Armature (computer animation)

Real-time Puppeteering, simply means that the character skeleton is controlled by a human animator, by “simple mapping between a hardware controller (such as a gamepad, a wiimote, a custom puppet controller, or even your body with a kinect-based system) and the character’s 3D animation armature” (Three Real-Time Animation Methods, Hancock, Terry). Because of the nature of Puppeteering devices there is no attempt to control “Natural Motion”, you just simply manipulate the Digital puppet to do what you want. It takes some skill to do this like puppeteering, “You can take advantage of the puppeteer's skills, because these guys are masters. It’s just amazing seeing them put their hand in a puppet and it just comes to life” (“Computer Animation Complete”, Parent, Rick). Digital Real-Time Armature main difference, “It is controlled or we can say it is being puppets by people and the motions are captured in real time. This type of animation is used basically for 2D or 3D figures and objects created by using some 2D and 3D animation software. This type of animation armature is used for mainly filmmaking and Television production purposes. The film made using this technique is captured in real time by making the character move and capturing its live performance for the film” (Virtualschooldek.com). Motions are recorded with digital software. Software such as Blender, “Blender is the free and open source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, video editing and 2D animation pipeline” (https://www.blender.org). This software allows the registering of data from Digital Armatures.

Action Figures can also be converted into Armatures, for instance, TV shows such as Robot Chicken use modified forms of Armature Action Figures for their show. The most common toys for Armature are Lego’s, “It’s easy to see why they look great, they stay where you put them and you can move them around a reasonable amount” (Youtube Video “The 3 main types of Armature”). The only setback is their range of motion so this calls for them to be modified, so aluminium wire is inserted inside of them in order for joints to have a wider range of motion that seems organic to the character. In the “Lego Movie”, the majority of the characters were Digital Armatures. Director Chris Miller, even used his childhood Lego Toy as the main character for the entire movie; “Chris Miller literally brought his broken space man toy which he had since he was a little kid … That’s the level of detail and realism we wanna create (Film). Armatures was not the only method used but it was a hybrid effort of techniques in order to achieve the final product. Modifications can be done on figures such as LEGOs, such as installing wire through the character in order to have a fuller range of motion. Bringing life into toys is nothing new shows such as “Robot Chicken” implement, Action Figure Armatures in order for iconic doll super heroes to appear on the show. Twisted Wire Armature is another cost-effective method used by animators, the only problem with this type of method is that joints are not strong and will lead to a drooping figure over time. Ball and Sockets Armatures have been the traditional method in which figures have been built, with a method such as this the plates inside the puppet are easily adjustable for stiffness. Balls and sockets can often be bulky so a Hybrid method between Twisted Wire Armature and Ball and Socket Armatures are created by animators in order for characters to move fluidly throughout the body. Ball and Socket Armature Kits are available for purchase, but these figures are often expensive. Descriptions for Kits include, “The Standard Armature Kit comes complete with everything you need to make your own armature. It is easy assembled and has been designed to meet most character designs. As well as double jointed ball and socket joints” (Animation Supplies Website).

“Puppeteering armatures are very similar to keyframing armatures, expect the motion is captured in real time as performed by one or more puppeteers.”( Parent, Rick and Computer Animation Complete) Through the use of tracking markers, sensors, hand controls, and animation software, “puppeteers” are able to produce an animated performance in real time. Through a live performance conducted in real time, sensors and tracking markers attached to the performer help translate their body movements into the actions and expressions that the 3D digital armature replicates in real time. Rather than using an armature model with joints and built in sensors, this type of “real time” animation relies on a live performer and the movements they conduct to simulate the actions the 3D digital armature will follow. Aside from the sensors attached to the live performer used to record their body movements, face trackers are also used to record the performers facial expressions in real time as well . “ The most popular are the real-time optical face trackers, consisting of a camera that is placed in a structure attached to the performer’s head so that it moves with the performer. The device captures the motion of small markers placed in different areas of the face.”( Understanding Motion Capture for Computer Animation and Menache, Alberto). Along with the body sensors these facial trackers allow the puppets to capture the real time expression and digitally animate it. However the application of facial tracks through real time simulations has a limit when it comes to its range of detail. “Unfortunately, these are 2D devices that cannot capture certain motions such as puckering of the lips, so the data is all in one plane and not very realistic. Three-dimensional facial motion data can be captured with an optical system using two or more cameras, yielding a much better result, but not in real time.” ( Understanding Motion Capture for Computer Animation and Menache, Alberto). Aside from the use of live performers in real time armatures, digital armatures made of joints, and sensors can also be used to simulate animated movement in real time. “The last commercially available example of a digital armature was the Monkey 2 by Digital Image Design in New York City. It was modular, so it could be assembled in different joint configurations.”( Understanding Motion Capture for Computer Animation and Menache, Alberto) With modular capabilities embedded in the armature the puppeteers are allowed to maneuver the figure and transport its actions digitally. “Both stop-motion and real time types consist of a series of rigid modules connected by joints whose rotations are measured by potentiometers or angular sensors. The sensors are usually analog devices, but they are called digital because the resulting readings are converted to digital signals to be processed by the computer system. These armatures are typically modular in order to accommodate different character designs.”( Understanding Motion Capture for Computer Animation and Menache, Alberto) The modular design allows for these digital armature models to simulate movements that in an animated environment resemble those of a human or animal. “ The first-generation Monkey had a fixed configuration, which made it unusable for any non humanoid applications.”(Understanding Motion Capture for Computer Animation and Menache, Alberto) A modular armature helps overcome this problem and create a solid baseline that is capable of various movements and extensions. Now depending on the package contents that come with the digital armature model itself the price may vary. “ The typical cost for a 39-joint Monkey 2 setup was approximately $15,000, which included all the necessary parts as well as driver software for most well known animation packages.”(Understanding Motion Capture for Computer Animation and Menache, Alberto) Both the live performance and digital armature real time animation methods convert to digital formats allowing the puppeteers different ways to produce and create an animated visual. Through real time armatures “Motus Digital” is able to bring their creations to life and implement interactive settings within their animations. Through real time armature this company creates “Larry the Zombie”, an interactive character that they use in their business ventures. “This year Larry will take our Real-Time technology to the next level by attending the show himself, in search of “The Next Big Thing”. He will interview panelists, share his schedule and report what’s going on and do whatever it takes to find the next big thing. Unlike Elf Hotline that takes place at the “North Pole”, Larry lives in the real world and is keen on pop culture and world events. Although the Real-Time interviews will be conducted via Skype, Larry’s character will be composited into the shot giving Larry a real presence at this years South by SouthWest.”( Motus Digital) Through real time armature this company shows how creative and interactive content can be created and shared with a larger audience.

Stop motion animation is captured one frame at a time and when they are played back it looks like movement. It is achieved by taking a picture of each individual frame and then editing it together in whatever software you may prefer. The more fluid you want the movements to look, the more frames you would need. Stop motion works just a flipbook but in a digital format. In this analogy frames would be equivalent to the pages in a flipbook, the more pages you have the more organic the movements look. Stop motion animation can be integrated into live action films or be completely animated. Live action movies like “The Terminator”(1984) and “RoboCop” (1987) both had stop motion sequences.

• Stop motion: The illusion of movement achieved by moving a figure in tiny increments between each photographed frame
• Object-Motion: moving or animating objects, this is a form of stop motion animation that uses physical items instead of drawn objects which are not meant to be a human or recognizable character.
• Puppet Animation: moving puppets, a unique phenomenon. It's born out of the hard work of its pioneers and their followers to bring creative impulses to life by experimenting with new technologie. in cinema a great example of this technique being used is in the film King Kong (1933). The writer/director Tim Burton often uses puppet animation in his work for example, Corpse Bride (2005) which is a stop motion animated horror musical.

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• Linkages
• Skeletal animation

Sources https://www.techopedia.com/definition/109/stop-motion-animation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUFkjD9_QPQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXqqd0ZBEMA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZcZfES8EEE https://www.thewrap.com/a-timeline-of-stop-motion-animation-history-from-a-trip-to-the-moon-to-isle-of-dogs-photos/

Menache, Alberto. Understanding Motion Capture for Computer Animation. Morgan Kaufman, Elsevier Publication. Google Books, https://books.google.com/books?id=bgkzx4q88ScC&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&dq=modular+armatures+for+real+time+animation&source=bl&ots=voG7seE378&sig=ACfU3U3YD_EYdfDPdJpR7yl1na0Govdnkw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjf9ODPg_joAhXYIDQIHWDwDDoQ6AEwAnoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=modular%20armatures%20for%20real%20time%20animation&f=false

“What is Real Time Animation”. Motus Digital, http://motusdigital.com/real-time-animation.htm

Parent, Rick, et.al.Computer Animation Complete: All-in-One: Learn Motion Capture, Characteristic, Point-Based and Maya Winning Techniques. Morgan Kaufmann Elsevier, Google Books, https://books.google.com/books?id=bgkzx4q88ScC&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&dq=modular+armatures+for+real+time+animation&source=bl&ots=voG7seE378&sig=ACfU3U3YD_EYdfDPdJpR7yl1na0Govdnkw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjf9ODPg_joAhXYIDQIHWDwDDoQ6AEwAnoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=modular%20armatures%20for%20real%20time%20animation&f=false

Animation Supplies, www.animationsupplies.net/standard-armature.html.

https://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2010/04/07/crude-elegance-stop-motion-animation-and-tim-burton/ Parent, Rick. Computer Animation Complete: All-in-One: Learn Motion Capture, Characteristic, Point-Based, and Maya Winning Techniques. Morgan Kaufman Is an Imprint of Elsevier, 2010 Sharma, Deepali, and Deepali Sharma. “Animation, VFx, Creative Skills, Digital Marketing, Online Personality Development.” Animation, VFx, Creative Skills, Digital Marketing, Online Personality Development, 2 Nov. 2016, virtualschooldesk.com/armature-meaning-importance-animation/.. Hancock, Terry. “Three Real-Time Animation Methods.” Three Real-Time Animation Methods: Machinima, Digital Puppetry, and Motion Capture, freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/three_real_time_animation_methods_machinima_digital_puppetry_and_motion_capture/. Foundation, Blender. “Home of the Blender Project - Free and Open 3D Creation Software.” Blender.org, www.blender.org/. Craig, G. [Just a Tiny Amount]. (2018, May 28). The Three Main Types of Armature [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6b3lRadcwE&t=1s [Warner Bros. Pictures]. (2015, January 26). The Lego Movie Creating The Bricks [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po0dmHhgsxU