Constraint scenarios for retargeting actor motion

A computer program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and comprising instructions that when executed by a processor perform a method comprising:

• enabling a user to select one or more real-time constraint scenarios from a plurality of real-time constraint scenarios, each real-time constraint scenario corresponding to a relationship between motion capture information from an actor and a position or movement of a character having a plurality of limbs driven by the motion capture information;
• receiving, in a computer system, input generated by user selection of the one or more real-time constraint scenarios;
• activating, based on the one or more selected real-time constraint scenarios a first limb solver associated with a first limb in the plurality of limbs to calculate at least a first joint angle for the first limb, wherein the first limb solver is configured to calculate movement of the first limb from the motion capture information;
• based on the one or more selected real-time constraint scenarios, obtaining a corresponding joint angle for a second limb in the plurality of limbs directly from the motion capture information and registering the corresponding joint angle as a second joint angle for a second limb in the plurality of limbs without activating a second limb solver configured to calculate movement of the second limb from the motion capture information;
• and
• determining a root location for the character based on at least the first and second joint angles.

A computer program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, generate on a display device a graphical user interface comprising:

• a first area presenting a real-time view of a character driven by motion capture information from an actor;
• and
• a second area in which a plurality of real-time constraint scenarios are presented to the user for selection, each real-time constraint scenario corresponding to a relationship between the motion capture information and a position or movement of the character having a plurality of limbs driven by the motion capture information;
• the instructions further comprising instructions, that when executed by a processor, perform a method that:
• enables the user to select one or more real-time constraint scenarios from the plurality of real-time constraint scenarios;
• activates, based on the one or more selected real-time constraint scenarios a first limb solver associated with a first limb in the plurality of limbs to calculate at least a first joint angle for the first limb;
• based on the one or more selected real-time constraint scenarios, obtains a corresponding joint angle for a second limb in the plurality of limbs directly from the motion capture information and registers the corresponding joint angle as a second joint angle for a second limb in the plurality of limbs without activating a second limb solver configured to calculate movement of the second limb;
• and
• determines a root location for the character based on at least the first and second joint angles.

A system comprising:

• a motion capture device that detects motion capture information from an actor;
• a stance solver and multiple limb solvers for a character driven by the motion capture information, the stance solver and multiple limb solvers receiving the detected motion capture information;
• a graphical user interface component configured to present to a user a plurality of real-time constraint scenarios, each real-time constraint scenario corresponding to a relationship between motion capture information from an actor and a position or movement of a character having a plurality of limbs driven by the motion capture information;
• and
• an input device configured to enable a user to select at least one of the plurality of real-time constraint scenarios;
• wherein, based on the one or more selected real-time constraint scenarios, the system:
• (i) activates a first limb solver associated with a first limb in the plurality of limbs to calculate a first joint angle for the limb, and (ii) obtains a corresponding joint angle for a second limb in the plurality of limbs directly from the motion capture information and registers the corresponding joint as a second joint angle for a second limb in the plurality of limbs without activating a second limb solver configured to calculate movement of the second limb;
• and wherein the stance solver determines a root location for the character based on at least the first and second joint angles.