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Animation / Skinning
Versatile Walk Engine
Abstract: We propose an efficient walk component for the reative animation of biped characters of any size and proportions. The movement can be controlled by changing independently its style, desired speed, and desired target position. Compared to traditional approaches, our gait style parameterization provides an efficient way to generate a multitude of varied walking animations, as needed, for example, by crowd simulations.
Hardware Skinning with Quaternions
Abstract: This article describes a technique for spherical joint blending with quaternions. This fast, accurate, and compact skinning solution keeps joints from collapsing, which is a common artifact with skinning techniques such as vertex blending.
Motion Capture Data Compression
Abstract: This article demonstrates a lossy compression system that was developed to improve memory usage for motion capture data. While the system has some features that take advantage of bone hierarchies, a more general solution can be used on any keyframed animation, such as prerecorded camera movements and hand-animated physics objects.
Motion Capture-driven Simulation for Characters
Abstract: Simulation game engines (e.g. Havoc and Karma) are becoming increasingly popular, but the question of controlling characters in their frameworks is still mostly unanswered. Subtlies in the motion of animated, humanlike characters affect the believability, aesthetic and impact of animated agents in video games. While motion capture produces characters with stylistic detail in their movements, the data is difficult to edit and control, especially in a changing environment like those seen in the rich virtual worlds of current games. Dynamic simulation allows physical laws to dictate interactions under such circumstances, but controllers for simulated agents are difficult to construct because we do not know how to specify the details of human motion procedurally. In this lecture, we describe a technique for dynamic simulation driven by motion capture data as a means of controlling dynamic characters beyond the simple motion blending techniqes used thus far. Through combining simulation and motion capture, we work to retain the interactivity, reactivity, and non-precscribed effects of dynamics with the styliezed details of motion capture data.
Motion Synthesis
Abstract: Realistic character animation is a crucial component of a successful game. Because the players interact with the synthetic characters, their motions must react to a variety of situations. Capturing or key-framing all possible motions that a game character may need to perform is impractical. The presenter shows two motion synthesis algorithms that can generate motions on the fly for a variety of user or game engine constraints by re-arranging frames from a collection of previously captured or animated motions.
Fast Patch Normals
Abstract: Surface patches are a memory-efficient way of creating smooth surfaces that can be rendered at many levels of detail. However, having a smooth surface is not as useful if you cannot light it properly. For that, you need the normal vector at each vertex. This article describes how to treat the normal at each control point as a second control mesh, thus quickly approximating the correct surface normal. Although the results are not strictly correct, they can produce superior results by eliminating shading errors due to curve discontinuity introduced during skinning.
Improved Deformation of Bones |  |
Abstract: This article describes how to avoid joint pinching from typical skinning methods by introducing additional bones at troublesome joints, such as the elbow and knees. By carefully reworking the weighting data to account for these 'links,' we can use the same simple core deformation algorithm and only incur the small additional burden of a few extra bones.
Subdivision Surfaces for Character Animation | |
Abstract: This article introduces subdivision surfaces as a means of improving the appearance of game characters. First, we will present the different schemes available, focusing on two implementations of subdivision surfaces. Then, we will explore a number of optimization methods based on culling and preprocessing.
A Framework for Realistic Character Locomotion
Abstract: This article presents a solution to the foot sliding problem based on adjusting the position of the feet only when they are already in motion. A framework is described for applying this idea to the problem of realistic character animation by using independent modifiers for different parts of a skeleton.
Real-Time Animation of Trees | |
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Scripted Bodies and Spline-Driven Animation | |
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Animation With Cg
Abstract: Cg targets the ability to programmatically control the shape, appearance, and motion of objects rendered using graphics hardware. Broadly, this type of language is called a shading language. However, Cg can do more than just shading. For example, Cg programs can perform physical simulation, compositing, and other nonshading tasks.
Classic Super Mario 64 Third-Person Control and Animation
Abstract: This article will deal with the basic issues of controlling and animating a character from a third-person perspective. While it seems straightforward enough (just copy Super Mario 64), it's not as trivial as it first appears. There are many small nuggets of wisdom that can often take weeks of trial and error to discover.
Operations for Hardware-Accelerated Procedural Texture Animation
Abstract: This article covers a few fundamental operations for generating procedural animations, and puts these to use in specific examples that simulate fire, smoke, water, or perform image processing. With today's consumer hardware, we can even run complex cellular automata programs entirely within the rendering of a 3D accelerator and put the resulting animations to use in various effects.
Deep-Water Animation and Rendering
Abstract: This article introduces a new realtime level-of-detail deep-water animation scheme, which uses many different proven water models. In addition we show how to utilities today’s latest graphic hardware for realistic rendering of oceans. Topics include FFT, surface dynamics, navier-stokes, caustics, godrays, water optics, foam and spray.
Interpolated 3D Keyframe Animation | |
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A Fast and Simple Skinning Technique | |
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Filling in the Gaps-Advanced Animation Using Stitching and Skinning | |
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Devil in the Blue Faceted Dress: Real Time Cloth Animation
Abstract: Cloth animation is tricky, and even in the world of high-end computer graphics, it’s difficult to get right. Jeff Lander wanted to create realistic cloth in his environments and on his characters, so with his hardware accelerated graphics rasterization freeing enough processor power necessary to make it possible, he set set about creating a real-time cloth simulation.
Real-time Soft-object Animation using Free-form Deformation
Abstract: With increasing processor speeds, soft-object animation is finally affordable. You've heard of Bezier curves and surfaces - now use Bezier volumes to morph the heck out of your geometry. Add personality and exaggeration to a character's movements, or calculate the "intuitively correct" way to smash up a car.
Architecting a 3D Animation Engine
Abstract: The interface to a 3D animation system can be very simple or very complex. If you've written one, you know what I mean. If you haven't written one, you probably will someday soon. Here is a set of C/C++ interface guidelines for an animation engine.
Rotating Objects Using Quaternions
Abstract: Implementing a floating camera that tracks and rotates about a real-time 3D character is just one of the many reasons you should understand the importance and implementation of quaternions.
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