Search

Abstract: We present a method for adding artistic control to physics‐based hair simulation. Taking as input an animation of a coarse set of guide hairs, we constrain a subsequent higher‐resolution simulation of detail hairs to follow the input motion in a spatially‐averaged sense. The resulting high‐resolution motion adheres to the artistic intent, but is enhanced with detailed deformations and dynamics generated by physics‐based simulation. The technical core of our approach is formed by a set of tracking constraints, requiring the center of mass of a given subset of detail hair to maintain its position relative to a reference point on the corresponding guide hair. As a crucial element of our formulation, we introduce the concept of dynamically‐changing constraint targets that allow reference points to slide along the guide hairs to provide sufficient flexibility for natural deformations. We furthermore propose to regularize the null space of the tracking constraints based on variance minimization, effectively controlling the amount of spread in the hair. We demonstrate the ability of our tracking solver to generate directable yet natural hair motion on a set of targeted experiments and show its application to production‐level animations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sample of feral Hokonui, Campbell Island and Raglan sheep were captured after living feral > 40 years and managed on North and South Island farms alongside domesticated breeds for 28 years to understand relative performance in various traits. Fleece weight was significantly different (P < 0.001) between breeds (Hokonui, 1.48 kg; Campbell Island, 1.50 kg; and Raglan, 2.16 kg), lower than both domesticated Saxon Merino (3.26 kg) and Perendale (3.29 kg) in the North Island. Live weight was significantly different (P < 0.001) between flocks (Hokonui, 39.4 kg; Campbell Island, 38.6 kg; and Raglan, 43.0 kg), but intermediate between Saxon Merino (35.5 kg) and Perendale (51.6 kg). Reproductive rate depended on live weight and was also intermediate between the domesticated breeds, being significantly greater in the South Island (P < 0.001). Decreased fleece weight was common to farmed feral sheep from three different origins, suggesting this trait may have been an advantage during a feral existence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our work on programmable animation texturing enhances the concept of texture mapping by letting artists stylize arbitrary animations using elementary animations, instantiated at the scale of their choice. The core of our workflow resides in two components: we first impose structure and temporal coherence over the animation data using a novel radius-based animation-aware clustering. The computed clusters conform to the user-specified scale, and follow the underlying animation regardless of its topology. Extreme mesh deformations, complex particle simulations, or simulated mesh animations with ever-changing topology can therefore be handled in a temporally coherent way. Then, in analogy to fragment shaders that specify an output color based on a texture and a collection of properties defined per vertex (position, texture coordinate, etc.), we provide a programmable interface to the user, letting him or her specify an output animation based on the collection of properties we extract per cluster (position, velocity, etc.). We equip elementary animations with a collection of parameters that are exposed in our programmable system and enables users to script the animated textures depending on properties of the input cluster. We demonstrate the power of our system with complex animated textures created with minimal user input. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective composition in visual arts relies on the principle of movement, where the viewer's eye is directed along subjective curves to a center of interest. We call these curves subjective because they may span the edges and/or center-lines of multiple objects, as well as contain missing portions which are automatically filled by our visual system. By carefully coordinating the shape of objects in a scene, skilled artists direct the viewer's attention via strong subjective curves. While traditional 2D sketching is a natural fit for this task, current 3D tools are object-centric and do not accommodate coherent deformation of multiple shapes into smooth flows. We address this shortcoming with a new sketch-based interface called Flow Curves which allows coordinating deformation across multiple objects. Core components of our method include an understanding of the principle of flow, algorithms to automatically identify subjective curve elements that may span multiple disconnected objects, and a deformation representation tailored to the view-dependent nature of scene movement. As demonstrated in our video, sketching flow curves requires significantly less time than using traditional 3D editing workflows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundDigital technologies have expanded the options for delivering psychotherapy, permitting for example, the treatment of schizophrenia using Avatar Therapy. Despite its considerable potential, this treatment method has not been widely disseminated. As a result, its operability and functionality remain largely unknown. ObjectiveWe aimed to study the usability of a therapeutic virtual reality human–human interface, created in a game engine. MethodsParticipants were psychiatric hospital staff who were introduced to the therapeutic platform in a hands-on session. The System Usability Scale (SUS) was employed for evaluation purposes. Statistical evaluation was conducted using descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, analysis of variance, and multilevel factor analysis. ResultsIn total, 109 staff members were introduced to the therapeutic tool and completed the SUS. The mean SUS global score was 81.49 (SD 11.1). Psychotherapists (mean 86.44, SD 8.79) scored significantly higher (F2,106=6.136; P=.003) than nursing staff (mean 79.01, SD 13.30) and administrative personnel (mean 77.98, SD 10.72). A multilevel factor analysis demonstrates a different factor structure for each profession. ConclusionsIn all professional groups in this study, the usability of a digital psychotherapeutic tool developed using a game engine achieved the benchmark for an excellent system, scoring highest among the professional target group (psychotherapists). The usability of the system seems, to some extent, to be dependent on the professional background of the user. It is possible to create and customize novel psychotherapeutic approaches with gaming technologies and platforms. Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT04099940; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04099940

We present 'Smart Scribbles'-a new scribble-based interface for user-guided segmentation of digital sketchy drawings. In contrast to previous approaches based on simple selection strategies, Smart Scribbles exploits richer geometric and temporal information, resulting in a more intuitive segmentation interface. We introduce a novel energy minimization formulation in which both geometric and temporal information from digital input devices is used to define stroke-to-stroke and scribble-to-stroke relationships. Although the minimization of this energy is, in general, an NP-hard problem, we use a simple heuristic that leads to a good approximation and permits an interactive system able to produce accurate labellings even for cluttered sketchy drawings. We demonstrate the power of our technique in several practical scenarios such as sketch editing, as-rigid-as-possible deformation and registration, and on-the-fly labelling based on pre-classified guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A flock of New Zealand Wiltshire sheep was divided into two lines and selected for increased greasy fleece weight or decreased greasy fleece weight as yearlings. Wiltshires shed their fleece annually, and although these yearlings may have expressed shedding as lambs in the preceding summer, they were shorn in autumn at 5 months and again in spring at 12 months of age to determine fleece weight before the subsequent shedding. A rapid separation in fleece weight was observed within 8 years, with ewe (0.89 kg) and ram yearlings (0.92 kg) selected for increased fleece weight producing significantly more wool (P < 0.001) than ewe (0.43 kg) or ram yearlings (0.39 kg) from the line selected for decreased fleece weight. There was no significant difference between sexes, and the sex x line interaction was not significant. Clearly this was very low wool production, but fleece weight was heritable (h² = 0.57 ± 0.04). Shedding was scored from 0 (not shed) to 5 (completely shed) for all animals (n = 2505 records) and was found to be heritable in December (h² = 0.39 ± 0.04) and again in January (h² = 0.52 ± 0.05), but less so in September at shearing (h² = 0.24 ± 0.03). Fleece weight in spring was negatively correlated with shedding score in January, both phenotypically (-0.52 ± 0.02) and genetically (-0.81 ± 0.04). Selecting yearlings for low fleece weight developed a shedding sheep with negligible fleece, which may not require shearing. Selecting for shedding of lambs in January would likely achieve a similar outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)