Constrained Virtual Camera Control

• US 20080094358A1
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Co Ltd (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Industrial Light & Magic (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 8,698,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/161
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/20 Linear translation of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. panning

Abstract

A method is described that includes receiving, from a first device, input used to select a first object in a computer-generated environment. The first device has at least two degrees of freedom with which to control the selection of the first object. The method also includes removing, in response to the selection of the first object, at least two degrees of freedom previously available to a second device used to manipulating a second object in the computer-generated environment. The removed degrees of freedom correspond to the at least two degrees of freedom of the first device and specify an orientation of the second object relative to the selected first object. Additionally, the method includes receiving, from the second device, input including movements within the reduced degrees of freedom used to manipulate a position of the second object while maintaining the specified orientation relative to the selected first object.

Claims

1. A method for manipulating, in a computer-generated environment, an object relative to a different selected object while maintaining a specified orientation relative to the selected object, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first device, input used to select a first object in a computer-generated environment, wherein the first device has at least two degrees of freedom with which to control the selection of the first object;

removing, in response to the selection of the first object, at least two degrees of freedom previously available to a second device used to manipulating a second object in the computer-generated environment, wherein the removed degrees of freedom correspond to the at least two degrees of freedom of the first device and specify an orientation of the second object relative to the selected first object; and

receiving, from the second device, input comprising movements within the reduced degrees of freedom used to manipulate a position of the second object while maintaining the specified orientation relative to the selected first object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each degree of freedom of the first or second devices comprises a proper subset of possible displacements along an axis.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each degree of freedom of the first or second devices comprises a substantial entirety of a dimension associated with an axis.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the input from the first device or the second device comprises procedural input that simulates user input.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein input from the first device or the second device comprises user input.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising repositioning the first object using the input from the first device while the second object is manipulated.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising regaining the degrees of freedom removed from the second device if the first device deselects the first object.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is selected from a group consisting of a mouse, a touchscreen, a joystick, a tablet and stylus, and a keyboard.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device includes a 3D motion controller.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device has seven degrees of freedom with which to manipulate the second object.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the removed degrees of freedom include movements in directions parallel with an x and y-axis.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer-generated environment is selected from a group consisting of a video game environment, a computer aided design environment, and a film animation environment.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second object comprises a virtual camera for viewing the computer-generated environment.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein manipulating the second object while maintaining the specified orientation relative to the selected first object comprises aligning an eye of the virtual camera with a selected point on the first object.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second objects each comprise a scene element in the computer-generated environment.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first object comprises a first portion of a scene element, and wherein the second object comprises of second portion of the same scene element.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein manipulating the second object while maintaining the specified orientation relative to the selected first object comprises rotating the scene element by rotating the second portion of the scene element around the first portion of the scene element, which remains fixed at a position in the computer-generated environment.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified orientation is at least partially fixed relative to the object.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device has at least three degrees of freedom for manipulating the second object in the computer-generated environment.

20. A system for manipulating one object relative to another object in a computer generated environment comprising:

a selection device having at least two degrees of freedom for selecting a first object in a computer-generated environment;

a navigation device having at least three degrees of freedom for positioning a second object in the computer-generated environment; and

a camera control system for reducing the at least three degrees of freedom of the navigation device by fixing two of the at least three degrees of freedom so that the second object remains in a specified orientation relative to the selected first object, but the second object remains free to be positioned using degrees of freedom that remain unfixed.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein a user operates the selection device using one hand and the navigation device using a different hand.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least two degrees of freedom include movement in directions parallel with an x and y-axis.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the two fixed degrees of freedom correspond to degrees of freedom used by the selection device in selecting the first object.

24. A computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, perform operations comprising:

receiving from a first device input used to select a first object in a computer-generated environment, wherein the first device has at least two degrees of freedom with which to control the selection of the first object;

reducing, in response to a selection, degrees of freedom available to a second device for manipulating a second object in the computer-generated environment, wherein the second device has at least three degrees of freedom with which to manipulate the second object before the reduction;

specifying an orientation of the second object at a point on the selected first object along axes associated with the at least two degrees of freedom; and

receiving from the second device input for manipulating the second object relative to the first object using the reduced degrees of freedom while maintaining the specified orientation.