Output details

Shape modeling for animated characters using ordinary differential equations

Originality: In this research, we developed a novel method for modelling the shape of animation characters by manipulating the visible outer surface or the "skin" using intuitive control handles. This method differs from the previous work in that we introduce physics-based control curves which define the skin surfaces ensuring that the shape deformation is physically plausible. By combining the strengths of many existing methods, such as realism, low computation cost and ease-of-use by the animator, it empowers the animator with the ability to animate the skin shape of a character both quickly and realistically.

Significance: The realism of skin deformations play a crucial role in character animation and directly impacts on the success of the end products within the creative industry. Realistic shape modelling is usually a costly procedure even for skilled character animators due to the time it involves. By improving the realism in a cost effective manner our approach has a direct benefit for small and large studios alike by reducing staff time. This work is jointly funded by the Royal Society (£12,000, You) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Rigour: By basing our technique on control curves that represent the skin surface, we are able to develop physics-based curve deformation algorithms, which are both efficient and physically accurate. We derive our curve deformations from the mechanics principles of beam bending, a technique used in structural engineering with rich theoretical underpinnings. Efficiency is maintained by the derivation of a finite differencing solution. A thorough evaluation was undertaken by both numerical examples and comparison with relevant existing methods. It is concluded that that our method is both efficient and accurate, combining the benefits of existing approaches.