Adding Cartoon-Like Motion to Realistic Animations

In comparison to traditional animation techniques, motion capture allows animators to obtain a large amount of realistic data in little time. The motivation behind our research is to try to fill the gap that separates realistic motion from cartoon animation. With this, classical animators can produce high quality animated movies (such as Frozen, Toy Story, etc.) and non-realistic video games in a significantly shorter amount of time. To add cartoon-like qualities to realistic animations, we suggest an algorithm that changes the animation curves of motion capture data by modifying local minima and maxima. We also propose a curve-based interface that allows users to quickly edit and visualize the changes applied to the animation. Finally, we present the results of two user studies that evaluate both the overall user satisfaction with the system’s functionality, interactivity and learning curve, and the animation quality.