Decorating computer generated character with surface-attached features
Granted: August 23, 2011
Patent Number:
8004519
A computer generated character is decorated with skin-attached features in computer graphics by defining a skin surface of the computer generated character. The skin surface is defined using a set of one or more connected parametric surfaces. Feature locations for the features are placed on the defined skin surface. Guide locations for guides are placed on the defined skin surface. The skin surface is partitioned into a plurality of cells. Each cell has a set of vertices. The set of…
Rendering of subsurface scattering effects in translucent objects
Granted: May 3, 2011
Patent Number:
7937245
Embodiments are directed to modifying an existing scheme for providing translucent illumination in order to take account of subsurface scattering. The color of a selected point of a translucent object can be determined using existing methods. The existing methods need not take subsurface scattering into account. Then, a contribution to the color at the selected point due to subsurface scattering may be calculated. The contribution due to subsurface scattering may be calculated based on a…
Rigging for an animated character moving along a path
Granted: April 19, 2011
Patent Number:
7928985
In computer enabled key frame animation, a method and associated system for rigging a character so as to provide a large range of motion with great fluidity of motion. The rigging uses a character body that moves along a path or freely as needed. The nodes in the body and path are not physically connected but are linked for performing a particular task. This task driven behavior of the nodes which may allow them to re-organize themselves in different re-configurations in order to perform…
Animating hair using pose controllers
Granted: January 18, 2011
Patent Number:
7872654
The present invention deforms hairs from a reference pose based on one or more of the following: magnet position and/or orientation; local reference space position (e.g., a character's head or scalp); and several profile curves and variables. In one embodiment, after an initial deformation is determined, it is refined in order to simulate collisions, control hair length, and reduce the likelihood of hairs penetrating the surface model. The deformed hairs can be rendered to create a…
Placing skin-attached features on a computer generated character
Granted: December 28, 2010
Patent Number:
7859546
Skin-attached features are placed on a computer generated character by defining a set of placement points on at least a portion of a skin surface of the computer generated character. For each placement point, a radius is defined for the placement point. For each placement point, a density value is determined for the placement point. The density value is a sum of weighted overlaps with neighboring placement points within the radius of the placement point. The weighted overlaps are…
Non-hierarchical unchained kinematic rigging technique and system for animation
Granted: August 24, 2010
Patent Number:
7782324
In computer enabled key frame animation, a method and associated system for rigging a character so as to provide a large range of motion with great fluidity of motion. The rigging uses a character body that moves along a path or freely as needed. The nodes in the body and path are not physically connected but are linked for performing a particular task. This task driven behavior of the nodes which may allow them to re-organize themselves in different re-configurations in order to perform…
Layering method for feather animation
Granted: January 19, 2010
Patent Number:
7649535
A method of animating feather elements includes: specifying initial positions for a skin surface and for feather elements; specifying positions for the skin surface at an animated time; determining a feather-ordering sequence for placing the feather elements on the skin surface; determining positions for skirt elements that provide spatial extensions for the skin surface at the animated time; determining positions for feather-proxy elements that provide spatial extensions for the feather…
Artist directed volume preserving deformation and collision resolution for animation
Granted: June 9, 2009
Patent Number:
7545379
A computer-based animation method and system for deforming animated characters (people, animals, etc.) using a volume preserving and collision resolution process for the animation. Parts of a character are deformed by a soft mesh deformation to emulate skin deformation due to flesh and muscle movement driven by the rigid body animation along the character's joints. Resolution of the interpenetration or volume loss of deformed parts is needed for smooth and realistic animation. The…
Multi-user video conferencing with perspective correct eye-to-eye contact
Granted: April 7, 2009
Patent Number:
7515174
A video conferencing system provides perspective correct eye-to-eye interaction for multiple participants at sites remote from each other. The system provides at each site a configuration of participant viewing positions, a multidirectional image capture system for capturing images of each position at one site from the perspective of each viewing position at the other site, and a multidirectional display system for displaying images of each viewing position at the other site from the…
Character deformation pipeline for computer-generated animation
Granted: November 6, 2007
Patent Number:
7292250
A deformation system for animation abstracts the notion of per-point deformation to create a pipeline, including a number of deformation modules capable of handling animation of geometry (such as characters), dynamics (such as simulations) and/or effects (such as particle systems). Deformation pipelines are defined, that work as templates capable of deforming and animating families of similar characters. Support is provided for various binding modes, including sequential, parallel,…
Wrap deformation using subdivision surfaces
Granted: June 26, 2007
Patent Number:
7236170
Deformations are applied to a model using a subdivision surface. Given a wrap and model, a subdivision surface is calculated from the wrap. The model is then bound to the subdivision surface. When the wrap is deformed, the subdivision surface is recalculated. The model is then deformed based on changes in the subdivision surface. Binding parameters may be assigned to control vertices in the wrap to control the application of the deformation to the surface.
Virtual conference room
Granted: October 10, 2006
Patent Number:
7119829
An enhanced video conferencing system and method includes at least two conference rooms, the conference rooms connected together electronically to permit the transmission of images and sound from one room to the other room. Each room has a large format display system for projecting images and a camera positioned with respect to the large format display system to capture images of the conference room and its participants while the participants are looking at the large format display…
