System for creating animations using component stress indication
In an embodiment, an animator is provided with an indication when a model's component such as a joint or limb is being moved or twisted in a way that would be unnatural and cause unusual stress on the model component. For example, as a shoulder joint is stressed by moving an arm in an extreme position a yellow bar or coloring of the shoulder, arm or other component can grow increasingly bright and shift to red just before a breaking point is reached. An animator can choose to go past the breaking point and the breaking can be modeled and incorporated into the animation.
1. A method for creating an animation, the method comprising:
displaying an animation model including joint and limb components;
displaying a control point corresponding to at least one component of the animation model;
accepting a signal from a user input device to move the control point;
determining a stress amount in response to the moving control point;
indicating to a user the stress amount on at least one of the components in real-time while the control point is being moved;
creating an animation using a movement derived from the moved control point;
determining that the movement of the control point has caused a particular component to move past a breaking point; and
animating a breaking of the particular component.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indicating includes varying a displayed color.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the color varies as the stress amount is increased.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
indicating to the user that a breaking point is being reached by a movement of the control point.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
accepting a signal from a user input device to move the control point past a breaking point.
6. A computer system comprising:
one or more processors; and
a non-transient storage medium including instructions executable by the one or more processors for creating an animation by:
displaying an animation model including joint and limb components;
displaying a control point corresponding to at least one component of the animation model;
accepting a signal from a user input device to move the control point;
determining a stress amount in response to the moving control point;
indicating to a user the stress amount on at least one of the components in real-time while the control point is being moved;
creating an animation using a movement derived from the moved control point;
determining that the movement of the control point has caused a particular component to move past a breaking point; and
animating a breaking of the particular component.
7. The computer system of claim 6 , wherein the indicating includes varying a displayed color.
8. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the color varies as the stress amount is increased.
9. The computer system of claim 6 , further comprising:
indicating to the user that a breaking point is being reached by a movement of the control point.
10. The computer system of claim 6 , wherein a component includes a non-rigid structure.
11. A computer-readable non-transient medium including instructions executable by one or more processors for creating an animation by:
displaying an animation model including joint and limb components;
displaying a control point corresponding to at least one component of the animation model;
accepting a signal from a user input device to move the control point;
determining a stress amount in response to the moving control point;
indicating to a user the stress amount on at least one of the components in real-time while the control point is being moved;
creating an animation using a movement derived from the moved control point;
determining that the movement of the control point has caused a particular component to move past a breaking point; and
animating a breaking of the particular component.
12. The computer-readable non-transient medium of claim 11 , wherein the indicating includes varying a displayed color.
13. The computer-readable non-transient medium of claim 12 , wherein the color varies as the stress amount is increased.
14. The computer-readable non-transient medium of claim 11 , further comprising:
indicating to the user that a breaking point is being reached by a movement of the control point.