Three dimensional modeling and animation system

A method of modifying a first visual representation of a virtual object displayed by a graphical modeling system on a graphical display device, comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• defining, by information stored in a storage device, one or more modifiers that may be applied to the object to thereby change a shape of the object, wherein each of the modifiers comprises information defining a modifier type, one or more modifier parameters, and a value associated with each of the modifier parameters;
• displaying the modifiers by displaying a wireframe in association with the first visual representation of the object, the wireframe having a shape defined by the one or more modifier parameters that are associated with the modifiers, and the wireframe's shape indicating an approximate resulting shape of the object when the modifiers are applied to the object;
• applying the modifiers to the object;
• and
• generating and displaying a second visual representation of the object based on the object and a particular modifier of the one or more modifiers, wherein said second visual representation of said object is deformed with respect to said first visual representation.

A method of modifying a first visual representation of a virtual object displayed by a graphical modeling system on a graphical display device, comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• defining, by information stored in a storage device, one or more modifiers that may be applied to the object to thereby change a shape of the object, wherein each modifier comprises information defining a modifier type, one or more modifier parameters, and a value associated with each of the modifier parameters;
• applying a particular modifier to the object by:
• displaying a three dimensional wireframe in association with the first visual representation of the object, the wireframe having a shape defined by one or more modifier parameters that are associated with the particular modifier, and the wireframe's shape indicating an approximate resulting shape of the object when the particular modifer is applied to the object;
• generating and storing a derived object based on the object and the modifiers;
• and
• generating and storing a derived object representation based on the derived object;
• and
• generating and displaying a second visual representation of the object based on the derived object representation, wherein said second visual representation of said object is deformed with respect to said first visual representation.

A three-dimensional modeling system that executes a method of modifying a first visual representation of a virtual object displayed on a graphical display device, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

• creating and storing information in a storage device that defines one or more modifiers that may be applied to the object to change a shape of the object, wherein each modifier comprises a modifier type value and one or more modifier parameter values;
• displaying the modifiers in a graphical user interface;
• displaying a wireframe in association with the first representation of the object, the wireframe having a shape defined by one or more modifier parameters that are associated with a particular modifier of the one or more modifiers, the wireframe's shape indicating an approximate resulting shape of the object when the particular modifer is applied to the object;
• applying the modifiers to the object;
• and
• generating and displaying a second visual representation of the object based on the object and the particular modifier, wherein said second visual representation of said object is deformed with respect to said first visual representation.