Procedural animation
Encyclopedia
A procedural animation is a type of computer animation
, used to automatically generate animation in real-time to allow for a more diverse series of actions than could otherwise be created using predefined animations.
Procedural animation is used to simulate particle system
s (smoke, fire, water
), cloth and clothing, rigid body dynamics
, and hair and fur dynamics, as well as character animation.
In video games it is often used for simple things like turning a character's head when a player looks around (as in Quake III Arena
) and more complex things, like ragdoll physics
, which is usually used for the death of a character in which the ragdoll will realistically fall to the floor. A ragdoll usually consists of a series of connected rigid bodies that are programmed to have Newtonian physics acting upon them; therefore, very realistic effects can be generated that would very hardly be possible with traditional animation. For example, a character can die slumped over a cliff and the weight of its upper-body can drag the rest of it over the edge.
Even more complex examples of procedural animation can be found in the game Spore
wherein user-created creatures will automatically be animated to all actions needed in the game from walking, to driving, to picking things up. In the game Unreal Tournament 3 bodies who have gone into ragdoll mode to fake death can arise from any position into which they have fallen and get back on their feet. The as-yet-unnamed Indiana Jones
game from LucasArts
shown at E3 2006 features character motions that are animated entirely in real-time, with characters dodging, punching, and reacting to the environment based on a new engine called euphoria by NaturalMotion
.
The radius and position of the second wheel are varying over time, the speed of rotation of the third wheel follows.
Values have been calculated with a System Dynamics
software.
NaturalMotion endorphin : main page
SpirOps Research : movies
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
, used to automatically generate animation in real-time to allow for a more diverse series of actions than could otherwise be created using predefined animations.
Procedural animation is used to simulate particle system
Particle system
The term particle system refers to a computer graphics technique to simulate certain fuzzy phenomena, which are otherwise very hard to reproduce with conventional rendering techniques...
s (smoke, fire, water
), cloth and clothing, rigid body dynamics
Rigid body dynamics
In physics, rigid body dynamics is the study of the motion of rigid bodies. Unlike particles, which move only in three degrees of freedom , rigid bodies occupy space and have geometrical properties, such as a center of mass, moments of inertia, etc., that characterize motion in six degrees of...
, and hair and fur dynamics, as well as character animation.
In video games it is often used for simple things like turning a character's head when a player looks around (as in Quake III Arena
Quake III Arena
Quake III Arena , is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game released on December 2, 1999. The game was developed by id Software and featured music composed by Sonic Mayhem and Front Line Assembly...
) and more complex things, like ragdoll physics
Ragdoll physics
In computer physics engines, ragdoll physics is a type of procedural animation that is often used as a replacement for traditional static death animations.-Introduction:Early video games used manually-created animations for characters' death sequences...
, which is usually used for the death of a character in which the ragdoll will realistically fall to the floor. A ragdoll usually consists of a series of connected rigid bodies that are programmed to have Newtonian physics acting upon them; therefore, very realistic effects can be generated that would very hardly be possible with traditional animation. For example, a character can die slumped over a cliff and the weight of its upper-body can drag the rest of it over the edge.
Even more complex examples of procedural animation can be found in the game Spore
Spore (2008 video game)
Spore is a multi-genre single-player god game developed by Maxis and designed by Will Wright. The game was released for the Microsoft Windows and Macintosh operating systems in September 2008 as Spore...
wherein user-created creatures will automatically be animated to all actions needed in the game from walking, to driving, to picking things up. In the game Unreal Tournament 3 bodies who have gone into ragdoll mode to fake death can arise from any position into which they have fallen and get back on their feet. The as-yet-unnamed Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones 2007
Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings is a historical fantasy video game published by LucasArts for the Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Playstation 2, and PlayStation Portable. The game is the third in the series of original 3D Indiana Jones games, preceded by Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb, and...
game from LucasArts
LucasArts
LucasArts Entertainment Company, LLC is an American video game developer and publisher. The company was once famous for its innovative line of graphic adventure games, the critical and commercial success of which peaked in the mid 1990s...
shown at E3 2006 features character motions that are animated entirely in real-time, with characters dodging, punching, and reacting to the environment based on a new engine called euphoria by NaturalMotion
NaturalMotion
NaturalMotion is a software company with offices in Oxford and San Francisco. Founded in November 2001 as a spin-off of Oxford University, the company specialises in creating animation technology for the game and film industries.-Technology:...
.
Example of Procedural Animation
In this example, the first wheel leads the second, the second wheel leads the third.The radius and position of the second wheel are varying over time, the speed of rotation of the third wheel follows.
Values have been calculated with a System Dynamics
System dynamics
System dynamics is an approach to understanding the behaviour of complex systems over time. It deals with internal feedback loops and time delays that affect the behaviour of the entire system. What makes using system dynamics different from other approaches to studying complex systems is the use...
software.
See also
- Procedural programmingProcedural programmingProcedural programming can sometimes be used as a synonym for imperative programming , but can also refer to a programming paradigm, derived from structured programming, based upon the concept of the procedure call...
- Procedural generationProcedural generationProcedural generation is a widely used term in the production of media; it refers to content generated algorithmically rather than manually. Often, this means creating content on the fly rather than prior to distribution...
- Procedural textureProcedural textureA procedural texture is a computer generated image created using an algorithm intended to create a realistic representation of natural elements such as wood, marble, granite, metal, stone, and others....
- Physics enginePhysics engineA physics engine is computer software that provides an approximate simulation of certain physical systems, such as rigid body dynamics , soft body dynamics, and fluid dynamics, of use in the domains of computer graphics, video games and film. Their main uses are in video games , in which case the...
- Ragdoll physicsRagdoll physicsIn computer physics engines, ragdoll physics is a type of procedural animation that is often used as a replacement for traditional static death animations.-Introduction:Early video games used manually-created animations for characters' death sequences...
- Game physicsGame physicsComputer animation physics or game physics involves the introduction of the laws of physics into a simulation or game engine, particularly in 3D computer graphics, for the purpose of making the effects appear more real to the observer...
- Cartoon physicsCartoon physicsCartoon physics is a jocular system of laws of physics that supersedes the normal laws, used in animation for humorous effect. Normal physical laws are referential , but cartoon physics are preferential ....
- SpirOps Research
External links
SimFonIA Animation Tools : tools / examples / WebGL demoNaturalMotion endorphin : main page
SpirOps Research : movies