Live performance control of computer graphic characters

A method of performing a computer graphic character, comprising the steps of:

• creating and storing character representation information in a computer, the character representation information comprising
• information referencing one or more control data, each control data configured to represent a position of a manual input device used to manipulate the computer graphic character;
• information referencing one or more virtual actuator data configured to represent a position of a specified portion of the computer graphic character, each virtual actuator data associated with a communication channel over which one of the control data is received;
• one or more expression information, each expression information associated with a physical movement of the computer graphic character specified by one of the control data and executed by one or more corresponding virtual actuator data and con figured to associate the one of the control data with the physical movement of the computer graphic character;
• receiving, at the computer, performer movement information from a manual input device that receives live manual manipulations that are homologous to a puppetry performance;
• creating and storing character motion information based on combining the performer movement information with the character representation information;
• displaying the computer graphic character substantially synchronized to the live manual manipulations using the computer and based on the character motion information.

A computer system providing live performance control of one or more computer graphic characters, comprising:

• a first computer comprising a character document that defines attributes of one or more characters and an expression generator that creates and stores character motion information based on attributes in the character documents, the character document comprising
• information referencing one or more control data, each control data configured to represent a position of a manual input device used to manipulate the computer graphic character;
• information referencing one or more virtual actuator data configured to represent a position of a specified portion of the computer graphic character, each virtual actuator data associated with a communication channel over which one of the control data is received;
• one or more expression information, each expression information associated with a physical movement of the computer graphic character specified by one of the control data and executed by one or more corresponding virtual actuator data and configured to associate the one of the control data with the physical movement of the computer graphic character;
• a transducer apparatus coupled to the first computer to provide digital information representing movement to the first computer as the transducer apparatus is moved homologous to a puppetry performance;
• a second computer coupled to the first computer and comprising a character generating element configured to generate display information depicting the one or more computer graphic characters in response to and based on the digital information and the character motion information;
• a graphic display device coupled to the second computer and configured to display the computer graphic characters using the display information.

A computer system providing live performance control of computer graphic characters, comprising:

• a computer that stores one or more character documents that define attributes of the characters and comprising an expression generator that creates and stores character motion information based on attributes in the character documents, the character document comprising
• information referencing one or more control data, each control data configured to represent a position of a manual input device used to manipulate the computer graphic character;
• information referencing one or more virtual actuator data configured to represent a position of a specified portion of the computer graphic character, each virtual actuator data associated with a communication channel over which one of the control data is received;
• one or more expression information, each expression information associated with a physical movement of the computer graphic character specified by one of the control data and executed by one or more corresponding virtual actuator data and configured to associate the one of the control data with the physical movement of the computer graphic character;
• a transducer apparatus coupled to the computer to provide digital information representing movement to the computer as the transducer apparatus is moved homologous to a puppetry performance;
• a character generating element in the computer that is configured to generate display information depicting the computer graphic characters in response to and based on the digital information and the character motion information received via a local communications link;
• a graphic display device coupled to the computer and configured to display the computer graphic characters using the display information and using a character generation application and a 3D display application.

A computer system providing live performance control of computer graphic characters, comprising:

• a computer that stores a character document that defines attributes of one or more characters and comprising an expression generator that creates and stores character motion information based on attributes in the character document, the character document comprising
• information referencing one or more control data, each control data configured to represent a position of a manual input device used to manipulate the computer graphic character;
• information referencing one or more virtual actuator data configured to represent a position of a specified portion of the computer graphic character, each virtual actuator data associated with a communication channel over which one of the control data is received;
• one or more expression information, each expression information associated with a physical movement of the computer graphic character specified by one of the control data and executed by one or more corresponding virtual actuator data and configured to associate the one of the control data with the physical movement of the computer graphic character;
• a character generating element in the computer that is configured to generate display information depicting the computer graphic characters in response to and based on the character motion information and digital information that is received from a transducer apparatus coupled to the computer, wherein the digital information represents movement to the computer as the transducer apparatus is moved homologous to a puppetry performance;
• a graphic display device coupled to the computer and configured to display the computer graphic characters using the display information.

A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for performing a computer graphic character live, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• creating and storing character representation information in a first computer, the character representation information comprising
• information referencing one or more control data, each control data configured to represent a position of a manual input device used to manipulate the computer graphic character;
• information referencing one or more virtual actuator data configured to represent a position of a specified portion of the computer graphic character, each virtual actuator data associated with a communication channel over which one of the control data is received;
• one or more expression information, each expression information associated with a physical movement of the computer graphic character specified by one of the control data and executed by one or more corresponding virtual actuator data and configured to associate the one of the control data with the physical movement of the computer graphic character;
• receiving, at the first computer, performer movement information from a manual input device that receives live manual manipulations homologous to a puppetry performance;
• creating and storing character motion information based on combining the performer movement information with the character representation information;
• receiving the character motion information at a second computer;
• displaying the computer graphic character substantially synchronized to the live manual manipulations using the second computer and based on the character motion information.

A method of producing a motion picture that includes a performance of a computer graphic character, comprising the steps of:

• creating and storing character representation information in a first computer, the character representation information comprising
• information referencing one or more control data, each control data configured to represent a position of a manual input device used to manipulate the computer graphic character;
• information referencing one or more virtual actuator data configured to represent a position of a specified portion of the computer graphic character, each virtual actuator data associated with a communication channel over which one of the control data is received;
• one or more expression information, each expression information associated with a physical movement of the computer graphic character specified by one of the control data and executed by one or more corresponding virtual actuator data and configured to associate the one of the control data with the physical movement of the computer graphic character;
• receiving, at the first computer, performer movement information from a manual input device that receives live manual manipulations homologous to a puppetry performance and converts the manipulations into the performer movement information;
• creating and storing character motion information based on combining the performer movement information with the character representation information;
• receiving the character motion information at a second computer;
• creating and storing a motion picture medium that includes a display of the computer graphic character substantially synchronized to the live manual manipulations using the second computer and based on the character motion information.

A method of creating and storing information that defines a computer graphic character, comprising the steps of:

• creating and storing character representation information in a first computer, the character representation information comprising
• information referencing one or more control data, each control data configured to represent a position of a manual input device used to manipulate the computer graphic character;
• information referencing one or more virtual actuator data configured to represent a position of a specified portion of the computer graphic character, each virtual actuator data associated with a communication channel over which one of the control data is received;
• one or more expression information, each expression information associated with a physical movement of the computer graphic character specified by one of the control data and executed by one or more corresponding virtual actuator data and configured to associate the one of the control data with the physical movement of the computer graphic character;
• receiving, at the first computer, performer movement information from a manual input device that receives live manual manipulations homologous to a puppetry performance and converts the manipulations into the performer movement information;
• creating and storing character motion information based on combining the performer movement information with the character representation information;
• receiving the character motion information at a second computer;
• creating and storing a character model based on a display of the computer graphic character that is substantially synchronized to the live manual manipulations using the second computer and based on the character motion information.

A computer system comprising:

• a first computer comprising:
• a network interface;
• a memory;
• one or more processors connected to the network interface;
• the one or more processors configured for
• creating and storing character representation information, the character representation information comprising
• information referencing one or more control data, each control data configured to represent a position of a manual input device used to manipulate the computer graphic character;
• information referencing one or more virtual actuator data configured to represent a position of a specified portion of the computer graphic character, each virtual actuator data associated with a communication channel over which one of the control data is received;
• one or more expression information, each expression information associated with a physical movement of the computer graphic character specified by one of the control data and executed by one or more corresponding virtual actuator data and configured to associate the one of the control data with the physical movement of the computer graphic character;
• receiving performer movement information from a manual input device that receives live manual manipulations homologous to a puppetry performance;
• creating and storing character motion information based on combining the performer movement information with the character representation information;
• a second computer comprising:
• a network interface;
• a memory;
• one or more processors connected to the network interface;
• the one or more processors configured for
• receiving the character motion information;
• displaying the computer graphic character substantially synchronized to the live manual manipulations based on the character motion information.