Enriching Triangle Mesh Animations with Physically Based Simulation.

Area of Science:

• Computer Graphics
• Computational Physics
• Animation and Simulation

Background:

• Triangle mesh animations are widely used but often lack physical realism.
• Physically-based simulation, like Finite Element Method (FEM), provides realism but can be complex to control and integrate with existing animations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a system that seamlessly combines arbitrary triangle mesh animations with physically-based FEM simulation.
• To provide users with intuitive, spatio-temporal control over the influence of physics on animations.
• To enable the creation of animations that range from purely input-driven to fully physics-simulated.

Main Methods:

• Inputting arbitrary triangle mesh animations from various sources (keyframing, rigging, scanning).
• User-defined weights to control the degree of physical simulation influence across model regions and time.
• Automatic generation of simulation meshes, including for non-manifold and self-colliding inputs.
• Converting input animations to simulation mesh animations.
• Resolving collisions and self-collisions within the physically-constrained simulation.

Main Results:

• A novel system for combining triangle mesh animations with FEM simulation.
• Spatio-temporal control over physics influence, allowing smooth transitions between animation and simulation.
• Generation of physically plausible animations constrained by user-defined input animations.
• Handling of complex mesh properties like non-manifold and self-colliding geometries.

Conclusions:

• The proposed system effectively integrates arbitrary animations with FEM simulation, offering unprecedented user control.
• This approach allows for flexible creation of realistic animations by blending artistic control with physical accuracy.
• The system's ability to manage complex meshes and collisions enhances its applicability in various animation and simulation domains.