CPSC 689-611:Data-driven Character Animation

Jinxiang Chai

Data-driven Character Animation

Given motion capture data, how to create desired animation

Motion capture

Animation

Control

Applications

Entertainment (video games, movies, broadcast)

Virtual environments

Trainings

Human-computer interactions

Education

Etc.

Applications: Entertainment

Performance-based facial animation for home use

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005

Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing

Friday Night 3D Bowling

Xbox Outlaw Tennis

Shrek The Lord of the RingsPolar ExpressFinal Fantasy

Applications: Virtual Environments

Performance-based facial animation for home use

Virtual Teleconferencing (from BT)

Multi-user Virtual Worlds

Virtual Poker Room

Applications: Training

Performance-based facial animation for home use

Military Training (BDI)

Tai Chi Training (CMU)

Applications: Human-computer Interactions

Performance-based facial animation for home use

Tessa (Text->British Sign Language)

Applications: Education

Performance-based facial animation for home use

Fish animation for zoology class

Robotics and control

Computer vision

AI

Animal science

Biomechanics, statistical learning, applied math etc.

Interdisciplinary area

Performance-based facial animation for home use

Short Bio

New CS faculty member at Texas A&M

Ph. D thesis in computer animation

Undergraduate degree in EE

Research

Interested in animation, graphics, and vision

• Methods for creating and manipulating high-dimensional visual media (animation, models, images, and videos)

• Data-driven approach

• Video-based data capture

Thesis: exploiting spatial-temporal constraints for interactive animation control

Thesis Research

Goal: everyone can generate and control human animation easily and quickly

Online animation control

Thesis Research

Goal: everyone can generate and control human animation easily and quickly

Online animation control

Thesis Research

Goal: everyone can generate and control human animation easily and quickly

Offline animation control

User input Output animation

Thesis Research

Goal: everyone can generate and control human animation easily and quickly

Offline animation control

User input Output animation

Why Do I Teach This Course?

Provide an in-depth study of character animation techniques with an emphasis on data-driven approach

Teach you how to find and formulate research problem

Refine your presentation skill

Inspire some of you to do research with me

Prerequisites

A good working knowledge of C/C++ or Matlab

A good understand of linear algebra

Willing to learn (optimization, statistical learning, etc.)

Grading Schemes

Paper presentation (20%)

Class participation/discussion (20%)

Homework (20%)

Final project (40%)

Paper Presentation (20%)

Choose a paper from the list

Read/understand the paper well

Paper presentation

Come to my office hours if u need help

Class Participation/Discussion (20%)

Everybody reads

Participate in paper discussion

Come to my office hours if you still have any questions

Homework (20%)

Homework 1 (10%): Key-frame interpolation and forward kinematics

Homework 2 (10%): Inverse kinematics or mocap

Students work individually

Late policy: 20% reduction per day if you do not have good reasons

Final Project (40%)

Implement a project approved by the professor

Student can work in a group of two

Get extra 20 points if you do an excellent job

Talk to me if you need any helps

Grading Schemes

Paper presentation (20%)

Class participation/discussion (20%)

Homework (20%)

Final project (40%)

There are no exams!!

Class Overview: Background Introduction

Motion capture and motion capture data format

Polar express

CMU mocap database

Class Overview: Background Introduction

Background introduction for character animation

• Motion representation

• Forward kinematics

• Inverse kinematics

• Motion capture

Class Overview: Paper Presentation

Motion capture data processing

• Motion warping/edit

• Motion retargeting

• Motion splicing

• Motion segmentation

• Motion compression

• Motion synopsis

Class Overview: Paper Presentation

Data-driven motion synthesis

• Motion graphs/patches

• Motion interpolation

• Statistical motion synthesis

Class Overview: Paper Presentation

Combine mocap data with other techniques

• Motion planning

• Physically based animation

• Key-framing

Class Overview: Paper Presentation

Animation control

• Online animation control

• Offline Animation control

Class Overview: Paper Presentation

Motion perception

Class Overview: Paper Presentation

Data-driven approach for

• Facial animation

• Hand animation

• Skin deformation

• Animal animation

Class Overview:Paper Presentation

Data Capture

Other Information

My email: jchai@cs.tamu.edu

My homepage: http://faculty.cs.tamu.edu/jchai

My office: Rm 527D Bright

Office hours: MW 4:00-5:00 Pm

Course webpage: http://www.cs.tamu.edu/jchai/CPSC689

Email Me Today

Your background

• Graphics?

• Math?

• Coding?

Your research Interest?

Master/Ph.D. (year)?

Why do you take this course?