Deformation Techniques Exploring the Blending of Free-Form Deformation and Linear Blend Skinning

Project Summary Animation films involving 3D characters are becoming increasingly popular with both audiences and the studios producing them. Producing believable and expressive animated deformations of these characters is still a time consuming process. We propose a method that combines free-form deformations (FFD) and linear blend skinning (LBS) to help increase the animators efficiency while still giving them the control and flexibility they require to reach their artistic goals. While FFD and LBS are widely used in the industry, our method is unique as it allows both FFD and LBS to affect the deformation of the character in an animator controllable manner. Aims Full-feature 3D animation films are becoming increasingly popular with both audiences and the studios producing them. The majority of these 3D animations contain articulated characters that must achieve believable and engaging animation. Production studios and software developers have taken many different approaches to how this animation is achieved and each approach has brought pros and cons. The role of the animator is to create not just realistic animations, but also expressive and dramatic animations, of these 3D characters. Often an animator will want to step outside the bounds of physical possibility in order to achieve their artist goals. In order to animate these characters, the animator must use a variety of tools to deform the 3D model. There are many deformation techniques available. Some of these techniques provide outstanding results but offer the animator little room to manipulate the expression and dramatic side of the character. Examples of these usually occur in the physical simulation models of animation. Conversely, other techniques that provide a vast array of controls can often slow the animator down. The aim of these deformation techniques is to increase the efficiency of the animators' workflow. A deformation technique is of little value if it provides so many controls that it actually decreases the efficiency of the animator. Not only is it important to obtain the balance between control and efficiency with the deformation technique, it is also important to abstract the animator from the implementation of the characters geometry. Common techniques for modelling 3D characters include Polygonal, Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines or NURBS and SubDivision Polygonal modelling. Providing the animator with a common technique for animation of these modelling techniques will not only mean the animator is not required to understand how the model was modelled, but also liberates the modellers from any constraints …