Sliding skin deformer
AssigneePixar
InventorsMichael Comet, Philip Child
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This disclosure relates to methods and systems for generating deformers that allow nondynamic objects, such as representations of skin, to appear to slide on a target surface. Computer simulations can be inflexible when it comes to creative input and also introduces extra time into the production process. One or more controls (e.g., a slider or a dial) can be generated based on a weight map and a direction field of an irregular surface that allow the user to slide nondynamic objects, such as representations of skin, on the surface facilitating computer-generated animation.
Claims19
A method for facilitating computer-generated animation, the method comprising:
- receiving, at one or more computer systems, information specifying an irregular mesh;
- receiving, at the one or more computer systems, information specifying a weight map indicative of locations associated with the irregular mesh and a value for each indicated location weighting motion at the indicated location of one or more surfaces associated with the irregular mesh;
- receiving, at the one or more computer systems, information specifying a direction field independent of the weight map identifying one or more directions at one or more portions of the irregular mesh at which the one or more surfaces are moved along the portions of the irregular mesh;
- generating, with one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a sliding deformer for the irregular mesh based on the weight map and the direction field, the sliding deformer configured to constrain motion of the one or more surfaces relative to a predetermined shape of the irregular mesh in a manner consistent with the weight map and the direction field;
- and
- storing, in a storage device associated with the one or more computer systems, the sliding deformer in association with the irregular mesh.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for facilitating computer-generated animation, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
- code for receiving information specifying an irregular mesh;
- code for receiving information specifying a weight map indicative of locations associated with the irregular mesh and a value for each indicated location weighting motion at the indicated location of one or more surfaces associated with the irregular mesh;
- code for receiving information specifying a direction field independent of the weight map identifying one or more directions at one or more portions of the irregular mesh at which the one or more surfaces are moved along the portions of the irregular mesh;
- and
- code for generating a sliding deformer for the irregular mesh based on the weight map and the direction field, the sliding deformer configured to constrain motion of the one or more surfaces relative to a predetermined shape of the irregular mesh in a manner consistent with the weight map and the direction field.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.