Kinematics

Tom Funkhouser
Princeton University
C0S 526, Fall 2002

Computer Animation
• What is animation?
Make objects change over time
according to scripted actions

Pixar
• What is simulation?
Predict how objects change over time
according to physical laws

University of Illinois

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3-D and 2-D animation

Homer 3-D Homer 2-D

Outline
• Principles of animation
• Keyframe animation
• Articulated figures
• Kinematics
• Dynamics

Angel Plate 1

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Principles of Traditional Animation
• Squash and stretch
• Slow In and out
• Anticipation
• Exaggeration
• Follow through and overlapping action
• Timing
• Staging
• Straight ahead action and pose-to-pose action
• Arcs
• Secondary action
• Appeal
Disney

Principles of Traditional Animation

• Squash and stretch

Lasseter `87

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Principles of Traditional Animation
• Slow In and Out

Watt Figure 13.5

Principles of Traditional Animation

• Anticipation (and squash & stretch)

Lasseter `87

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Principles of Traditional Animation
• Squash and stretch
• Slow In and out
• Anticipation
• Exaggeration
• Follow through and overlapping action
• Timing
• Staging
• Straight ahead action and pose-to-pose action
• Arcs
• Secondary action
• Appeal
Disney

Computer Animation
• Animation pipeline
3D modeling
Motion specification
Motion simulation
Shading, lighting, & rendering
Postprocessing

Pixar

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Outline
• Principles of animation
• Keyframe animation
• Articulated figures
• Kinematics
• Dynamics

Angel Plate 1

Keyframe Animation
• Define character poses at specific time steps
called “keyframes”

Lasseter `87

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Keyframe Animation
• Interpolate variables describing keyframes to
determine poses for character “in-between”

Lasseter `87

Keyframe Animation
• Inbetweening:
Linear interpolation - usually not enough continuity

Linear interpolation

H&B Figure 16.16

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Keyframe Animation
• Inbetweening:
Spline interpolation - maybe good enough

H&B Figure 16.11

Keyframe Animation
• Inbetweening:
Cubic spline interpolation - maybe good enough
» May not follow physical laws

Lasseter `87

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Keyframe Animation
• Inbetweening:
Cubic spline interpolation - maybe good enough
» May not follow physical laws

Lasseter `87

Keyframe Animation
• Inbetweening:
Inverse kinematics or dynamics

Rose et al. `96

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Outline
• Principles of animation
• Keyframe animation
• Articulated figures
• Kinematics
• Dynamics

Angel Plate 1

Articulated Figures
• Character poses described by set of rigid bodies
connected by “joints”

Base

Arm

Hand

Scene Graph

Angel Figures 8.8 & 8.9

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Articulated Figures
• Well-suited for humanoid characters

Root

Chest LHip RHip

Neck LCollar LCollar LKnee RKnee

Head LShld LShld LAnkle RAnkle

LElbow LElbow

LWrist LWrist
Rose et al. `96

Articulated Figures
• Joints provide handles for moving
articulated figure

Mike Marr, COS 426, Princeton University, 1995

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Articulated Figures
• Inbetweening
Compute joint angles between keyframes

Watt & Watt

Example: Walk Cycle

• Articulated figure:

Watt & Watt

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Example: Walk Cycle
• Hip joint orientation:

Watt & Watt

Example: Walk Cycle

• Knee joint orientation:

Watt & Watt

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Example: Walk Cycle
• Ankle joint orientation:

Watt & Watt

Example: Run Cycle

Mike Marr, COS 426, Princeton University, 1995

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Example: Ice Skating

(Mao Chen, Zaijin Guan, Zhiyan Liu, Xiaohu Qie,

CS426, Fall98, Princeton University)

Example: Horse

(Casey McTaggart, CS426, Fall99)

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Outline
• Principles of animation
• Keyframe animation
• Articulated figures
• Kinematics
• Dynamics

Angel Plate 1

Kinematics and Dynamics

• Kinematics
Considers only motion
Determined by positions, velocities, accelerations

• Dynamics
Considers underlying forces
Compute motion from initial conditions and physics

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Example: 2-Link Structure
• Two links connected by rotational joints

Θ2
“End-Effector”
2

1 X = (x,y)

Θ1
(0,0)

Forward Kinematics
• Animator specifies joint angles: Θ1 and Θ2
• Computer finds positions of end-effector: X

Θ2
2

1 X = (x,y)
Θ1
(0,0)

X = (l1 cos Θ1 + l2 cos( Θ1 + Θ 2 ), l1 sin Θ1 + l 2 sin( Θ1 + Θ 2 ))

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Forward Kinematics
• Joint motions can be specified by spline curves

Θ2
2

X = (x,y)
1
Θ1
(0,0)
Θ1

Θ2 t

Forward Kinematics
• Joint motions can be specified by initial conditions
and velocities

Θ2
2

1 X = (x,y)
Θ1
(0,0) Θ1 (0) = 60 Θ 2 (0) = 250

dΘ1 dΘ 2
= 1.2 = −0.1
dt dt

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Example: 2-Link Structure
• What if animator knows position of “end-effector”

Θ2
“End-Effector”
2
X = (x,y)
1

Θ1
(0,0)

Inverse Kinematics
• Animator specifies end-effector positions: X
• Computer finds joint angles: Θ1 and Θ2:

Θ2
2
X = (x,y)

x 2 + x 2 − l1 − l2
1 2 2
−1
Θ1 Θ 2 = cos
2l1l2
(0,0)
− (l2 sin( Θ 2 ) x + (l1 + l2 cos( Θ 2 )) y
Θ1 =
(l2 sin( Θ 2 )) y + (l1 + l2 cos( Θ 2 )) x

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Inverse Kinematics
• End-effector postions can be specified by spline
curves
Θ2
2

X = (x,y)
1
Θ1
(0,0)
x

y t

Inverse Kinematics
• Problem for more complex structures
System of equations is usually under-defined
Multiple solutions

X = (x,y)
Θ2
3
2
Θ3
1

Θ1
Three unknowns: Θ1, Θ2 , Θ3
(0,0)
Two equations: x, y

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Inverse Kinematics
• Solution for more complex structures:
Find best solution (e.g., minimize energy in motion)
Non-linear optimization

X = (x,y)
Θ2
3
2
Θ3
1

Θ1
(0,0)

Inverse Kinematics

“Ballboy”
Fujito, Milliron, Ngan, & Sanocki
Princeton University

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Summary of Kinematics
• Forward kinematics
Specify conditions (joint angles)
Compute positions of end-effectors

• Inverse kinematics
“Goal-directed” motion
Specify goal positions of end effectors
Compute conditions required to achieve goals

Inverse kinematics provides easier

specification for many animation tasks,
but it is computationally more difficult

Overview
• Kinematics
Considers only motion
Determined by positions, velocities, accelerations

• Dynamics
Considers underlying forces
Compute motion from initial conditions and physics

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Dynamics
• Simulation of physics insures realism of motion

Lasseter `87

Spacetime Constraints
• Animator specifies constraints:
What the character’s physical structure is
» e.g., articulated figure
What the character has to do
» e.g., jump from here to there within time t
What other physical structures are present
» e.g., floor to push off and land
How the motion should be performed
» e.g., minimize energy

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Spacetime Constraints
• Computer finds the “best” physical motion
satisfying constraints
• Example: particle with jet propulsion
x(t) is position of particle at time t
f(t) is force of jet propulsion at time t
Particle’s equation of motion is:
mx ' '− f − mg = 0
Suppose we want to move from a to b within t0 to t1
with minimum jet fuel:
t1
Minimize f (t ) 2 dt subject to x(t0)=a and x(t1)=b
t0 Witkin & Kass `88

Spacetime Constraints
• Discretize time steps:

xi − xi −1
x 'i =
h
xi +1 − 2 xi + xi −1
x ' 'i =
h2

xi +1 − 2 xi + xi −1
m x ' 'i = − f i − mg = 0
h2

2
Minimize h f i subject to x0=a and x1=b
i
Witkin & Kass `88

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Spacetime Constraints
• Solve with
iterative
optimization
methods

Witkin & Kass `88

Spacetime Constraints
• Advantages:
Free animator from having to specify details of
physically realistic motion with spline curves
Easy to vary motions due to new parameters
and/or new constraints

• Challenges:
Specifying constraints and objective functions
Avoiding local minima during optimization

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Spacetime Constraints
• Adapting motion:

Original Jump

Heavier Base
Witkin & Kass `88

Spacetime Constraints
• Adapting motion:

Hurdle

Witkin & Kass `88

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Spacetime Constraints
• Adapting motion:

Ski Jump

Witkin & Kass `88

Spacetime Constraints
• Editing motion:

Li et al. `99

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Spacetime Constraints
• Morphing motion:

Gleicher `98

Spacetime Constraints
• Advantages:
Free animator from having to specify details of
physically realistic motion with spline curves
Easy to vary motions due to new parameters
and/or new constraints

• Challenges:
Specifying constraints and objective functions
Avoiding local minima during optimization

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Dynamics
• Other physical simulations:
Rigid bodies
Soft bodies
Cloth
Liquids
Gases
etc.
Cloth
(Baraff & Witkin `98)

Hot Gases
(Foster & Metaxas `97)

Summary
• Principles of animation
• Keyframe animation
• Articulated figures
• Kinematics
Forward kinematics
Inverse kinematics

• Dynamics
Space-time constraints
Also other physical simulations

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