Inverse kinematics for rigged deformable characters

A computer program product residing on a tangible medium and executable on a computer system including a processor, a user input device and a display, comprising:

• code that directs the processor to receive at least one surface deformation for a surface of a model of an object via the user input device, wherein the model of the object comprises a plurality of animation variables, wherein values for the plurality of animation variables are used to determine the surface of the model;
• code that directs the processor to, in response to the surface deformation:
• determine a first predefined pose for the model of the object from a plurality of pre-defined poses for the model of the object, wherein a pre-defined pose is based on motion capture data, wherein the first predefined pose comprises a first plurality of values for the plurality of animation variables and a first plurality of surface deformations;
• determine a second predefined pose, wherein the second predefined pose comprises a second plurality of values for the plurality of animation variables and a second plurality of surface deformations,
• determine whether the received at least one surface deformation is more similar to the first plurality of surface deformations associated with the first redefined lose or more similar to the second plurality of surface deformations associated with the second predefined pose;
• in response to determining that the received at least one surface deformation is more similar to the first plurality of surface deformations, pose the model of the object in response to the first plurality of values of the plurality of animation variables;
• in response to determining that the received surface deformation is more similar to the second plurality of surface deformations, posing, by the processor, the model of the object in response to the second plurality of values of the plurality of animation variables;
• and
• code that directs the processor to display the model of the object in the pose on the display.

A computer system comprising:

• a memory configured to store a model of an object comprising a plurality of animation variables, wherein values for the plurality of animation variables are used to determine a surface of the model of the object, and configured to store a plurality of predefined poses including:
• a first predefined pose, wherein a pre-defined pose is based on motion capture data, wherein the first predefined pose comprises a first plurality of values for the plurality of animation variables and a first plurality of surface deformations;
• and
• a second predefined pose, wherein the second predefined pose comprises a second plurality of values for the plurality of animation variables and a second plurality of surface deformations;
• a user input device configured to receive an input from the user;
• a processor coupled to the memory and to the user input device, wherein the processor is configured to:
• determine at least one surface deformation for the surface of the model of the object in response to the input from the user, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the received at least one surface deformation is more similar to the first plurality of surface deformations associated with the first predefined pose or more similar to the second plurality of surface deformations associated with the second predefined pose;
• and
• in response to determining that the received at least one surface deformation is more similar to the first plurality of surface deformations, pose the model of the object in a pose in response to the first plurality of values of the plurality of animation variables;
• and
• in response to determining that the received surface deformation is more similar to the second plurality of surface deformations, pose the model of the object in a pose in response to the second plurality of values of the plurality of animation variables;
• and
• a display coupled to the processor, wherein the display is configured to display the model of the object.