WO2003102720A2

WO2003102720A2 - Method and system for producing an animation

Info

Publication number: WO2003102720A2
Application number: PCT/NL2003/000382
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Hendrik Alexander Streck; Horst Willi Walter Streck
Original assignee: Isioux B.V.
Priority date: 2002-05-31
Filing date: 2003-05-22
Publication date: 2003-12-11
Also published as: AU2003241906A1; AU2003241906A8; WO2003102720A3; NL1020733C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a system for producing animation comprising at least one image having at least one first element. At least one second element is made available at a playback unit for the animation. An instruction string comprising at least one instruction for the substitution and/or supplementation of said first element for/with said second element is defined. The invention provides a simple and quick manner of producing an animation. Furthermore, the distribution of the animation can take place in a simple manner.

Description

A method and a system for producing an animation, as well as a computer programme for producing and playing an animation produced by carrying out said method

The invention relates to a method for producing an animation comprising at least one image having at least one first element, which animation can be played on a playback unit . The invention furthermore relates to a system for producing an animation. Finally, the invention relates to a computer programme for producing an animation and playing an animation produced by carrying out said method.

Traditionally, two-dimensional (2D) animations, such as cartoons, are manually produced by means of the cell animation method. This method comprises the sketching of the images of the animation by pencil, one at a time, with twenty- five images being required on average for every second of the animation. Following that, the sketches are cleared by erasing some of the pencil lines and prepared for the eventual animation. Subsequently the pencil lines are traced, with the contours being outlined picture by picture, and the cells are coloured image by image. Finally, each individual image or a sequence of the images is (are) superimposed on a background . The use of computers and specialised software has led to the partial automation of the cell animation method. The production of high-quality animations can be realised more efficiently by means of software, such as FLASH from Macromedia. The production of an animation remains a time- consuming and costly affair, however.

It is an object of the invention to provide a method and a system by means of which the production of animations can take place in a simpler and faster manner.

In order to accomplish that objective, the method according to the invention is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of making at least one second element available at the playback unit for the animation and defining an instruction string comprising at least one instruction for the substitution and/or supplementation of said first element for/with said second element. The identification and creation of the elements can take place in advance, so that the animation, which in its simplest form comprises the substitution of the first element for the second element, in fact amounts to the defining of the instruction string. Said string contains the instruction for the substitution and/or supplementation of said first element for/with said second element in the next image of the animation. It is possible to realise a very great variety of operations with regard to the elements by defining said instruction string.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, several elements have been identified and/or created for one image. In most animations the percentage of repetitions is high, i.e. elements or movements or actions of elements during the animation reappear one or more times in the course of the animation. When said elements are made separately available at a playback unit, it becomes possible to show the individual elements in the course of the animation by defining the instruction string. In this embodiment, the instruction string may comprise data relating to the sequence in which the elements are to be substituted. The instruction string may also comprise data relating to the points in time at which the elements are to be substituted and/or supplemented. Thus it is possible to substitute and/or supplement several elements of an image at the same point in time. The instruction string may also call up a combination of instructions. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the instruction string is defined by means of at least one key and/or combination of keys. The recording or programming of the instruction string takes place by means of a specific keystroke or a combination of keystrokes (in succession) on an input unit, each keystroke or combination of keystrokes comprising a specific instruction or instructions for one or more elements. The defining of the instruction string is significantly simplified in this way, which leads to a further saving of time. The same keystroke or combination of keystrokes may be used for activating the instruction string, resulting in the instructions being carried out and the animation being played in accordance with said instructions. The input unit consists of a keyboard or a microphone, for example, which are communicatively linked to a computer in which the instruction string is defined.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the instruction string is stored in an electronic file. The string of instruction is thus separate from the elements that are controlled by the instruction string, which provides new distribution possibilities, since the volume of the file will generally be considerably smaller than that of the file or files containing the elements of the animation.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the instruction or the instruction string is transmitted to the playback unit over a communication network. The transmission of individual instructions or of a small file containing an instruction string makes it possible to realise live animations. Furthermore it becomes possible to enable for parties to compose an animation themselves by combining individual instructions or instruction strings.

The animation is preferably played by activating the instruction string, which is done by means of a keystroke or a combination of keystrokes on an input unit at the playback unit. By doing so, the animator becomes a virtual puppet player.

The method can be used advantageously in particular if the animation is a 2D-animation, since 2D-animations can be realised with relatively simple hardware and software. In principle, the elements of an image that are substituted and/or supplemented by the instruction string may be concerned with any element of an image in the animation. In particular one or more characters or attributes, or parts thereof, in the animation, but also a foreground or a background, or a part thereof, of the animation, may be considered in this connection. As far as the background is concerned, only a part of a larger background may be shown in an image of the animation, but the instruction (s) from the instruction string may effect a shift to another part of the background. Furthermore, an element may be concerned with a specific aspect, such as the colour, of a particular element in the animation. The instruction string may also call up a sound or a sound effect .

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the instruction string furthermore comprises an instruction for generating a sound when the first element is substituted and/or supplemented for/with the second element and/or showing a scene. The linking of sounds and elements and/or movements thereof makes it possible to generate a specific sound or sound effect with a particular element via a single keystroke. This has the advantage that audio post -processing of the animation is not necessary.

The invention also relates to a system for producing an animation comprising at least one image having at least one first element. The system comprises a storage medium for having available a second element therein, an input unit for defining an instruction string comprising at least one instruction for the substitution and/or supplementation of the first element for/with the second element from the storage medium.

The storage medium may be present at a playback unit, which may be communicatively linked, via a communication network, to the animator side where the instruction strings are present. The invention furthermore relates to a computer programme for producing an animation comprising at least one image, which animation can be played on a display unit, which programme comprises at least code elements for creating at least one first element in the image, making available at least one second element for the image at the display unit and defining an instruction string comprising at least one instruction for the substitution and/or supplementation of said first element for/with said second element.

The invention furthermore relates to a computer programme for playing an animation comprising at least one image having at least one first element on a playback unit, which programme comprises at least code portions for executing an instruction string comprising at least one instruction for the substitution and/or supplementation of said first element for/with a second element and retrieving at least said second element from a storage medium that is available at the playback unit.

It is possible to combine the above preferred embodiments or aspects of the above embodiments.

US 6,054,999 discloses a method and a system for producing a three-dimensional (3D) animation, wherein the movements and positions of an actor are registered by means of a specially adapted costume that is worn by the actor. The obtained data are linked to a database containing segments of the cartoon character, so that a corresponding sequence of movements and positions is obtained for the cartoon character. Said system requires costly hardware and is considerably more complicated than the system according to the invention, which provides a simple and time saving method of producing an animation, using simple software and standard hardware. IN addition, the movements of the aforesaid cartoon character are limited to those movements that the actor is capable of making.

Hereinafter a few embodiments of the invention will be discussed in more detail by way of illustration with reference to the Figures, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a system according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a simple animation; Fig . 3 shows a system according to a second embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 4 shows a user interface according to one embodiment of a method according to the invention. In Fig. 1, a system 1 according to one embodiment of the invention is shown. The system 1 comprises an input unit 2 consisting of a keyboard 3 and a memory module 4, a storage medium 5 comprising sub-storage media 5', a processor 6, which may comprise a playback unit for playing the animation, and a display unit 7 as the system components. A programme for playing an animation can be loaded into the processor 6. The system 1 may be implemented in a distributed computer environment, in which the components are interconnected through connections having a high bandwidth.

The keyboard 3 of the input unit 2 may be a QWERTY keyboard associated with a personal computer (PC) , whilst the display unit 7 may be a monitor associated with a PC. The input unit 2 may also be a mouse, a drawing pad, a joystick or other input unit related to a PC, such as a microphone. The display unit may also be a film screen or a television screen. The processor 6 is suitable for carrying out programme modules, among which routines, programmes, objects, data structures, etc. The storage medium 5 or the sub-storage media 5' may comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or any other storage technology, CD-ROM, DVD or other disk storage technology.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the system 1 can be used as follows for an animation 8 as shown in Fig. 2. The animation 8 consists of a scene or image 9, which shows an event, in this case the appearance and disappearance of the sun and the reaction thereto of a character 10. The image 9 is animated as follows. First, various elements 11 of the scene or the image 9 are animated separately. This animation step can take place on the display unit 7 via the input unit 2 or another input unit, such as a mouse, in cooperation with a user interface as shown in Fig. 4, which Figure will be explained hereinafter. In most animations the percentage of repetitions is high. Consequently, actions such as movements of the limbs, walking, jumping, talking, laughing, crying, looking angry, pointing, etc. are animated separately within one scene or image 9. With reference to Fig. 2, the raindrops 12 and the mouth 13 of the character 10 and the umbrella 14 are separately animated in the image 9. The individual elements 11, in this case the raindrops 12 and the mouth 13, are stored at the storage medium 5, in such a manner that they will be available when the complete animation is to be shown or played. The individual elements can be grouped and be stored in the various sub-storage media 5', for example, all the facial expressions of the character 10 are stored in one sub-storage medium 5' and all the weather conditions are stored in another sub-storage medium 5'. A sub-storage medium 5' may also contain sounds.

The actual animation 8 is subsequently defined by means of the input unit 2. The maker of the animation uses the input unit 2, for example the keyboard 3 thereof, to input an instruction string that defines the manner in which and the location at which the elements 11 as stored and made available at the storage medium 5 are to be represented on the display unit or playback unit 7. The instruction string or intermediate forms thereof can be stored in the memory module 4 of the input unit 2. More in particular, the instruction string indicates which element 11 is to be substituted for another element 11 for the animation 8. The element 11 may also be supplemented with a second element. In Fig. 2 said element 11 is the mouth 13 of the character 10 and the umbrella 14 in the image 9, which is substituted in the image 9 ' for another position of the mouth 13 ' and a furled umbrella 14', whilst the other elements (the eyes, the nose) of the character 10 remain unchanged. It is noted that the term substitution is understood to mean any form of modification of an element 11 that is required for effecting the animation 8. It is furthermore noted that only a number of core conditions of an element 11, such as the mouth 13 or the raindrops 12, need to be animated, stored and made available. Said core conditions are, for example, the mouth 13 in a laughing position and the mouth 13 ' in a pouting position, or the unfurled umbrella 14 and the furled umbrella 14' . Modern software, such as FLASH, which runs on the processor 6, is quite capable of subsequently generating intermediate positions of the element 11 from said core positions and represent said intermediate positions on the display unit 7. Said intermediate positions are, for example, the more neutral positions (not shown) of the mouth 13 of the character 10.

According to another possibility, instruction strings are generated in whole or in part via a microphone at the input unit 2. In such a case the input unit 2 can link voice characteristics of the animator, such as the volume or the frequency thereof, to the elements or to conditions thereof. Thus, the mouth 13 of the character 10 can assume various positions depending on the sounds that the animator converts into an instruction string via the microphone and the input unit 2. Such an embodiment is in particular advantageous in the case of live animations.

Yet another possibility concerns the embodiment in which several instructions for different elements or for one and the same element are generated by means of a keystroke or a combination of keystrokes. In this connection especially the possibility to generate an instruction string for an element and the associated sound by means of a single keystroke may be considered. For example, when the raindrops 12 are being shown, the sound of rain may be included or called up in the same instruction string by means of the same keystroke. Also when a particular scene is shown, the associated sound, such as background music, can be generated by means of the instruction string. Furthermore it is possible to link several sounds to one or more elements or scenes; for example, a particular melody may be played when an animation of a violinist is being shown. The possibility of generating sound via the instruction string at least partially obviates the necessity of audio post-processing. Finally it is noted that any manipulation of the elements 11 of the animation 8 is rendered possible by defining an instruction string, so that the maker will have a high degree of flexibility. This is relevant in particular in the case of cartoons, for example because the script of the animation prescribes actions to be performed by the characters 10 that a person of flesh and blood is incapable of, which is also one of the differences between the present method and the method as discussed with reference to the previously cited US 6,054,999.

Once the elements 11 have been created and are available to the processor 6, the animation can take place in a simple and quick manner. The animator can carry out the animation by inputting the instruction string or even by means of a single keystroke or combination of keystrokes that activate (s) an instruction or an instruction string, so that the animator will act as a virtual puppet player. An example of an instruction string is e=a,2,b,4,a, 6, b, 7, a, 7, b, 8, a, 12, b, 14 ,a, 16, b, 17, a, 18, b, 20, a, 23, b, 25, a, 27, wherein e is a variable, a and b relate to the elements 11 and wherein the numbers relate to the points in time at which the substitution or the supplementation is to take place. All this can be realised by inputting commands, for example via the keyboard 3, without the use of sophisticated and costly software being required. Each repeated element 11, such as the movement of an arm of a character 10, means a considerable gain of time, since it is not necessary to animate the conditions of the arm anew, only the instruction in the instruction string must be repeated, so that a considerable gain of time is achieved. This manner of animating makes it possible to meet sharp deadlines with regard to the completion of the animation. It is possible to call up instructions that frequently occur in a specific combination in an instruction string as a combination, thus making it possible to realise an additional gain of time. Preferably, the instruction string contains data relating to the order in which the elements 11 in an image 9 are to be substituted. Different animated elements 11 being activated in a constantly changing order enable a great variation in the animation. In addition to data relating to the order in which the elements 11 can be activated, the instruction string may also comprise data with regard to the point in time at which the elements 11 in an image 9 are to be substituted. Furthermore, the instruction string may comprise data with regard to a dialogue between characters 10 in an animation 8.

Substitution of the background in an image 9 makes it possible to present a new scene or image 9. In this new scene, the elements 11 and instruction strings that are already available can be used anew, which leads to a gain of time. The same obtains with regard to all kinds of attributes, such as the umbrella 14, that are used in one or more scenes. These attributes, too, need to be created or animated only once, and they can subsequently be used several times by being called up via the instruction string.

The instruction string, which preferably comprises the order in which and the time during which the various elements 11 are to be activated, for example by means of keystrokes, may be stored in a separate electronic file having its own specific format. This file will be small, making it easy to distribute, unlike the elements 11 of the animation 8 itself. The animation is played by reading the file into the processor 6. Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of the system l¹ according to the invention. The system 1' comprises an animator side A and a user side U.

The user side U comprises an input unit 2 ' , the storage medium 5 comprising the sub-storage media 5', a playback unit 6' and a display unit 7'. The display unit 7' may be a monitor for a PC, but also a film screen or a television screen, for example. The playback unit 6' comprises a module for loading the file containing the instruction string. Said instruction string may have been defined on the animator side A. When said instruction string is loaded, the elements 11 in question from the sub-storage media 5¹ are called up, so that the animation 8 is shown on the display unit 7 ' in a suitable manner by carrying out the instructions from the instruction string.

In one preferred embodiment, the components of the animator side A and the user side U are connected via a communication network 15. Said communication network 15 may be a hardwire network (telephone, Internet) or a wireless network (GPRS, UMTS) .

The animator side A comprises the input unit 2 consisting of the keyboard 3 and the memory module 4, a processor 6 and a display unit 7, as discussed above in connection with the system 1. In addition to that, the animator side A may comprise the storage medium 5 containing elements 11 that may be used for realising the animation. Furthermore, instruction strings may be stored in the form or files on the storage medium 5. Said files comprising instruction strings can be transmitted to the user side U, for example via electronic mail or by being downloaded from the user side. On the user side, the playback unit must be capable of running a programme that can read the file containing the instructions or the instruction string (s) , and all the elements 11 of the animation 8 must have been made available .

If the communication network 15 is a TV-network, the animation 8 can be broadcast. Providing the instruction string and making available the elements 11 make it possible to play the animation at a later point in time and convert it to a format suitable for being broadcast on television. The animation can also be directly put on tape via a scanning converter 16, which converts the images of the animation into a signal suitable for television transmission. The scanning converter 16 may also be used for real-time realisation of an animation having broadcast quality on the user side U from the PC that is present on the animator side A, as is shown in Fig. 3. In this way a character from the animation can directly response to all kinds of situations, so that the character can e.g. act as a guest in a talk show. The animation may be superimposed on a video image in that case. Also in the case of game shows on TV this manner of animation provides possibilities of realising specific effects, e.g. on a scoreboard. This system 1' consists of simple and relatively inexpensive hardware. There is no need to use a scanning converter in the case of non-live productions, and the animation can be converted in a PC into an AVI-format file, which format is suitable for broadcasting.

If the Internet is used as the communication network 15, a user present on the user side U can download the instruction string and play the animation 8 in FLASH. The small volume of the instruction string makes it possible yet to transmit an animation over a network 15 having a limited bandwidth. Furthermore, the user can compose an animation himself by composing his own instruction strings, to which end a library comprising standard instructions can be used advantageously.

One aspect of the invention concerns the fact that an animation only needs to be produced once by means of the instruction string, after which the animation is suitable for various media (TV, Internet) .

Figure 4 finally shows a user interface 17, which facilitates the composition of the animation 8 by the user. The user interface 17 is preferably a window 18 in a Windows environment. The window 18 roughly consists of a title bar 19, an animation podium 20, animation areas 21-33 and a toolbar 34 provided with a timeline 35.

The title bar displays the name of the programme used for producing the animation and, for example, the file name of the animation that is being processed or shown. The largest area 20 is concerned with the animation podium, on which e.g. the animation that has been produced by keystroke combinations, or a part thereof, can be shown in real time.

The animation areas 21 and 22 are concerned with the scenes in the animation and the characters 10 associated with various scenes, respectively. The animation areas 21 and 22 may be pull-down menus. The animation area 23 is concerned with the options for the facial expression of the characters, such as talking, laughing, smiling etc. The animation area 24 is concerned with options for movements of the head of a character, for example to the left, to the right, up and down. The animation area 25 is concerned with the eye movements of a character, for example to the left, to the right, up, down or winking. The animation area 26 is concerned with movements of the arm of the character, for example concerning the left arm and the right arm. The animation area 27 is concerned with the legs of a character, for example walking to the left or to the right. The animation area 28 is concerned with backgrounds for the various scenes, for example a desert, a forest, the skyline of a city or a studio. The animation area 29 is concerned with the foreground in a particular scene, for example a cactus, a pyramid, a cabin or a microphone. The animation area 30 is concerned with attributes, such as a coffee cup, a butterfly, a camera, a rucksack or an axe. The animation area 31 may be concerned with other comic attributes, such as a pair of glasses, a mouse or a ball. The animation area as 32 and 33 are concerned with the process of zooming in and zooming out and with the position of the character.

The toolbar 34 provides options for the loading of an animation, the processing of the animation and the storing of the animation in the form of an instruction string. The timeline 35 provides a possibility of jumping to a particular part of the animation, for example for the purpose of effecting adaptations with regard to the animation via the instruction string. The options in the various animation areas 21-33 can be activated both with a mouse and with the keyboard 3, using shortcuts. Keys or combinations of keys that are relevant for the animation may be provided with colours on the animator's keyboard. Finally, the invention provides a possibility of adjusting the user interface 17 and/or the animation areas 21-33 to the animation as transmitted via the instruction string. As a result, the relevant elements or actions can be made accessible to the user in a simple manner.

As will be understood by those skilled in this field of the art, modifications and adaptations as regards the implementation of the invention will be possible in the light of the embodiments as described above without departing from the scope thereof. Accordingly, said scope should be analysed in accordance with the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for producing an animation comprising at least one image (9) having at least one first element

(12; 13; 14), which animation can be played on a playback unit (6;6'), which method is characterized by the steps of: - making at least one second element available at the playback unit (6; 6') for the animation; - defining an instruction string comprising at least one instruction for the substitution and/or supplementation of said first element (12;.13;.14) for/with said second element.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the image (9) comprises several elements (11) and wherein at least those elements that occur more than once in the animation are made separately available at the playback unit (6;6') .

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the instruction string comprises data relating to the sequence in which the elements are to be substituted and/or supplemented.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the instruction string comprises data relating to the point in time at which the first element

(12; 13; 14) is to be substituted for and/or supplemented with the second element .

5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the instruction string is defined by means of at least one key and/or combination of keys on a keyboard (3) of an input unit (2) .

6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least part of the instruction string is defined by means of at least one sound via a microphone of an input unit (2) , wherein the input unit (2) analyses said sound and translates it into the instruction string in dependence on characteristics of said sound.

7. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the instruction string and/or the instruction calls a combination of instruction strings or instructions.

8. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the instruction string is stored in an electronic file.

9. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the instruction and/or the instruction string is/are transmitted to the playback unit (6') over a communication network (15) .

10. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the animation is played at the playback unit (6') by activating the instruction string.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the activation of the instruction string takes place by means of a keystroke or a combination of keystrokes on an input unit (2') at the playback unit (6') .

12. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the animation is a 2D-animation.

13. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the instruction string furthermore comprises an instruction for generating a sound when the first element (12; 13,-14) is substituted and/or supplemented for/with the second element (12 ' ; 13 ' ;14 ' ) and/or showing a scene.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said elements (11) are concerned with a character or with actions of characters and/or attributes, or parts thereof, in the 2D- animation, and/or at least with one background and/or foreground, or a part thereof, of the 2D-animation.

15. A system (1) for producing an animation comprising at least one image (9) having at least one first element (12 ; 13 ; 14) , wherein the system (1) comprises: - a storage medium (5) for having available at least one second element (12' ;13 ' ; 14' ) therein; - an input unit (2) for defining an instruction string comprising at least one instruction for the substitution and/or supplementation of the first element (12; 13; 14) for/with the second element (12' ; 13' ; 14' ) from the storage medium.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein said system also comprises a display unit (7) for showing the animation upon execution of the instruction string by the processor that is arranged for executing the instruction string.

17. A system according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the system furthermore comprises a playback unit (6; 6') and wherein the storage medium is present at the playback unit.

18. A system according to any one of the claims 15- 17, wherein a communication network (15) is present between the input unit (3) and the storage medium (5) .

19. A computer programme for producing an animation comprising at least one image, which animation can be played on a display unit, which programme comprises at least code portions for:

- creating at least one first element in the image;

- making available at least one second element for the image at the display unit;

- defining an instruction string comprising at least one instruction for the substitution and/or supplementation of said first element for/with said second element .

20. A computer programme according to claim 19, wherein the computer programme furthermore comprises code portions for creating at least said second element.

21. A computer programme according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the computer programme furthermore comprises code portions for carrying out the method according to any one of the claims 2-9, 12 or 13.

22. A computer programme for playing an animation comprising at least one image having at least one first element on a playback unit, which programme comprises at least code portions for:

- executing an instruction string comprising at least one instruction for the substitution and/or supplementation of said first element for/with a second element ; - retrieving at least said second element from a storage medium that is available at the playback unit .

23. A computer programme according to claim 22, wherein the computer programme furthermore comprises code portions for carrying out the method according to claim 11.

24. A computer programme according to claim 22 or 23, wherein a user interface (17) on a display unit (7') at the playback unit (6') and/or animation areas (21-33) of the user interface are adapted in dependence on the animation to be played.