程序式動畫是一種根據使用者所提供的高階運動參數，自動產生動畫的方法。藉著高階的運動參數，程序式動畫比運動擷取資料有著更高的彈性。使用者可透過調整參數，輕易地讓動畫滿足情境上所需的限制。但如何調整適當的運動參數以產生擬真的動畫仍屬不易，因此程序式動畫常有在視覺上觀感不自然的問題。本研究的目標是，將運動擷取資料擬真的要素，帶到程序式動畫之中，以改進程序式動畫的品質。我們將問題定義成一個最佳化問題：給定一段運動擷取資料，系統該如何調整程序式動畫之參數，使得程序式動畫與運動擷取資料的差距盡可能地縮小？我們的系統可以參考一段運動擷取資料，以最佳化演算法，自動調整程序式動畫的參數，搜尋能產生出與運動擷取資料最為相似的運動參數。為了進一步讓產生之動畫符合環境的限制需求，多組最佳化過後的運動參數可以再透過內插，重新產生出一組符合限制需求的運動參數。實驗結果顯示，我們的方法不但使程序式動畫得以保留原來彈性的優點，也改善了程序式動畫常有的視覺觀感不自然的缺點。 / Procedural animation provides a way for a user to generate animation according to the high-level motion parameters that the user supplies. With the high-level motion parameters, procedural animation has the flexibility of generating animation accommodating the requested constraints in a scenario. However, tuning parameters to generate realistic animations usually is a difficult task. Therefore, animations produced with this approach often have the drawback of unrealistic-looking. Our goal is to improve the quality of procedural animation by bringing the naturalness of motion capture data into procedural animation. We model our problem as an optimization problem: given a motion captured clip, how does the system tune the motion parameters in an animation procedure to minimize the difference between animations produced by a procedure and captured in a motion clip? Our proposed system takes a motion captured clip as a reference and tunes the motion parameters of the animation procedure with an optimization algorithm. In order to generate animation satisfying environmental constraints, multiple optimized motion parameters can be interpolated to create a new set of motion parameters which can also satisfy the constraints. Our experimental results show that our method not only retains the flexibility of procedural animation, but also enhances the quality of procedural animation.

動作擷取法是現今相當受到歡迎的角色動作產生方法，而一般多是使用已擷取好的動作，以人工的方式將數個不同的動作混合以產生出所需的動作。但想要大量產生符合需求的混合動作仍相當不容易，因此有人提出了「動作圖」這個方法。動作圖是一種根據使用者所給定的動作擷取資料集合，經過自動化的計算找出各個動作資料之間可以連接的動作片段。藉由這個自動化的程序，各個動作擷取資料可以相互連接起來，達到在不同的動作間平順轉換，且同時保有原動作擷取資料擬真特性的目的。但縱使有上述的好處，目前動作圖的技術僅能就所擷取的全身動作進行串接，品質與彈性往往決定於一開始動作擷取資料的準備，因此如何讓既有的全身動作資料得以分解再利用，以發揮最大的價值，是一個重要的問題。在本研究中，我們提出了一個階層式的動作圖結構名為多層式動作圖，在這個多層式動作圖的結構中，我們將身體的動作區分成數個部位，分別計算各自的動作圖後再合併成一個多層式的架構，而合併的過程中我們提出「整體動作相似度」的計算方式，以做為兩個動作是否容易轉接的比較依據。我們也提出了在不同階層間動作圖運作的規則，以使計算的複雜度及系統的可用性取得合理的平衡。此外，我們更進一步提出名為Motion Script的簡易語意描述語言，來輔助控制這個具有高複雜度的動作圖結構。實驗的結果顯示，我們的方法可以即時根據使用者的指令，搜尋並產生出原動作資料所沒有的動作組合。與傳統的動作圖相比，我們的方法能更進一步的發揮原動作擷取資料的價值，以有系統的方式讓動作組合自動產生更具豐富性及彈性。 / Motion capture is a popular method for generating realistic character animation. In most applications, a motion usually is prepared by manually blending existing captured motion clips to generate a desired motion clip. However, finding a good transition points manually for two motion clips is a time-consuming task and cannot be scaled up easily. Motion Graph is a technique that has been proposed to automate this process by finding suitable connection points and the corresponding transition motions between motion data. With this automatic procedure, motions captured separately can be smoothly connected while keeping the realism of the captured motions. However, most motion graph techniques only consider the transition of full-body motions in two motion clips, and therefore, the resulting motion .depends on the variety of motions available in the motion database. It is an important issue to be able to compose new motion clips as much as possible with given motion capture database. In this research, we propose a hierarchical motion graph structure called Multi-Layered Motion Graph. In this structure, we divide motion data into layers of parts depending on the articulated structure of human body, and then compute a motion graph for each part of the motion. We then combine these motion graphs into an interconnected hierarchical structure. In order to facilitate the composition of motions for different parts from different motion clips, we propose a new metric called Overall Motion Similarity to find reasonable composition of motions in run time. We also propose several rules about how to traverse the motion graphs in different layers to generate feasible motions. Furthermore, we have designed a scripting language called Motion Script to facilitate the specification and search of desirable animation to be generated. Our experimental results reveal that our method is able to compose animations that the original motion graph cannot generate in real time. Compared to the traditional motion graph method, our method is able to make good use of existing motion capture library to compose new motions in a systematic way.

在這個研究中，我們嘗試將節奏的要素（速度、誇張度與時間調配）參數化，以產生能控制特定風格之人物角色的動畫。角色動作風格化的生成及控制是藉由一個層級式的動畫控制系統RhyCAP (Rhythmic Character Animation Playacting system), 透過一個節奏動作控制（Rhythmic Motion Control, RMC) 的方法來實現。RMC是基於傳統動畫的原則，設計參數化的動作指令，來產生生動並具有說服力的角色動作。此外，RMC也提供了運動行為的模型來控制角色動畫的演出。藉由RhyCAP系統所提供的高階控制介面，即使是沒有經過專業傳統動畫技巧訓練的使用者，也能夠創作出戲劇性的中國舞獅動畫。 / In this research, we attempt to parameterize the rhythmic factors (tempo, exaggeration and timing) into the generation of controllable stylistic character animation. The stylized character motions are generated by a hierarchical animation control system, RhyCAP (Rhythmic Character Animation Playacting system) and realized through an RMC (Rhythmic Motion Control) scheme. The RMC scheme can generate convincible and expressive character motions from versatile action commands with the rhythmic parameters defined according to the principles of traditional animation. Besides, RMC also provide controllable behavior models to enact the characters. By using the high-level control interface of the RhyCAP system, the user is able to create a dramatic Chinese Lion Dance animation intuitively even though he may not be professionally trained with traditional animation skills.