Data driven design and animation of animatronics

Number: 9818217
Published: 2017-11-14
Filed: 2015-11-10
Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Inventors: Tena; Jose Rafael, Bradley; Derek, Beeler; Thabo, Snoddy; Jon, Ayala; Alfredo, Matthews; Iain, Martin; Anthony, Watson; Scott F.
CPC: G06T13/40; G06T17/20
Verdict: High Notable software
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

The keeper's note

Stabilizes 3D character topology mesh data by removing translational/rotational motion, as part of a data-driven design and animation pipeline for animatronics (granted).

Abstract

There is provided a method for use by a system including a hardware processor and a memory storing a three-dimensional (3D) character data having a topology mesh describing a character. The method includes stabilizing the 3D character data by removing atranslational motion and a rotational motion from the 3D character data, determining a range of motion of a plurality of points of the topology mesh describing the character, identifying a plurality of poses for generating an animation, where each of the plurality of poses includes a unique configuration of the plurality of points of the topology mesh, and creating an animatronic including a plurality of actuators configured to instantiate the plurality of poses for generating the animation.

Background

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS(1) FIG. 1 shows a diagram of an exemplary system fordata driven design and animation of animatronics, according to one implementation of the present disclosure;(2) FIG. 2 shows a diagram of an exemplary data collection for use withthe system of FIG. 1, according to one implementation of the present disclosure;(3) FIG. 3 shows a diagram of an exemplary animated character for use with the system of FIG. 1, according to one implementation of the present disclosure;(4) FIG. 4 shows a diagram of exemplary stabilized three-dimensional (3D) character data, according to one implementation ofthe present disclosure;(5) FIG. 5 shows a diagram of an exemplary topology mesh for use with the system of FIG. 1, according to one implementation of the present disclosure;(6) FIG. 6 shows a diagram of an exemplary processing of the topology mesh of FIG. 5 for use with the system of FIG. 1, according to one implementation of the present disclosure;(7) FIG.7 shows a diagram of an exemplary animatronic, according to one implementation of the present disclosure; and(8) FIG. 8 shows a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of designing and animating animatronics, according to one implementation of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION(9) The following description contains specific information pertaining to implementations in the present disclosure. The drawings in the present application and their accompanying detailed description are directed to merely

Claims

1. A method for use by a systemincluding a hardware processor and a memory storing a three-dimensional (3D) character data having a topology mesh describing a character, the method comprising: stabilizing, using the hardware processor, the 3D character data, wherein the stabilizing includes removinga translational motion and a rotational motion from the 3D character data; determining, using the hardware processor, a range of motion of a plurality of points of the topology mesh describing the character; identifying, using the hardware processor, a plurality of poses for generating an animation, wherein each pose of the plurality of poses includes a unique configuration of the plurality of points of the topology mesh; creating an animatronicincluding a plurality of actuators configured to instantiate the plurality of poses for generating the animation; building a computer graphics (CG) model of the animatronic including a computer animation model having at least one blendshape for each actuator of the plurality of actuators based on a pose space including a plurality of captured or simulated poses of the animatronic; evaluating the CG model for each pose of the plurality of poses in the pose space to determine whether a pose of the plurality of poses can be reconstructed by the blendshapes for one or more of the plurality of actuators; and in response to determining that the pose cannot be reconstructed by the blendshapes for the plurality of actuators, adding the pose to the computer animation model as a combination shape for reconstructing by the blendshapes for two or more of the plurality of actuators. 8. A system for animating an animatronic, the system comprising: a memory storing an animatronics application and a three-dimensional (3D) character data including a topology mesh having a plurality of points describing a character; a hardware processor executing the animatronics application to: stabilize the 3D character data, wherein stabilizing includes removing a translational motion and a rotational motion from the 3D character data; determine a range of motion for each point of the plurality of points the topology mesh; identify a plurality of poses for generating an animation, wherein each pose of the plurality of poses includes a unique configuration of the plurality of points of the constant-topology mesh; create an animatronic including a plurality of actuators configured to instantiate the plurality of poses for generating the animation; build a computer graphics (CG) model of the animatronicincluding a computer animation model having at least one blendshape for each actuator of the plurality of actuators based on a pose space including a plurality of captured or simulated poses of the animatronic; evaluate the CG model for each pose of the plurality of poses in the pose space to determine whether a pose of the plurality of poses can be reconstructed by the blendshapes for one or more of the plurality of actuators; and in response to determining that the pose cannot be reconstructed by the blendshapes for the plurality of actuators, adding the pose to the computer animation model as a combination shape for reconstructing by the blendshapes for two or more of the plurality of actuators.