Pixar

Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Pixar Animation Studios

Andrew Witkin

David E Baraff

John R Anderson

Michael Kass

Lena Petrovic

John Christopher Anderson

Robert L Cook

Robert Jensen

Warren Trezevant

Marco Jorge Da Silva

Frank Sebastian Grassia

Kurt Fleischer

Cameron Davies

Thomas A Hahn

Hayley Iben

Anjali Dange

Miguel Campo-Rembado

Malcolm Blanchard

Users may dynamically specify a 'posing root' node in an animation hierarchy that is different than the model root node used to define the animation hierarchy. When a posing root node is specified, users specify the pose, including translations and rotations, of other nodes relative to the posing root node, rather than the model root node. Poses of nodes may be specified using animation variable values relative to the posing root node. Animation variable values specified relative to the posing root node are dynamically converted to equivalent animation variable values relative to the model root node, which then may be used to pose an associated model. Animation data may be presented to users relative to the current posing root node. If a posing root node is changed to a different location, the animation data is converted so that it is expressed relative to the new posing root node.

Posing animation hierarchies with dynamic posing roots

In a networked system, a method and apparatus for measuring advertising effectiveness involves broadcasting an advertisement at a broadcast time, monitoring at least one social network or other online forum following the broadcast time, filtering social network traffic to identify messages, search engine queries to identify queries, or other traffic entries, that appear to be responsive to the broadcast advertisement, determining a time of initiation for at least a plurality of entries that appear to be responsive to the broadcast advertisement, and determining at least one demographic for at least the plurality of the entries that appear to be responsive to the broadcast advertisement.

Data mining to determine online user responses to broadcast messages

Techniques are disclosed for accounting for features of computer-generated dynamic or simulation models being at different scales. Some examples of dynamic or simulation models may include models representing hair, fur, strings, vines, tails, or the like. In various embodiments, features at different scales in a complex dynamic or simulation model can be treated differently when rendered and/or simulated.

Simulation of hair in a distributed computing environment

Scale separation in hair dynamics

A model is associated with a deep pose. When the model is changed from an attractor pose to a current pose, the current pose and the attractor pose are compared with the deep pose. If any portion of the current pose is more similar to the deep pose than the attractor pose, then the attractor pose is updated. A portion of the attractor pose may be set to the corresponding portion of the current pose. The attractor pose may be modified by a function. Pose attributes of each pose degrees of freedom for the attractor pose, the current pose, and the deep pose may be evaluated to potentially modify all or a portion of the attractor pose. The attractor pose and pose constraints are used to determine a pose of the model, for example by an optimization process based on the attractor pose while satisfying pose constraints.

Inverse kinematic melting for posing models

Techniques are disclosed for orienting (or reorienting) properties of computer-generated models, such as those associated with dynamic models or simulation models. Properties (e.g., material or physical properties) that influence the behavior of a dynamic or simulation model (e.g., a complex curve model representing a curly hair) may be oriented or re-oriented as desired using readily available reference frames. These references frame may be obtained using a proxy model that corresponds to the dynamic or simulation model in a less computationally expensive manner in some embodiments than some techniques for determining reference frames directly using the dynamic or simulation model. In some embodiments, the proxy model may include a smoothed version of the dynamic or simulation model. In other embodiments, the proxy model may include a filtered or simplified version of the dynamic or simulation model.

Reorienting properties in hair dynamics

A method for a computer system for inspecting an animation sequence having a series of specified poses of an animated character includes receiving a mathematical performance style model associated with the animated character, receiving the series of specified poses of the animated character, each specified pose comprising respective values for the plurality of animation variables, determining an associated quality factor for each specified pose in response to the respective values for the plurality of animation variables and in response to the mathematical performance style model associated with the animated character, and providing feedback to a user in response to an associated quality factor for at least one specified pose.

Methods and apparatus for performance style extraction for quality control of animation

The pose of the model at an evaluation time is determined by interpolating pose attributes of the unconstrained pose degrees of freedom from previously defined poses. A neutral value of an attractor function at the evaluation time is based at least on the pose attributes of the unconstrained pose degrees of freedom. Because of this, the attractor function is time coherent. Similarly, pose constraints are determined by interpolating from previously defined pose constraints. Inverse kinematics or error minimization techniques modify the pose attributes of the unconstrained pose degrees of freedom to minimize the difference between the attractor function value for the pose attributes and the neutral value of the attractor function. The final pose of the model at the evaluation time is specified by the pose attributes corresponding with this minimization.

Interpolation between model poses using inverse kinematics

A method is described to let animators control the extent by which kinematically scripted character motions affect dynamically simulated objects' motions. The dynamic objects are connected to the kinematic character, such as clothing or hair, and the motion of the dynamic objects is simulated based on the motion of the kinematic character. Such control is important to produce reasonable behavior of dynamic objects in the presence of physically unrealistic kinematic character motion. An Inertial Field Generator (IFG) is employed to compensate for the unreasonable behavior of dynamic objects when the kinematic character undergoes unrealistic motion.

Inertial field generator: a method for controllably coupling kinematic character motions to dynamically simulated elements

Techniques for automatically maintaining continuity in animation across discrete animation changes. Smooth animation is achieved without forcing the animator to manually calculate compensation values or introducing extra controls to the models that are animated. Continuity or smoothness of the animation is maintained as varying aspects of the animation change under continued authoring.

Techniques for automatically maintaining continuity across discrete animation changes

A method for a computer system includes opening a first file describing a first object in an object environment, determining a reference for a second object, wherein the second object includes a plurality of attributes, receiving a second file describing the second object from a storage system; in response to the reference, and opening the second file describing the second object in the object environment, determining a modified value for an attribute from the plurality of attributes for the second object, and including in the first file the reference for the second object and the modified value for the attribute, wherein the second object is not stored in the first file.

Model referencing method and apparatus

A method of globally analyzing intersections between objects in computer animation includes providing objects represented by meshes, with each of the meshes being formed by a set of vertices, where a set of pairs of vertices defines a set of edges of the mesh. All edges of the meshes are checked to determine if the edges intersect with any of the meshes. An intersection path, formed by the intersection of the meshes, is traced and which vertices that are contained within the intersection path are determined. A polarity of each of the contained vertices is set to indicate that those vertices are contained within the intersection path. The analysis forms the backbone of a collision-response algorithm for unoriented objects such as cloth that is better than previous existing algorithms. The analysis also allows objects to be simulated even when hand-animated elements of the simulation have extreme amounts of interpenetration. Finally, simply displaying the nature and extent of the data found from the analysis provides extremely useful feedback to an end-user.

Global intersection analysis for determining intersections of objects in computer animation

Global intersection analysis for determining intesections of objects in computer animation

A method and an apparatus allows animators to control the extent by which scripted character motions affect simulated objects' motions. The simulated objects are connected to the character or non-simulated object, such as clothing or hair, and the motion of the simulated objects is simulated based on the motion of the character or non-simulated object. Collision flypapering is employed to yield the proper behavior of simulated objects when those objects are pinched by surfaces of the character and/or other collision objects.

Growing community of inventors

Oakland, CA, United States of America

Andrew Witkin