UCLA Adds Physics to Prat-falls

BaltoAaron writes "CNN.com is reporting on Petros Faloutsos , a UCLA scientist, that has developed a program that creates animation based almost solely on physics. Faloutsos "believes his animation program will one day allow virtual stunt artists to replace their flesh-and-blood counterparts in performing otherwise deadly feats of derring-do." "It's the Holy Grail of character animation. Everybody wants to do it, but there's not a whole lot of it out there right now.""

Comments

Re:I thought this had been done already

[Chiasmus_]

Of course, there are definite advantages to putting sensors on someone's body.

If I fall down the stairs, what's going to happen to, say, my right arm, wrist, and hand? Sure, if I'm unconscious, that will all be dictated by physics - I'll flop around like a rag doll and you can nicely see all the reactive forces at work.

But if I'm conscious, how is the programming going to emulate my increasingly desperate attempts to keep from breaking my neck?

It seems to me that a better effect would be captured simply by hooking up motion sensors to a stuntman, telling him to take a five-minute break, and then throwing him down the stairs when he wasn't looking. The "mechanics" realm of physics has relatively simple rules; panic does not. So far, we don't have any formulas for the interaction of perceived danger, temperament, adrenaline, and what have you.

Human brain still necessary.

[TekkonKinkreet]

I'm willing to believe that this is a new and sophisticated tool, though I see there are already a bunch of credible posts about prior art (I go to SIGGRAPH, too).

My issue is that a lot more than physics needs to go into an animation. There's brain up there controlling all those muscles, it's not just a bunch of sticks and rubber bands. A character animator is an *actor*, part of his or her job is to give the appearance of intention to a character's performance.

Falling down the stairs is (relatively) easy. Show me the panic the moment he realizes he's lost his balance and can't stop himself. Does he flop like a drunk or roll out like Jet Li?

You still need to control a character with a human brain, whether that brain belongs to a mocapped stunt man or an animator.

Be sure you know what you're asking for...

[yardgnome]

Are you absolutely sure you want a fighting game that's realistic? Millions of people would complain about "play balance" in a realistic game. Face it, if you hit someone, physics dictates they're going down unless they take drastic measures to counteract that. And like you insinuated, if they take drastic measures, it leaves them open for more punishment. That's why, in real fights, it's almost always the guy who connects first that wins. And medical-grade damage modeling is definitely something you don't want. In almost every fighting game ever made, hitting someone in the stomach staggers them back, but that's about it. From (unfortunate) experience, getting hit in the stomach actuallymakes one double over and takes you out of the running for a minute or more.

Let's face it...reality isn't fun. It takes a lot of money put from a special effects budget to make a movie look exciting. And that's because in real-life, things just aren't that cool.