Reorienting properties in hair dynamics

• US 8,698,810 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2010
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pixar (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Pixar (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Witkin, Andrew P., Anderson, John, Petrovic, Lena
• Primary Examiner(s): Zarka, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHONG X
• Application Number:
  US12/717,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20110216074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for orienting properties of computer-generated objects, the method comprising:

receiving, at one or more computer systems, information specifying a first pose associated with a curve model, the curve model having a set of one or more properties at predetermined locations along the curve model that influence behavior of corresponding portions of the curve model during a computer simulation of the curve model, each property in the set of one or more properties of the curve model being oriented at its predetermined location in a first manner according to the first pose of the curve model;

receiving, at the one or more computer systems, information specifying a second pose associated with the curve model;

receiving, at the one or more computer systems, information specifying a first pose associated with a proxy model, the proxy model being a filtered version of the curve model and having a set of one or more properties at predetermined locations along the proxy model that represent a proper subset of the set of one or more properties of the curve model, each property in the set of one or more properties of the proxy model being oriented at its predetermined location in a first manner according to the first pose of the proxy model, the first pose of the proxy model corresponding to the first pose of the curve model;

receiving, at the one or more computer systems, information specifying a second pose associated with the proxy model, the second pose of the proxy model corresponding to the second pose of the curve model;

determining, with one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, how at least one property in the set of one or more properties of the curve model is oriented at its predetermined location in a second manner according to the second pose of the curve model during a simulation based on how the at least one property of the curve model is oriented at its predetermined location in the first manner according to the first pose of the curve model and a difference between orientations of at least one corresponding property in the set of one or more properties of the proxy model at its predetermined location in the first manner according to the first pose of the proxy model and in a second manner according to the second pose of the proxy model; and

generating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, information representing orientation of the at least one property of the curve model at its predetermined location in the second manner according to the second pose of the curve model.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, the information representing orientation of the at least one property of the curve model comprises generating information indicative of an offset vector of the at least one property of the curve model relative to the curve model, rotation angle at which the at least one property of the curve model is rotated relative to the curve model, or curvature of a portion of the curve model that is targeted by the at least one property of the curve model.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one property of the curve model represents an intrinsic bend of the curve model.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first pose or the second pose of the curve model or the first pose or the second pose of the proxy model comprises receiving the first pose or the second pose of the curve model or the first pose or the second pose of the proxy model in response to a simulation.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising transferring, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, information associated with the at least one property of the curve model at its predetermined location in the first manner according to the first pose of the curve model to the at least one property of the curve model at its predetermined location in the second manner according to the second pose of the curve model.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the proxy model represents a spatial low-pass filtered version of the curve model.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the proxy model represents a smoothed version of the curve model.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the curve model comprises a 1-D model of a string object, a hair object, a tail object, or a vine object.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the curve model comprises a dynamic or simulation curve model.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code configured to direct one or more processors associated with one or more computer systems for orienting properties of computer-generated objects, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

code for receiving information specifying a first pose associated with a curve model, the curve model having a set of one or more properties at predetermined locations along the curve model that influence behavior of corresponding portions of the curve model during a computer simulation of the curve model, each property in the set of one or more properties of the curve model being oriented at its predetermined location in a first manner according to the first pose of the curve model;

code for receiving information specifying a second pose associated with the curve model;

code for receiving information specifying a first pose associated with a proxy model, the proxy model being a filtered version of the curve model and having a set of one or more properties at predetermined locations along the proxy model that represent a proper subset of the set of one or more properties of the curve model, each property in the set of one or more properties of the proxy model being oriented at its predetermined location in a first manner according to the first pose of the proxy model, the first pose of the proxy model corresponding to the first pose of the curve model;

code for receiving information specifying a second pose associated with the proxy model, the second pose of the proxy model corresponding to the second pose of the curve model;

code for determining how at least one property in the set of one or more properties of the curve model is oriented at its predetermined location in a second manner according to the second pose of the curve model during a simulation based on how the at least one property of the curve model is oriented at its predetermined location in the first manner according to the first pose of the curve model and a difference between orientations of at least one corresponding property in the set of one or more properties of the proxy model at its predetermined location in the first manner according to the first pose of the proxy model and in a second manner according to the second pose of the proxy model; and

code for generating information representing orientation of the at least one property of the curve model at its predetermined location in the second manner according to the second pose of the curve model.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the code for generating the information representing orientation of the at least one property of the curve model comprises code for generating information indicative of an offset vector of the at least one property of the curve model relative to the curve model, rotation angle at which the at least one property of the curve model is rotated relative to the curve model, or curvature of a portion of the curve model that is targeted by the at least one property of the curve model.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the at least one property of the curve model represents an intrinsic bend of the curve model.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the code for receiving the first pose or the second pose of the curve model or the first pose or the second pose of the proxy model comprises code for receiving the first pose or the second pose of the curve model or the first pose or the second pose of the proxy model in response to a simulation.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 further comprising code for transferring information associated with the at least one property of the curve model at its predetermined location in the first manner according to the first pose of the curve model to the at least one property of the curve model at its predetermined location in the second manner according to the second pose of the curve model.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the proxy model represents a spatial low-pass filtered version of the curve model.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the proxy model represents a smoothed version of the curve model.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the curve model comprises a 1-D model of a string object, a hair object, a tail object, or a vine object.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the curve model comprises a dynamic or simulation curve model.

19. A system for orienting properties of computer-generated dynamic or simulation models, 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 configured the processor to;

receive information specifying a first pose associated with a curve model, the curve model having a set of one or more properties at predetermined locations along the curve model that influence behavior of corresponding portions of the curve model during a computer simulation of the curve model, each property in the set of one or more properties of the curve model being oriented at its predetermined location in a first manner according to the first pose of the curve model;

receive information specifying a second pose associated with the curve model;

receive information specifying a first pose associated with a proxy model, the proxy model being a filtered version of the curve model and having a set of one or more properties at predetermined locations along the proxy model that represent a proper subset of the set of one or more properties of the curve model, each property in the set of one or more properties of the proxy model being oriented at its predetermined location in a first manner according to the first pose of the proxy model, the first pose of the proxy model corresponding to the first pose of the curve model;

receive information specifying a second pose associated with the proxy model, the second pose of the proxy model corresponding to the second pose of the curve model;

determine how at least one property in the set of one or more properties of the curve model is oriented at its predetermined location in a second manner according to the second pose of the curve model during a simulation based on how the at least one property of the curve model is oriented at its predetermined location in the first manner according to the first pose of the curve model and a difference between orientations of at least one corresponding property in the set of one or more properties of the proxy model at its predetermined location in the first manner according to the first pose of the proxy model and in a second manner according to the second pose of the proxy model; and

generate information representing orientation of the at least one property of the curve model at its predetermined location in the second manner according to the second pose of the curve model.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein to generate the information representing orientation of the at least one property of the curve model the processor is further configured to generate information indicative of an offset vector of the at least one property of the curve model relative to the curve model, rotation angle at which the at least one property of the curve model is rotated relative to the curve model, or curvature of a portion of the curve model that is targeted by the at least one property of the curve model.