An Automated System for the Creation of Articulated Mechanical Parts
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Date
2010-07-14
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Abstract
Proposes a new method to model the geometric form of articulated mechanical
parts while simultaneously testing their range of motion in relation to other nearby parts.
Utilizing a database of mechanical parts in virtual three-dimensional form, a software
tool assists users in quickly building a complex high-level mechanical object which can
be placed directly into a visual effects production pipeline. The tool creates a workflow
that allows modeling and rigging problems to be solved concurrently within the same
interface. Optimized animation controls are generated automatically to expedite the
rigging process. A system of standardization provides a framework for each part?s
functionality within the hierarchy of each new assembly, while also guaranteeing reusability
and backwards compatibility with all other assemblies created with this tool.
A prototype has been developed as a plug-in to existing commercial software to
showcase the described methodology. This prototype provides a unique solution to
common modeling and rigging problems in the field of visual effects and animation.
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Keywords
3D, Python, robot, mechanical, Maya, plugin, articulation, rigging, modeling