Techniques and workflows for computer graphics animation system

A system, comprising:

• one or more processors configured to perform operations comprising:
• a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor and operable for storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
• (1) providing, from an animation application to a user device, a display environment for presentation of a scene space on a display device, wherein the animation application is a component of the computer-readable medium;
• (2) providing, from the animation application to the user device, a camera view of a body in the display environment, the body including at least one tracked point present in the scene space, wherein the tracked point is a point on, or relative to, a portion of the body;
• (3) associating one or more control mechanisms with the body, wherein a control mechanism of the one or more control mechanisms corresponds to a corresponding control parameter that defines movement of a corresponding portion of the body and/or a rate of movement in time of the portion of the body for changes in value of the corresponding control parameter, and wherein a plurality of control parameters define a parameter space distinct from the scene space with dimensions of the parameter space corresponding to the plurality of control parameters;
• (4) associating first user inputs as inputs to the one or more control mechanisms, wherein changes in values of the plurality of control parameters specify animation details;
• (5) providing, from an animation application to a user device, in the camera view of the body, a motion path of the tracked point;
• (6) receiving second user inputs corresponding to values of the motion path in the scene space;
• and
• (7) translating, using an inverse mapping, the values of the motion path in the scene space into the values of the plurality of control parameters wherein when the body is animated, the values of the plurality of control parameters in the parameter space are such that the tracked point follows, at least approximately, the motion path in the scene space.

A computer program product, stored on a non-transitory storage device, operable to cause one or more processors coupled to the non-transitory storage device to perform operations comprising:

• providing a display environment for presentation of a scene space on a display device;
• providing a camera view of a body for display in the display environment, the body including a tracked point present in the scene space, wherein the tracked point is a point on, or relative to, a portion of the body;
• associating one or more control mechanisms with the body, wherein a control mechanism of the one or more control mechanisms corresponds to a corresponding control parameter that defines movement of a corresponding portion of the body and/or a rate of movement in time of the portion of the body for changes in value of the corresponding control parameter, and wherein a plurality of control parameters define a parameter space distinct from the scene space with dimensions of the parameter space corresponding to the plurality of control parameters;
• associating first user inputs as inputs to the one or more control mechanisms, wherein changes in values of the plurality of control parameters specify animation details;
• providing, in the camera view, a motion path of the tracked point;
• receiving second user inputs corresponding to values of the motion path in the scene space;
• and
• translating, using an inverse mapping, the values of the motion path in the scene space into the values of the plurality of control parameters wherein when the body is animated, the values of the plurality of control parameters in the parameter space are such that the tracked point follows, at least approximately, the motion path in the scene space.