US 7,064,762 B2 · Methods and system for general skinning via hardware accelerators

Abstract

Complex computer graphics forms and motions can be constructed either by hand or with motion or geometry capture technologies, once they are created, they are difficult to modify, particularly at runtime. Interpolation provides a way to leverage artist-generated source material. Methodologies for efficient runtime interpolation between multiple forms or multiple motion segments enables computers to perform more realistic animation in real-time. Shape interpolation is applied to predefined figures to create smoothly skinned figures that deform in natural ways. Predefined figures are selected using a search technique that reduces the amount of interpolation required to produce real-time animation.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for generating a computer graphic of a shape to be animated, said shape having at least one joint wherein the shape changes about the joint, wherein the computer-executable instructions perform:

providing a mesh comprising at least three points, each point defined in three-dimensional space, said mesh indicative of the shape in a base position;
providing information indicative of the position of the points in the mesh corresponding to the shape at predefined positions wherein the shape has changed about the joint with respect to the base position;
generating the position of the at least three points as an interpolation between the information indicative of the position of the points in the mesh corresponding to the shape at least two selected positions from the predefined positions;
wherein the at least two positions are identified as the closest positions in parameter space to a desired position.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods and system for general skinning via hardware accelerators

Life of this patent

Methods and system for general skinning via hardware accelerators

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30