Assigning computing resources to execution of evaluators for image animation
An example method facilitates adjusting or enhancing performance of a process of as graphics program or animation software package, and includes providing a first User Interface (UI) control for allowing user assignment of or selection of one or more processor types, e.g., Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) or Central Processing Unit (CPU), and/or associated memory types, e.g., GPU memory and/or CPU memory, to one or more computing resources, such as variables and/or associated functions or evaluators. A drop-down menu or other control may be provided in a first UI to allow for user specification of or assignment of one or more computing resources, e.g., CPU or GPU processors and/or memory to one or more variables, data structures, associated functions or other executable code. In a specific implementation, one UI control facilitates user specification of one or more evaluators of a plugin, wherein the one or more evaluators are usable by a host application of the plugin. A second UI control enables user specification of whether or not the one or more evaluators should use data on a CPU or GPU.
1. A method for executing a function to animate an animation control rig in computer graphics application, the method comprising:
accepting a first signal from a user input device to select a data structure displayed in a Graphical User Interface (GUI);
accepting a second signal from the user input device to assign the data structure to one or more computing resources;
indicating in the GUI that the data structure has been assigned to the one or more computing resources; and
using the one or more computing resources to implement function's accessing of the data structure by using the one or more computing resources, wherein the function pertains to a process used by a host application, such as the computer graphics application.
2. The method of claim 1 , further including:
accepting a third signal from a user input device to compile the function, resulting in compiled code; and
injecting the compiled encode into a runtime of the host application, whereby modifications may be made to the function and made usable to the host application, without rebooting the host application.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a computing resource includes a processor.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the processor includes a graphics processing unit (GPU).
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the processor includes a central processing unit (CPU).
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a computing resource includes memory.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the computing resource includes a cache level of memory.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computing resources include a local resource.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computing resources include a network resource.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the one or more computing resources includes a cloud computing resource.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the cloud computing resource includes a computing priority tier.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computing resources include an evaluator.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the evaluator includes a process implemented by a plugin to a host application.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the host application includes a computer graphics program.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the computer graphics program includes an animation software program.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the process implements an operation for affecting an animation control rig in a UI of the animation software program.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data structure includes a compound data structure.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first UI control represents a user option to assign one or more data structures as one or more arguments for use by one or more GPUs or CPUs in association with the function.