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We present a new framework for sketch-based modeling and animation of 3D organic shapes that can work entirely in an intuitive 2D domain, enabling a playful, casual experience. Unlike previous sketch-based tools, our approach does not require a tedious part-based multi-view workflow with the explicit specification of an animation rig. Instead, we combine 3D inflation with a novel rigidity-preserving, layered deformation model, ARAP-L, to produce a smooth 3D mesh that is immediately ready for animation. Moreover, the resulting model can be animated from a single viewpoint --- and without the need to handle unwanted inter-penetrations, as required by previous approaches. We demonstrate the benefit of our approach on a variety of examples produced by inexperienced users as well as professional animators. For less experienced users, our single-view approach offers a simpler modeling and animating experience than working in a 3D environment, while for professionals, it offers a quick and casual workspace for ideation., ACM Transactions on Graphics, 39 (6), ISSN:0730-0301, ISSN:1557-7368

Immersive media such as virtual and augmented reality pose some interesting new challenges for non-photorealistic animation: we must not only balance the screen-space rules of a 2D visual style against 3D motion coherence, but also account for stereo spatialization and interactive camera movement, at a rate of 90 frames per second. We introduce two new real-time rendering techniques: MetaTexture, an example-based texturing method that adheres to the movement of 3D geometry while preserving the texture’s screen-space characteristics, and Edge Breakup, a method for roughening edges by warping with structured noise. We also describe a custom rendering pipeline featuring art-directable coloring, shadow filtering, and texture indication, and our approach to animating and rendering a painterly ocean in real time. We show how we have used these techniques to achieve the “moving illustration” style of the real-time immersive short film “Age of Sail”.

"Age of Sail" tells the story of William Avery, an old sailor adrift and alone in the North Atlantic. When Avery rescues Lara, who has mysteriously fallen overboard, he finds redemption and hope in his darkest hours. In this production talk we'll go behind the scenes in the making of this multi-platform immersive animated short. Some of the unique challenges we'll discuss: bringing a 2D illustrated style to life in the medium of 6DoF VR with new non-photorealistic rendering techniques; immersing the viewer in a storm-tossed ocean without making them seasick; adapting a single story to multiple mediums (desktop/mobile VR, 360° video, and 2D film); creating a better sounding and more responsive sound mix with multiple surround formats and a new spatialization model; and optimizing it all to run at 60fps on a mobile phone.

In the most important match of his life, the once mighty, masked luchador, "Son of Jaguar", faces his legacy, his family, and what it means to be a part of something bigger than himself.

Three unique VR production teams come together in this high-energy session to discuss their innovative approaches to immersive visuals, audio, and user experience, many of which are being presented publicly for the first time. For "Son of Jaguar," "Sonaria," and "Dear Angelica," brand new tools and production pipelines were created to bring these intricate and immersive stories to life. Google Spotlight Stories, Oculus, and Reel FX will present the techniques and storytelling strategies that have earned them reputations as world leaders in the realm of virtual reality and interactive mediums.

Pearl is a short VR film directed by Patrick Osborne, winner of the 2015 Academy Award for his animated short film Feast. Our challenge: create a 360° non-linear streaming interactive animated film with a strongly art-directed non-photorealistic look, with naturalistic character animation tightly synchronized to an original song, and a story that collapses decades into minutes through montage, and make it run in real time on a wide range of devices, from mobile phones to VR headgear. No problem!

We present a kinematic system for creating art-directed clothing and skin wrinkles on CG characters used in the production of computer-animated feature films. This system employs a curve-based method for generating wrinkles on reference poses, which are incorporated into a weighted matching algorithm that generates wrinkle deformations on an animated character. An artist creates wrinkle patterns in an interactive application that is intuitive to use and accommodates iterative art direction. The algorithm for evaluating wrinkles measures the local stress of a surface and creates weights that are used to interpolate between the reference wrinkle patterns during movement. We discuss various production pipeline issues, such as retargeting wrinkle patterns between different costumes and characters. We extend the approach to achieve believable age wrinkles for character skin. Our system has been used successfully in the production of feature-length animated films.

We present a kinematic system for creating art-directed wrinkles on costumes for CG characters. This system employs a curve-based method for creating wrinkles on reference poses, which are incorporated into a weighted matching algorithm that generates wrinkle deformations on an animated character. The wrinkle creation tool is intuitive to use and accommodates art direction. The user can easily transfer wrinkle patterns to different characters, costumes, and body types. The algorithm for evaluating wrinkles measures the local stress of a surface and creates weights that are used to interpolate between the reference wrinkle patterns during movement. This algorithm is robust and efficient, and fits well into a large-scale feature-film production environment.

A watercolor model based on an ordered set of translucent glazes, which are created independently usinig a shallow water fluid simulation. A Kubelka-Munk compositing model is used for simulating the optical effect of the superimposed glazes. The computer generated watercolor model is used as part of an interactive watercolor paint system, or as a method for automatic image “watercolorization.”