Parameterized animation modifications

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a first animation comprising a plurality of elements;

identifying an updated state of a first element of the plurality of elements;

determining a first trajectory for the first element, based on the first animation;

generating a first approximation based on the first trajectory;

modifying the first approximation based on the updated state of the first element; and

refining the first trajectory based on the modified first approximation comprising:

identifying, for a first trajectory point on the first trajectory, a corresponding point on the modified first approximation; and

transforming the first trajectory point to a local coordinate system of the corresponding point on the modified first approximation.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving metadata for the first animation, wherein the metadata indicates a set of elements from the plurality of elements that are modifiable at each frame of a plurality of frames in the first animation.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a second animation based on the refined first trajectory.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the updated state of the first element comprises at least one of:

(i) a new location of the first element in one or more frames of a plurality of frames in the first animation;

(ii) a new orientation of the first element in one or more frames of the plurality of frames;

(iii) a new scale of the first element in one or more frames of the plurality of frames; or

(iv) a new object to replace the first element in one or more frames of the plurality of frames.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the first trajectory for the first element comprises determining at least one of (i) a location or (ii) an orientation of the first element at each frame, of a plurality of frames, in the first animation.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the first approximation based on the first trajectory comprises generating a set of Bezier curves that collectively approximate the first trajectory.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein generating the set of Bezier curves comprises:

dividing the first trajectory into a set of sub-trajectories based on predefined animation events in the first animation; and

for each respective sub-trajectory:

identifying a respective pair of points on the first trajectory;

generating a respective Bezier curve having endpoints aligned with the respective pair of points; and

finding parameters using least squares such that the respective Bezier curve approximates at least a portion of the first trajectory.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the refined first trajectory as input to an inverse kinematic (IK) solver to generate a series of poses.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer program code that, when executed by operation of one or more computer processors, performs an operation comprising:

receiving a first animation comprising a plurality of elements;

identifying an updated state of a first element of the plurality of elements;

determining a first trajectory for the first element, based on the first animation;

generating a first approximation based on the first trajectory;

modifying the first approximation based on the updated state of the first element; and

refining the first trajectory based on the modified first approximation comprising:

identifying, for a first trajectory point on the first trajectory, a corresponding point on the modified first approximation; and

transforming the first trajectory point to a local coordinate system of the corresponding point on the modified first approximation.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , the operation further comprising receiving metadata for the first animation, wherein the metadata indicates a set of elements from the plurality of elements that are modifiable at each frame of a plurality of frames in the first animation.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the updated state of the first element comprises at least one of:

(i) a new location of the first element in one or more frames of a plurality of frames in the first animation;

(ii) a new orientation of the first element in one or more frames of the plurality of frames;

(iii) a new scale of the first element in one or more frames of the plurality of frames; or

(iv) a new object to replace the first element in one or more frames of the plurality of frames.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein generating the first approximation based on the first trajectory comprises generating a set of Bezier curves that collectively approximate the first trajectory.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein generating the set of Bezier curves comprises:

dividing the first trajectory into a set of sub-trajectories based on predefined animation events in the first animation; and

for each respective sub-trajectory:

identifying a respective pair of points on the first trajectory;

generating a respective Bezier curve having endpoints aligned with the respective pair of points; and

finding parameters using least squares such that the respective Bezier curve approximates at least a portion of the first trajectory.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , the operation further comprising using the refined first trajectory as input to an inverse kinematic (IK) solver to generate a series of poses.

15. A system, comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

a memory containing a program which when executed by the one or more computer processors performs an operation, the operation comprising:

receiving a first animation comprising a plurality of elements;

identifying an updated state of a first element of the plurality of elements;

determining a first trajectory for the first element, based on the first animation;

generating a first approximation based on the first trajectory;

modifying the first approximation based on the updated state of the first element; and

refining the first trajectory based on the modified first approximation comprising:

identifying, for a first trajectory point on the first trajectory, a corresponding point on the modified first approximation; and

transforming the first trajectory point to a local coordinate system of the corresponding point on the modified first approximation.

16. The system of claim 15 , the operation further comprising receiving metadata for the first animation, wherein the metadata indicates a set of elements from the plurality of elements that are modifiable at each frame of a plurality of frames in the first animation.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the updated state of the first element comprises at least one of:

(i) a new location of the first element in one or more frames of a plurality of frames in the first animation;

(ii) a new orientation of the first element in one or more frames of the plurality of frames;

(iii) a new scale of the first element in one or more frames of the plurality of frames; or

(iv) a new object to replace the first element in one or more frames of the plurality of frames.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein generating the first approximation based on the first trajectory comprises generating a set of Bezier curves that collectively approximate the first trajectory.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein generating the set of Bezier curves comprises:

dividing the first trajectory into a set of sub-trajectories based on predefined animation events in the first animation; and

for each respective sub-trajectory:

identifying a respective pair of points on the first trajectory;

generating a respective Bezier curve having endpoints aligned with the respective pair of points; and

finding parameters using least squares such that the respective Bezier curve approximates at least a portion of the first trajectory.

20. The system of claim 15 , the operation further comprising using the refined first trajectory as input to an inverse kinematic (IK) solver to generate a series of poses.