Magic Leap Patent | Systems and methods for cross-application authoring, transfer, and evaluation of rigging control systems for virtual characters
Publication Number: 20250157120
Publication Date: 2025-05-15
Assignee: Magic Leap
Abstract
Various examples of cross-application systems and methods for authoring, transferring, and evaluating rigging control systems for virtual characters are disclosed. Embodiments of a method include the steps or processes of creating, in a first application which implements a first rigging control protocol, a rigging control system description; writing the rigging control system description to a data file; and initiating transfer of the data file to a second application. In such embodiments, the rigging control system description may be defined according to a different second rigging control protocol. The rigging control system description may specify a rigging control input, such as a lower-order rigging element (e.g., a core skeleton for a virtual character), and at least one rule for operating on the rigging control input to produce a rigging control output, such as a higher-order skeleton or other higher-order rigging element.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/493,439, filed Oct. 24, 2023, and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CROSS-APPLICATION AUTHORING, TRANSFER, AND EVALUATION OF RIGGING CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR VIRTUAL CHARACTERS.” U.S. application Ser. No. 18/493,439 is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/665,380, filed Feb. 4, 2022, and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CROSS-APPLICATION AUTHORING, TRANSFER, AND EVALUATION OF RIGGING CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR VIRTUAL CHARACTERS.” U.S. application Ser. No. 17/665,380 is a continuation of U.S. application. Ser. No. 17/047,339, filed Oct. 13, 2020, and bearing the same title. U.S. application. Ser. No. 17/047,339 is a national phase of PCT Patent Application PCT/US2019/027350, filed Apr. 12, 2019, and bearing the same title. PCT Patent Application PCT/US2019/027350 claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/658,415, filed Apr. 16, 2018, and bearing the same title. The present application claims priority to, and hereby incorporates by reference, each of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/493,439, U.S. application Ser. No. 17/665,380, U.S. application. Ser. No. 17/047,339, PCT Patent Application PCT/US2019/027350, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/658,415.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present disclosure relates to virtual reality and augmented reality, including mixed reality, imaging and visualization systems, and more particularly to tools for efficiently enabling cross-application configurations of virtual characters.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
Modern computing and display technologies have facilitated the development of systems for so called “virtual reality,” “augmented reality,” and “mixed reality” experiences, wherein digitally reproduced images are presented to a user in a manner such that they seem to be, or may be perceived as, real. A virtual reality (VR) scenario typically involves presentation of computer-generated virtual image information without transparency to other actual real-world visual input. An augmented reality (AR) scenario typically involves presentation of virtual image information as an augmentation to visualization of the actual world around the user. Mixed reality (MR) is a type of augmented reality in which physical and virtual objects may co-exist and interact in real time. Systems and methods disclosed herein address various challenges related to VR, AR and MR technology.
SUMMARY
In some embodiments, a method for executing a rig for a virtual character comprises: receiving, from a first application which implements a first rigging control protocol, an input associated with a request for a behavior from the rig for the virtual character; converting the input to be compatible with a second rigging control protocol that is different from the first rigging control protocol; evaluating one or more control systems, based on the input, to determine an output to provide the requested behavior from the virtual character rig, the one or more control systems being defined according to the second rigging control protocol; converting the output to be compatible with the first rigging control protocol; and providing the output to the first application to manipulate the virtual character according to the requested behavior.
In some embodiments, a method for transferring a rigging control system for a virtual character comprises: creating, in a first application which implements a first rigging control protocol, a rigging control system description, the rigging control system description being defined according to a different second rigging control protocol and specifying a rigging control input and a rule for operating on the rigging control input to produce a rigging control output; writing the rigging control system description to a data file; and initiating transfer of the data file to a second application.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.
FIG. 1 depicts an illustration of a mixed reality scenario with certain virtual reality objects, and certain physical objects viewed by a person.
FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an example of a wearable system.
FIG. 3 schematically illustrates example components of a wearable system.
FIG. 4 schematically illustrates an example of a waveguide stack of a wearable device for outputting image information to a user.
FIG. 5 is a process flow diagram of an example of a method for interacting with a virtual user interface.
FIG. 6A is a block diagram of another example of a wearable system which can comprise an avatar processing and rendering system.
FIG. 6B illustrates example components of an avatar processing and rendering system.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an example of a wearable system including various inputs into the wearable system.
FIG. 8 is a process flow diagram of an example of a method of rendering virtual content in relation to recognized objects.
FIG. 9A schematically illustrates an overall system view depicting multiple wearable systems interacting with each other.
FIG. 9B illustrates an example telepresence session.
FIG. 10 illustrates an example of an avatar as perceived by a user of a wearable system.
FIG. 11 illustrates an example computing environment for cross-application implementations of rigging control systems.
FIG. 12 illustrates an example of an embedded framework that can be used for cross-application authoring, transfer, and evaluation of rigging control systems for a virtual character.
FIG. 13 illustrates an example flow diagram for cross-application transfer of rigging control systems.
FIGS. 14A-14C illustrate example processes for cross-application authoring, transfer, and evaluation of rigging control systems.
Throughout the drawings, reference numbers may be re-used to indicate correspondence between referenced elements. The drawings are provided to illustrate example embodiments described herein and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.
