Integrating a motion synthesis system into a video game system

A computer program product, encoded on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause operations to be performed, comprising:

• maintaining a mapping between a set of motion behaviors to be applied by a game engine to a full skeleton representation of a computer-generated character and another set of motion behaviors to be applied by a motion synthesis system to a simplified skeleton representation of the computer-generated character, where the full skeleton representation of the computer-generated character comprises a first set of bones, and the simplified skeleton representation of the computer-generated character comprises a second set of bones, where the second set of bones is smaller than the first set of bones;
• receiving, from the game engine, a request for a description of motion for the full skeleton representation, the received request specifying a first motion behavior from among the set of motion behaviors to be applied by the game engine to the full skeleton representation;
• converting, based on the maintained mapping, the specified first motion behavior to one or more motion behaviors from among the other set of motion behaviors to be applied by the motion synthesis system to the simplified skeleton representation;
• transmitting, to the motion synthesis system, a request for a description of motion for the simplified skeleton representation, the transmitted request specifying the one or more motion behaviors from among the other set of motion behaviors to be applied by the motion synthesis system to the simplified skeleton representation;
• obtaining, from the motion synthesis system in response to the transmitted request, the description of motion for the simplified skeleton representation;
• determining the description of motion for the full skeleton representation requested by the game engine based on the description of motion for the simplified skeleton representation obtained from the motion synthesis system, where the operation of determining the description of motion for the full skeleton representation comprises performing, for one or more full skeleton bones, at least the following operations:
• ascertaining whether a mapping between the full skeleton representation and the simplified skeleton representation specifies that a full skeleton bone corresponds to a simplified skeleton bone;
• in response to ascertaining that the full skeleton bone corresponds to the simplified skeleton bone, assigning the full skeleton bone a description of motion for the corresponding simplified skeleton bone, and
• in response to ascertaining that the full skeleton bone does not correspond to the simplified skeleton bone, determining an alternative description of motion for the full skeleton bone and assigning the full skeleton bone the alternative description of motion;
• and
• providing, to the game engine in response to the received request, the determined description of motion for the full skeleton representation.

A system comprising:

• a macro behavior system communicatively coupled with a game engine system and a motion synthesis system, the macro behavior system comprising:
• one or more processors;
• and
• a non-transitory computer storage medium encoding instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the macro behavior system to perform operations comprising:
• maintaining a mapping between a set of motion behaviors to be applied by the game engine system to a full skeleton representation of a computer-generated character and another set of motion behaviors to be applied by the motion synthesis system to a simplified skeleton representation of the computer-generated character, where the full skeleton representation of the computer-generated character comprises a first set of bones, and the simplified skeleton representation of the computer-generated character comprises a second set of bones, where the second set of bones is smaller than the first set of bones;
• receiving, from the game engine system, a request for a description of motion for the full skeleton representation, the received request specifying a first motion behavior from among the set of motion behaviors to be applied by the game engine system to the full skeleton representation;
• converting, based on the maintained mapping, the specified first motion behavior to one or more motion behaviors from among the other set of motion behaviors to be applied by the motion synthesis system to the simplified skeleton representation;
• transmitting, to the motion synthesis system, a request for a description of motion for the simplified skeleton representation, the transmitted request specifying the one or more motion behaviors from among the other set of motion behaviors to be applied by the motion synthesis system to the simplified skeleton representation;
• obtaining from the motion synthesis system in response to the transmitted request, the description of motion for the simplified skeleton representation;
• determining the description of motion for the full skeleton representation requested by the game engine system based on the description of motion for the simplified skeleton representation obtained from the motion synthesis system, where the operation of determining the description of motion for the full skeleton representation comprises performing, for one or more full skeleton bones, at least the following operations:
• ascertaining whether a mapping between the full skeleton representation and the simplified skeleton representation specifies that a full skeleton bone corresponds to a simplified skeleton bone;
• in response to ascertaining that the full skeleton bone corresponds to the simplified skeleton bone, assigning the full skeleton bone a description of motion for the corresponding simplified skeleton bone, and
• in response to ascertaining that the full skeleton bone does not correspond to the simplified skeleton bone, determining an alternative description of motion for the full skeleton bone and assigning the full skeleton bone the alternative description of motion;
• and
• providing, to the game engine system in response to the received request, the determined description of motion for the full skeleton representation.