Dreamworks Animation LLC

Martin Peter Watt

James O'Brien

Stephen Bailey

Bo Morgan

Brendan Duncan

Alexander P Powell

Systems and processes providing a tool for visualizing parallel dependency graph evaluation in computer animation are provided. Runtime evaluation data of a parallel dependency graph may be collected, including the start time and stop time for each node in the graph. The visualization tool may process the data to generate performance visualizations as well as other analysis features. Performance visualizations may illustrate the level of concurrency over time during parallel dependency graph evaluation. Performance visualizations may be generated by graphing node blocks according to node start time and stop time as well as the level of concurrency at a given time to illustrate parallelism. Performance visualizations may enable character technical directors, character riggers, programmers, and other users to evaluate how well parallelism is expressed in parallel dependency graphs in computer animation.

Visualization tool for parallel dependency graph evaluation

Systems and methods for automatically animating a character based on an existing corpus of animation are described. The character may be from a previously produced feature animated film, and the data used for training may be the data used to animate the character in the film. A low-dimensional embedding for subsets of the existing animation corresponding to different semantic labels may be learned by mapping high-dimensional rig control parameters to a latent space. A particle model may be used to move within the latent space, thereby generating novel animations corresponding to the space's semantic label, such as a pose. Bridges may link a first pose of a first model within the latent space that is similar to a second pose of a second model of the space. Animations corresponding to transitions between semantic labels may be generated by creating animation paths that traverse a bridge from one model into another.

Repurposing existing animated content

A system for performing graphics processing is disclosed. A dependency graph comprising interconnected nodes is accessed. Each node has output attributes and the dependency graph receives input attributes. A first list is accessed, which includes a dirty status for each dirty output attribute of the dependency graph. A second list is accessed, which associates one of the input attributes with output attributes that are affected by the one input attribute. A third list is accessed, which associates one of the output attributes with output attributes that affect the one output attribute. An evaluation request for a requested output attribute is received. A set of output attributes are selected for evaluation based on being specified in the first list as dirty and being specified in the third list as associated with the requested output attribute. The set of output attributes are evaluated.

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Glendale, CA, United States of America

Martin Peter Watt