Interactive multi-mesh modeling system

• US 8,704,823 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pixar (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Pixar (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Waggoner, Christine, Yu, Meng, Baraff, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K
• Application Number:
  US12/893,431
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/423, 345/428, 382/154
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 Animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/20 Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, tesselation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/004 Annotating, labelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2021 Shape modification

Abstract

An interactive multi-mesh modeling system allows users to employ a variety of modeling techniques to interactively create objects for a variety of different tasks or tools. Some of these different tasks or tools can have requirements for computer-generated representations of objects on which they operate. These requirements may differ from how some computer-generated representations were originally created (e.g., 3D solid objects output using solid modeling techniques vs. 2D flat “panel constructed” objects required for some computer simulations). Thus, the interactive multi-mesh modeling system may further employ a variety of techniques for taking a source computer-generated representation of an object and providing the automatic creation, management, and maintenance of instances or versions of the source. The interactive multi-mesh modeling system may further employ a variety of techniques for the automatic management and transfer of information defined thereon or associated with these meshes.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating creation of computer graphics, the method comprising:

receiving, at one or more computer systems hosting an interactive mesh modeling application, information defining a first mesh in response to user input specified with the interactive mesh modeling application;

receiving, at the one or more computer systems, a mesh generation specification for each task in a plurality of different tasks provided by the interactive mesh modeling application, a mesh generation specification corresponding to a particular task in the plurality of different tasks defining criteria of meshes for the particular task; and

maintaining, with one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, correspondence between one or more meshes automatically generated by the interactive mesh modeling application for each task in the plurality of different tasks based on the user input specified with the interactive mesh modeling application for the first mesh and the mesh generation specifications for the task;

wherein a first correspondence is maintained between the first mesh and each one of the automatically generated meshes specifying transfer of information between the first mesh and each automatically generated mesh;

wherein a second correspondence is maintained between a first one of the automatically generated meshes suitable for a first task in the plurality of different tasks and a second one of the automatically generated meshes suitable for a second task in the plurality of different tasks based on a relationship between the first task and the second task, the second correspondence specifying transfer of information between the first automatically generated mesh of the first task and the second automatically generated mesh of the second task;

wherein the first correspondence between the first mesh and each one of the automatically generated meshes and the second correspondence between the first automatically generated mesh of the first task and the second automatically generated mesh of the second task are maintained in a storage device associated with the one or more computer systems.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein maintaining the one or more meshes automatically generated for each task in the plurality of different tasks comprises generating at least one mesh to have a geometrically regular structure different than the first mesh and a first resolution that is greater than a second resolution associated with the first mesh.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein maintaining the one or more meshes automatically generated for each task in the plurality of different tasks comprises generating at least one mesh suitable for a rendering task in the plurality of different tasks and at least one mesh suitable for at least one of a simulation task and animation task in the plurality of different tasks.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein maintaining the one or more meshes automatically for each task in the plurality of different tasks comprises generating at least one mesh for a first task in the plurality of different tasks based on removal information identifying one or more features of the first mesh that are not suitable for meshes on which the first task operates.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising transferring information automatically between the first mesh and at least one of the automatically generated meshes based on the first correspondence between the first mesh and each one of the automatically generated meshes.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising transferring information between the first automatically generated mesh of the first task and the second automatically generated mesh of the second task based on the second correspondence between the first automatically generated mesh of the first task and the second automatically generated mesh of the second task.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

regenerating one or more of the automatically generated meshes automatically based on a modification to the first mesh or a modification to the mesh generation specification corresponding to at least one task in the plurality of different tasks defining the criteria for the one or more of the automatically generated meshes on which the at least one task operates;

generating a third correspondence between each automatically regenerated mesh and the one or more of the automatically generated meshes specifying transfer of information between each automatically regenerated mesh and the one or more of the automatically generated meshes; and

transferring information between each automatically regenerated mesh and the one or more of the automatically generated meshes.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein generating either the first correspondence or the second correspondence comprises generating a correspondence between a plurality of manifolds based on a disambiguation using a combination of different metrics defined on each of the plurality of manifolds and an embedding space.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein generating either the first correspondence or the second correspondence comprises generating a spatial correspondence specifying transfer of animation or simulation data between meshes.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein generating either the first correspondence or the second correspondence comprises generating a spatial correspondence specifying transfer of lighting or shader data between meshes.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for creating computer graphics, the computer-readable medium comprising:

code for receiving, at an interactive mesh modeling application, information defining a first mesh in response to user input specified with the interactive mesh modeling application;

code for receiving a mesh generation specification for each task in a plurality of different tasks provided by the interactive mesh modeling application, a mesh generation specification corresponding to a particular task in the plurality of different tasks defining criteria of meshes for the particular task; and

code for maintaining correspondence between one or more meshes automatically generated by the interactive mesh modeling application for each task in the plurality of different tasks based on the user input specified with the interactive mesh modeling application for the first mesh and the mesh generation specifications for the task;

wherein a first correspondence is maintained between the first mesh and each one of the one or more meshes automatically generated by the interactive mesh modeling application for each task in the plurality of different tasks provided by the interactive mesh modeling application, the first correspondence between the first mesh and each one of the one or more meshes specifying transfer of information between the first mesh and each mesh;

wherein a second correspondence is maintained between a first one of the one or more meshes automatically generated by the interactive mesh modeling application and a second one of the one or more meshes automatically generated by the interactive mesh modeling application the second correspondence between the first one and the second one of the one or more meshes automatically generated by the interactive mesh modeling application specifying transfer of information between the first one and the second one of the one or more meshes automatically generated by the interactive mesh modeling application.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 further comprising code for generating automatically each of the one or more meshes designated for each task in the plurality of different tasks based on the first mesh and the mesh generation specification for each task in the plurality of different tasks, a mesh generation specification corresponding to a particular task in the plurality of different tasks defining criteria of meshes for the particular task.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 further comprising code for transferring information automatically between the first mesh and at least one of the first one and the second one of the one or more meshes automatically generated by the interactive mesh modeling application based on the first correspondence and the second correspondence.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 further comprising code for transferring information between the first one and the second one of the one or more meshes automatically generated by the interactive mesh modeling application based on the second correspondence.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 further comprising:

code for regenerating one or more of the automatically generated meshes automatically based on a modification to the first mesh or a modification to the mesh generation specification corresponding to at least one task in the plurality of different tasks defining the criteria for the one or more of the automatically generated meshes on which the at least one task operates;

code for generating a third correspondence between each automatically regenerated mesh and the one or more of the automatically generated meshes specifying transfer of information between each automatically regenerated mesh and the one or more of the automatically generated meshes; and

code for transferring information between each automatically regenerated mesh and the one or more of the automatically generated meshes.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 further including code for generating either the first correspondence or the second correspondence that comprises code for generating a correspondence between a plurality of manifolds based on a disambiguation using a combination of different metrics defined on each of the plurality of manifolds and an embedding space.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 further including code for generating either the first correspondence or the second correspondence that comprises code for generating a spatial correspondence specifying transfer of animation or simulation data between meshes.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 further including code for generating either the first correspondence or the second correspondence that comprises code for generating a spatial correspondence specifying transfer of lighting or shader data between meshes.

19. An interactive multi-mesh modeling system, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor and configured to store a set of instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

generate a user interface of an interactive mesh modeling application having first functionality that enables a user to interact with a first task in a plurality of different tasks configured to model an object using a first mesh associated with the object, second functionality that enables the user to interact with a second task in the plurality of different tasks configured to animate or simulate motion of a second mesh associated with the object modeled via the first task that is automatically generated based on the first mesh and a first mesh generation specification corresponding to the second task defining criteria of meshes for the second task, and third functionality that enables the user to interact with a third task in the plurality of different tasks configured to render a third mesh associated with the object modeled via the first task that is automatically generated based on the first mesh and a second mesh generation specification corresponding to the third task defining criteria of meshes for the third task in response to any associated motion of the second mesh resulting from the second task;

maintain a plurality of correspondences specifying transfer of information between meshes automatically generated by the interactive mesh modeling application, at least one correspondence in the plurality of correspondences being between the first mesh associated with the object and each of the second mesh and the third mesh, and at least one correspondence in the plurality of correspondences being between the second mesh and the third mesh;

transfer information defined on or otherwise associated with the first mesh to at least one of the second mesh and the third mesh based on the at least one correspondence in the plurality of correspondences being between the first mesh associated with the object and each of the second mesh and the third mesh; and

transfer information defined on or otherwise associated with at least one of the second mesh and the third mesh to the other based on the at least one correspondence in the plurality of correspondences being between the second mesh and the third mesh.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the processor is further caused to:

generate the user interface having fourth functionality that enables a user to interact the second task in the plurality of different tasks to animate or simulate motion of a fourth mesh associated with the object modeled via the first tasks based on a modification to the first mesh or a modification to a mesh generation specification corresponding to the second task defining criteria for meshes on which the second task operates;

update the plurality of correspondences specifying transfer of information between meshes, at least one correspondence in the plurality of correspondences being between the second mesh and the fourth mesh; and

transferring information between the second mesh and the fourth mesh based on the at least one correspondence in the plurality of correspondences being between the second mesh and the fourth mesh.