Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.

Louise Rasmussen

Domenico P Porcino

Adam Schnitzer

Joshua Goldenberg

Kent Oberheu

Lucas Adam Kovar

George Lucas

Steve Sullivan

Brett Allen

Greg James

Max S-Han Chen

Jonathan Stone

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for animation. An animation application creates an animation environment. An input device receives input from a user to the animation application. An output device displays output to the user of the animation application. The animation application is configured to have a mode of operation that includes displaying, through the output device, a 3D animation view of the animation environment overlain by a 2D edit view of the animation environment.

Animation environment

A 3D animation environment that includes an animation object is generated. A movement speed is assigned to object the 3D animation environment. An animation path containing at least first and second waypoints is generated. An animation sequence is generated by identifying a first section of the animation path connected to the first waypoint. A first animation of the animation object is generated in which the animation object moves along the first section of the path at the movement speed. A spatial gap in the animation path is identified between the first and second waypoints. A second animation of the animation object is generated in which the animation object moves, by keyframe animation, from the first waypoint to the second waypoint. A third animation of the animation object is generated in which the animation object moves along at least a second portion of the path at the movement speed.

Path and speed based character control

A first input is received in an animation creation application having a user interface showing a virtual-space area for first objects, and a timeline area for second objects representing events. To generate the first input, a user presses and holds an input control while a cursor is over one of the first or second objects. It is determined whether the input control is held for at least a predefined duration. If so, a copy of the object is assigned to the cursor, and the copy is subsequently pasted at another location in the user interface upon the input control ceasing to be held after the cursor is moved to the other location. If the input control does not remain held for at least the predefined duration the copy of the object is not assigned to the cursor.

Copying an object in an animation creation application

A system includes a computing device that includes a memory configured to store instructions. The computing device also includes a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method that includes defining at least one of a location in a virtual scene and a time represented in a timeline as being associated with a performance of an animated character. The method also includes aggregating data that represents actions of the animation character for at least one of the defined location and the defined time. The method also includes presenting a user interface that includes a representation of the aggregated actions. The representation is editable to adjust at least one action included in the aggregation.

Editable character action user interfaces

Interaction between a 3D animation and a corresponding script includes: displaying a user interface that includes at least a 3D animation area and a script area, the 3D animation area including (i) a 3D view area for creating and playing a 3D animation and (ii) a timeline area for visualizing actions by one or more 3D animation characters, the script area comprising one or more objects representing lines from a script having one or more script characters; receiving a first user input corresponding to a user selecting at least one of the objects from the script area for assignment to a location in the timeline area; generating a timeline object at the location in response to the first user input, the timeline object corresponding to the selected object; and associating audio data with the generated timeline object, the audio data corresponding to a line represented by the selected object.

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Fairfax, CA, United States of America

Louise Rasmussen