Abstract: Various examples of cross-application systems and methods for authoring, transferring, and evaluating rigging control systems for virtual characters are disclosed. Embodiments of a method include the steps or processes of creating, in a first application which implements a first rigging control protocol, a rigging control system description; writing the rigging control system description to a data file; and initiating transfer of the data file to a second application. In such embodiments, the rigging control system description may be defined according to a different second rigging control protocol. The rigging control system description may specify a rigging control input, such as a lower-order rigging element (e.g., a core skeleton for a virtual character), and at least one rule for operating on the rigging control input to produce a rigging control output, such as a higher-order skeleton or other higher-order rigging element.

Abstract: Various examples of cross-application systems and methods for authoring, transferring, and evaluating rigging control systems for virtual characters are disclosed. A first application, which implements a first rigging control protocol, can provide an input associated with a request for a behavior from the rig for the virtual character. The input can be converted to be compatible with a second rigging control protocol that is different from the first rigging control protocol. One or more control systems can be evaluated based on the input to determine an output to provide the requested behavior from the virtual character rig. The one or more control systems can be defined according to the second rigging control protocol. The output can be converted to be compatible with the first rigging control protocol and provided to the first application to manipulate the virtual character according to the requested behavior.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for interpolation of disparate inputs. A radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) may be used to interpolate the pose of a digital character. Input parameters to the RBFNN may be separated by data type (e.g. angular vs. linear) and manipulated within the RBFNN by distance functions specific to the data type (e.g. use an angular distance function for the angular input data). A weight may be applied to each distance to compensate for input data representing different variables (e.g. clavicle vs. shoulder). The output parameters of the RBFNN may be a set of independent values, which may be combined into combination values (e.g. representing x, y, z, w angular value in SO(3) space).

Abstract: Skinning parameters used to animate a virtual avatar can include mesh weights and joint transforms of a skeleton. Systems and methods are provided for determining skinning parameters using an optimization process subject to constraints based on human-understandable or anatomically-motivated relationships among skeletal joints. Input to the optimization process can include a high-order skeleton and the applied constraints can dynamically change during the optimization. The skinning parameters can be used in linear blend skinning (LBS) applications in augmented reality.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing the dimensionality of a blendshape deformation matrix. A plurality of blendshapes can be stored in an input deformation matrix. Principal components of the input deformation matrix can be determined. One or more principal components of the input deformation matrix can be omitted, leaving one or more remaining principal components. An output deformation matrix can be generated using one or more blendshapes associated with the remaining principal component(s).

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for interpolation of disparate inputs. A radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) may be used to interpolate the pose of a digital character. Input parameters to the RBFNN may be separated by data type (e.g. angular vs. linear) and manipulated within the RBFNN by distance functions specific to the data type (e.g. use an angular distance function for the angular input data). A weight may be applied to each distance to compensate for input data representing different variables (e.g. clavicle vs. shoulder). The output parameters of the RBFNN may be a set of independent values, which may be combined into combination values (e.g. representing x, y, z, w angular value in SO(3) space).

Abstract: Systems and methods generating an animation rig corresponding to a pose of a subject include accessing image data corresponding to the pose of the subject. The image data can include the face of the subject. The systems and methods process the image data by successively analyzing subregions of the image according to a solver order. The solver order can be biologically or anatomically ordered to proceed from subregions that cause larger scale movements to subregions that cause smaller scale movements. In each subregion, the systems and methods can perform an optimization technique to fit parameters of the animation rig to the input image data. After all subregions have been processed, the animation rig can be used to animate an avatar to appear to be performing the pose of the subject.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing the dimensionality of a blendshape deformation matrix. A plurality of blendshapes can be stored in an input deformation matrix. Principal components of the input deformation matrix can be determined. One or more principal components of the input deformation matrix can be omitted, leaving one or more remaining principal components. An output deformation matrix can be generated using one or more blendshapes associated with the remaining principal component(s).

Abstract: Systems and methods generating an animation rig corresponding to a pose of a subject include accessing image data corresponding to the pose of the subject. The image data can include the face of the subject. The systems and methods process the image data by successively analyzing subregions of the image according to a solver order. The solver order can be biologically or anatomically ordered to proceed from subregions that cause larger scale movements to subregions that cause smaller scale movements. In each subregion, the systems and methods can perform an optimization technique to fit parameters of the animation rig to the input image data. After all subregions have been processed, the animation rig can be used to animate an avatar to appear to be performing the pose of the subject.

Abstract: Various examples of cross-application systems and methods for authoring, transferring, and evaluating rigging control systems for virtual characters are disclosed. A first application, which implements a first rigging control protocol, can provide an input associated with a request for a behavior from the rig for the virtual character. The input can be converted to be compatible with a second rigging control protocol that is different from the first rigging control protocol. One or more control systems can be evaluated based on the input to determine an output to provide the requested behavior from the virtual character rig. The one or more control systems can be defined according to the second rigging control protocol. The output can be converted to be compatible with the first rigging control protocol and provided to the first application to manipulate the virtual character according to the requested behavior.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing pose space dimensionality. A plurality of example poses can define an input pose space. Each of the example poses can include a set of joint rotations for a virtual character. The joint rotations can be expressed with a singularity-free mathematical representation. The plurality of example poses can then be clustered into one or more clusters. A representative pose can be determined for each cluster. An output pose space with a reduced dimensionality, as compared to the input pose space, can then be provided.

Abstract: Methods and systems for aligning head scans of a subject for a virtual avatar can be based on locating eyes of the subject in the scans. After one or more eyeball models are fitted to reference candidate points of a sclera of each eyeball of the subject in a reference head scan, an additional reference point can be inferred from the eyeball models. The eyeball models can be fitted to candidate points of the sclera of each eyeball of the subject in another head scan and an additional point can be inferred from the fitted eyeball models. An affine transformation can be determined between the head scans based on the eyeball models fitted to the candidate points in the reference head scan and the other head scan and the additional points inferred. The methods and systems can be used for rigging or animating the virtual avatar.

Abstract: Various examples of cross-application systems and methods for authoring, transferring, and evaluating rigging control systems for virtual characters are disclosed. A first application, which implements a first rigging control protocol, can provide an input associated with a request for a behavior from the rig for the virtual character. The input can be converted to be compatible with a second rigging control protocol that is different from the first rigging control protocol. One or more control systems can be evaluated based on the input to determine an output to provide the requested behavior from the virtual character rig. The one or more control systems can be defined according to the second rigging control protocol. The output can be converted to be compatible with the first rigging control protocol and provided to the first application to manipulate the virtual character according to the requested behavior.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing pose space dimensionality. A plurality of example poses can define an input pose space. Each of the example poses can include a set of joint rotations for a virtual character. The joint rotations can be expressed with a singularity-free mathematical representation. The plurality of example poses can then be clustered into one or more clusters. A representative pose can be determined for each cluster. An output pose space with a reduced dimensionality, as compared to the input pose space, can then be provided.

Abstract: Skinning parameters used to animate a virtual avatar can include mesh weights and joint transforms of a skeleton. Systems and methods are provided for determining skinning parameters using an optimization process subject to constraints based on human-understandable or anatomically-motivated relationships among skeletal joints. Input to the optimization process can include a high-order skeleton and the applied constraints can dynamically change during the optimization. The skinning parameters can be used in linear blend skinning (LBS) applications in augmented reality.

Abstract: Various examples of cross-application systems and methods for authoring, transferring, and evaluating rigging control systems for virtual characters are disclosed. A first application, which implements a first rigging control protocol, can provide an input associated with a request for a behavior from the rig for the virtual character. The input can be converted to be compatible with a second rigging control protocol that is different from the first rigging control protocol. One or more control systems can be evaluated based on the input to determine an output to provide the requested behavior from the virtual character rig. The one or more control systems can be defined according to the second rigging control protocol. The output can be converted to be compatible with the first rigging control protocol and provided to the first application to manipulate the virtual character according to the requested behavior.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing pose space dimensionality. A plurality of example poses can define an input pose space. Each of the example poses can include a set of joint rotations for a virtual character. The joint rotations can be expressed with a singularity-free mathematical representation. The plurality of example poses can then be clustered into one or more clusters. A representative pose can be determined for each cluster. An output pose space with a reduced dimensionality, as compared to the input pose space, can then be provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods generating an animation rig corresponding to a pose of a subject include accessing image data corresponding to the pose of the subject. The image data can include the face of the subject. The systems and methods process the image data by successively analyzing subregions of the image according to a solver order. The solver order can be biologically or anatomically ordered to proceed from subregions that cause larger scale movements to subregions that cause smaller scale movements. In each subregion, the systems and methods can perform an optimization technique to fit parameters of the animation rig to the input image data. After all subregions have been processed, the animation rig can be used to animate an avatar to appear to be performing the pose of the subject.

Abstract: Skinning parameters used to animate a virtual avatar can include mesh weights and joint transforms of a skeleton. Systems and methods are provided for determining skinning parameters using an optimization process subject to constraints based on human-understandable or anatomically-motivated relationships among skeletal joints. Input to the optimization process can include a high-order skeleton and the applied constraints can dynamically change during the optimization. The skinning parameters can be used in linear blend skinning (LBS) applications in augmented reality.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing pose space dimensionality. A plurality of example poses can define an input pose space. Each of the example poses can include a set of joint rotations for a virtual character. The joint rotations can be expressed with a singularity-free mathematical representation. The plurality of example poses can then be clustered into one or more clusters. A representative pose can be determined for each cluster. An output pose space with a reduced dimensionality, as compared to the input pose space, can then be provided.