Method and apparatus for creating and animating characters having associated behavior

A method of creating an animated character, the method comprising the steps of:

• selecting a character model associated with the animated character;
• associating a set of skills with the animated character;
• and
• associating a behavior with the animated character, wherein the behavior adapts to a plurality of environments.

A method of debugging an animated character, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. displaying the animated character;
• b. highlighting a current state of a state machine representing a behavior associated with the animated character;
• c. displaying a script associated with the current state of the state machine representing the behavior associated with the animated character;
• and
• d. recording events that occur as the character is animated.

An animated character generator comprising:

• a character editor;
• a skill editor coupled to the character editor for generating at least one skill associated with said animated character;
• and
• a behavior editor coupled to the skill editor, wherein the behavior editor generates character behaviors that are environment-independent and cause the automatic performance of said at least one skill associated with said animated character.

A computer software product including a medium readable by a processor, the medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

• identify the character for display;
• identify at least one skill associated with the identified character;
• determine at least one behavior associated with the identified character, and
• automatically animating the identified character with said at least one skill in response to said at least one behavior associated with the identified character.

A computer software product including a medium readable by a processor, the medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

• select a character model associated with an animated character;
• associate a set of skills with the animated character;
• and
• associate a behavior with the animated character, wherein the behavior adapts to a plurality of environments and cause the automatic performance of said at least one skill associated with said animated character.

A method comprising:

• identifying a character;
• associating a set of skills with the character, each skill of the set of skills comprising an act or series of acts the character may perform in one or more animated environments;
• associating a set of behaviors with the character, each behavior of the set of behaviors determining one or more skills the character will perform in the one or more animated environments in response to an event associated with the behavior;
• and
• automatically animating the character by causing a particular event associated with a particular behavior of the set of behaviors that evokes the character to perform one or more skills associated with the particular behavior.