Sketch-Based Animation Tool for Character Animation Intergrating into a Production Pipeline

Abstract

Creating appealing character poses can be time-consuming in an animation production pipeline incorporating skeletal-based character rigs. Animators utilize point-and- click input devices such as a mouse and keyboard to manipulate the character pose, rather than interacting intuitively as they would in a hand-drawn medium. This paper describes a sketch-based animation tool integrated into Autodesk Maya, enabling nondestructive and spatially accurate control over the animation of the line of action of arms, legs and spines. The tool provides a faster and more natural method for animators to pose and animate CG characters compared to mouse and keyboard input.