said object, each said source pose comprising a predetermined form of said object,
• displaying a substantially tetrahedral pose transformation space using a stereoscopic display system,
• assigning each said source pose to a vertex of said pose transformation space,
• traversing a path within said pose transformation space using a computer input device, said computer selecting a plurality of points along said path spaced equally in time,
• calculating, for each said selected point, the distance to each of said vertices,
• generating, for each said selected point, a corresponding constructed pose, said constructed pose comprised of a composite of said source poses, wherein the contribution of each said source pose is inversely proportional to its distance to said selected point,
• and storing said constructed pose for use in an animation drawing.

In a computer animation system, a process for creating animation drawings for use in an animation sequence depicting a synchronized transformation of a first object and a second object, the process comprising:

• a) for each of said first and second objects, generating a plurality of constructed poses, wherein each said constructed pose is associated with a different point in time in said animation sequence and is generated in accordance with the following steps:
• storing four source poses for said object, each said source pose comprising a predetermined form of said object,
• displaying a substantially tetrahedral pose transformation space using a stereoscopic display system,
• assigning each said source pose to a vertex of said pose transformation space,
• traversing a path within said pose transformation space using a computer input device, said computer selecting a plurality of points along said path spaced equally in time,
• calculating, for each said selected point, the distance to each of said vertices,
• generating, for each said selected point, a corresponding constructed pose, said constructed pose comprised of a composite of said source poses, wherein the contribution of each said source pose is inversely proportional to its distance to said selected point,
• and storing said constructed pose;
• b) providing a velocity profile for each said plurality of constructed poses for said first and second objects, said velocity profile defining a relative rate of transformation of said object between adjacent ones of said constructed poses,
• c) selecting a first constructed pose for said first object for synchronization with a first constructed pose for said second object,
• c) assigning an animation frame identifier to said first constructed pose for said first object, said animation frame identifier establishing a point in time during said animation sequence for display of said first constructed pose for said first object,
• d) selecting said first constructed pose for said second object and assigning said frame identifier to said first constructed pose for said second object, and
• e) modifying said velocity profile for said plurality of constructed poses for said second object to adjust said relative rate of transformation of said second object so that said first constructed pose for said second object occurs at said point in time during said animation sequence for display of said first constructed pose for said first object.

A user interface in a computer-assisted animation construction system for creating an animation sequence comprising a transformation of an object, said interface comprising:

• a three-dimensional pose transformation space substantially in the shape of a tetrahedron, wherein each vertex of said tetrahedron is assigned a predetermined source pose of said object;
• means for specifying a path within said pose transformation space;
• means for detecting the position of said path-specifying means within said pose transformation space;
• means for generating a constructed pose based on said position of said path-specifying means;
• and
• means for specifying a rate of transformation from a first said constructed pose corresponding to a first position of said path-specifying means to a second said constructed pose corresponding to a second position of said path-specifying means.

A computer animation system for creating animation drawings for use in an animation sequence depicting a transformation of an object comprising:

• means for storing a plurality of source poses for an object for use in an animation sequence for said object, each said source pose comprising a predetermined form of said object,
• means for defining a pose transformation space dependent upon the number of said stored source poses,
• means for assigning each said source pose to a point within said pose transformation space,
• means for traversing a path within said pose transformation space using a computer input device, said computer selecting a plurality of points along said path,
• means for calculating, for each said selected point, the distance to each of said source pose points,
• means for generating, for each said selected point, a corresponding constructed pose, said constructed pose comprised of a composite of said source poses, wherein the contribution of each said source pose is determined by its distance to said selected point,
• and means for storing said constructed pose for use in an animation drawing.

A process for creating computer animation comprising:

• automatically defining a pose transformation space dependent upon a predetermined number of selected source poses for an object, and assigning each of said source poses to a point within said pose transformation space;
• detecting a path traversed by a computer input device moved within said pose transformation space;
• selecting a plurality of points along said path;
• generating, for each said selected point, a corresponding constructed pose, said constructed pose comprised of a composite of said source poses, wherein the contribution of each said source pose is determined by its distance to said selected point.

A computer animation system comprising:

• a display device for displaying a predetermined two or three-dimensional shape and a cursor indicative of the position of a computer input device;
• means for assigning a plurality of source poses for an object to distinct points within said predetermined shape;
• means, responsive to said cursor position, for generating a plurality of constructed poses using two or more of said source poses, said display device displaying said constructed poses;
• and
• means for controlling the elapsed time between the display of consecutive ones of said plurality of constructed poses.