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US-12626472-B1 - Computer graphics production control system and method

US12626472B1US 12626472 B1US12626472 B1US 12626472B1US-12626472-B1

Abstract

A computer graphics production control system is configured to generate scenes (including three-dimensional, deformable characters (“3DD characters”)) that can be manipulated to produce still images and/or animated videos. Such control systems may utilize 3DD characters that are controlled by a series of control points that are positioned and/or moved under the control of the artist. Body characteristics of 3DD characters are modeled as a series of inter-related points (e.g., skin triangles) that can be manipulated under the control of the model and the reference points (e.g., bones) of the body.

Inventors

  • Tianxin Dai
  • Aric G. S. Bartle
  • Alexis R. Haraux

Assignees

  • Wombat Studio, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20240305

Claims (8)

  1. 1 . A computer graphics production control method comprising: receiving a computer model of a deformable character and modeling (1) a bone structure having plural bones and (2) skin, surrounding the bone structure, having plural skin regions such that skin regions of the plural skin regions are moved in relation to movements of respective bones of the plural bones; providing a user interface for receiving input from a user for controlling the deformable character using a set of control points for controlling the plural bones, wherein the user interface includes a flip pose interface for exchanging a first pose of at least one of a first limb and a first appendage from a first side of the deformable character with a second pose of at least one of a second limb and a second appendage from a second side of the deformable character opposite the first side without changing a camera angle; and displaying the deformable character in a computer graphics environment in response to the input received from the user using the flip pose interface.
  2. 2 . The computer graphics production control method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein providing the flip pose interface for exchanging the first pose of at least one of the first limb and the first appendage from the first side of the deformable character with the second pose of at least one of the second limb and the second appendage from the second side of the deformable character opposite the first side comprises an arm and hand pose interface for exchanging (1) a first pose of the first side of a first arm and a first hand and (2) a second pose of the second side of a second arm and a second hand.
  3. 3 . The computer graphics production control method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein providing the flip pose interface for exchanging the first pose of at least one of the first limb and the first appendage from the first side of the deformable character with the second pose of at least one of the second limb and the second appendage from the second side of the deformable character opposite the first side comprises an leg and foot pose interface for exchanging (1) a first pose of the first side of a first leg and a first foot and (2) a second pose of the second side of a second leg and a second foot.
  4. 4 . The computer graphics production control method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising: storing a static image based on the displayed deformable character displayed in response to the input received from the user using the flip pose interface.
  5. 5 . The computer graphics production control method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising: storing a series of images as a digital movie based on the displayed deformable character displayed in response to the input received from the user using the flip pose interface.
  6. 6 . The computer graphics production control method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising storing in a 3D file format a scene.
  7. 7 . A computer graphics production control system comprising: a computer processor; a computer memory accessible to the computer processor and configured to store computer processor instructions configured to, when executed by the computer processor, cause the computer graphics production control system to: receive a computer model of a deformable character and modeling (1) a bone structure having plural bones and (2) skin, surrounding the bone structure, having plural skin regions such that skin regions of the plural skin regions are moved in relation to movements of respective bones of the plural bones; provide a user interface for receiving input from a user for controlling the deformable character using a set of control points for controlling the plural bones, wherein the user interface includes a flip pose interface for exchanging a first pose of at least one of a first limb and a first appendage from a first side of the deformable character with a second pose of at least one of a second limb and a second appendage from a second side of the deformable character opposite the first side without changing a camera angle; and display the deformable character in a computer graphics environment in response to the input received from the user using the flip pose interface.
  8. 8 . A computer program product comprising: a non-transitory computer storage medium configured to store computer processor instructions configured to, when executed by a computer processor of a computer, cause the computer to: receive a computer model of a deformable character and modeling (1) a bone structure having plural bones and (2) skin, surrounding the bone structure, having plural skin regions such that skin regions of the plural skin regions are moved in relation to movements of respective bones of the plural bones; provide a user interface for receiving input from a user for controlling the deformable character using a set of control points for controlling the plural bones, wherein the user interface includes a flip pose interface for exchanging a first pose of at least one of a first limb and a first appendage from a first side of the deformable character with a second pose of at least one of a second limb and a second appendage from a second side of the deformable character opposite the first side without changing a camera angle; and display the deformable character in a computer graphics environment in response to the input received from the user using the flip pose interface.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/170,871, filed on Feb. 17, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The subject matter described in this application is directed to a computer graphics production control system and method, and in one embodiment to a computer graphics production control system and method that enables character control points and/or scenes to be manipulated with at least one of (1) multi-style control points with varying transparency, (2) multipoint head and neck controls, (3) a multiplicity of torso control points including a chest control point, a waist control point, and a pelvic control point, (4) camera rotation using locked objects, (5) an appendage posing control for displaying digit-by-digit control points, (6) percentage-based preset poses, and (7) a flip pose interface for exchanging a first pose of at least one of a first limb and a first appendage from a first side of the deformable character with a second pose of at least one of a second limb and a second appendage from a second side of the deformable character opposite the first side. Discussion of the Background Computer graphics production control systems allow artists to generate scenes (including computer-based, three-dimensional, deformable characters) that can be manipulated to produce still images and/or animated videos. Such control systems may utilize articulated computer-based, three-dimensional, deformable characters (referred to herein as “3DD characters”) whose motion are controlled by a series of control points that are positioned and/or moved under the control of the artist. Body characteristics of 3DD characters are modeled as a series of inter-related points (e.g., skin triangles) that can be manipulated under the control of the model and the reference points (e.g., bones) of the body. Within this application, the following terminology will be used: “Characters” are generally 3DD characters and include, but are not limited to, human-like characters (e.g., a male model, a female model), although other body forms (e.g., real and imaginary creature forms) are possible. “Deformable objects” include characters and other 3D objects with rigs/skeletons. “Objects” generally include deformable and non-deformable objects (e.g., a wall, a table, a light) in the scene. “Scene” includes all elements of the entire 3D scene including, but not limited to, all objects, lighting, shading, and camera setups. Some scene elements (e.g., shadows, special effects (such as smoke, explosions) and reflections) are not separate objects but instead are the result of an object interacting with other scene elements. “Camera” is a viewing direction of the artist. “Computer graphics environment” represents the environment in which an artist works to interact with a scene and includes, but is not limited to, the scene and the user interface that is superimposed over the scene (e.g., the menus and/or user interface controls that are overlaid over the scene that allow scene elements to be selected and manipulated). In the computer graphics production control systems described herein, generally, dragging on a control point allows an artist to make bigger, global changes (as compared to rotations discussed below). When an artist drags on any control point, other body parts move along naturally according to a model of the 3DD character's interconnections (e.g., bones and joints). For example, when an artist drags the ankle joint control point upward, the whole leg moves along. To achieve this, in the first step, the new orientations of the bones are calculated. Control points control the skeleton or bones of the character through means of the technique of inverse kinematics. That is, when a user drags a control point to a new location the control point creates a constraint between the location of the control point and the locations of several bones controlled by the control point. Satisfying this constraint may require moving/rotating the bone the control point is attached to as well as moving/rotating other bones of the skeleton. Such a constraint is referred to as an inverse kinematics problem and may be solved by a variety of methods like the Jacobian inverse technique, FABRIK, or cyclic coordinate descent. Each control point in the character forms an inverse kinematics problem, but the difference between each problem is in the matter of specifying which bones of the skeleton should be affected by the problem and also what are the maximal extents at which the joint of a bone can rotate to. For instance, dragging on the ankle should cause the leg to move, but should not cause the knee to invert, or cause the arm of the character to move. In the second step, how the skin of the character moves and deforms is calculated based on the new orientations of the bones. For a 3DD character, the skin of a cha