Project description
Pioneering design tools expand possibilities in the creation of avatars
The world of animation, the art of making inanimate objects appear to move, has come a long way over the hundred or so years since the first animated films were produced. In the digital age, avatars have become ubiquitous. These numerical representations of real human forms burst on the scene in modern video games and are now used in feature films as well as virtual reality and augmented reality entertainment. Given the huge market for avatar-based digital entertainment, the EU-funded INVICTUS project is developing digital design tools based on volumetric capture to help authors create and edit avatars and their associated story components (decors and layouts) by reducing manual labour, speeding up development and spurring innovation.
Objective
The INVICTUS project aims at delivering innovative authoring tools for the creation of a new generation of high-fidelity avatars (numerical representations of real humans) and the integration of these avatars in interactive and non-interactive narratives (movies, games, AR+VR immersive productions). The project proposes to (i) exploit the full potential of recent volumetric motion capture technologies that consist in capturing simultaneously the appearance (shape, texture, material) and motion of actors using simple RGB cameras to create volumetric avatars, and (ii) rely on these technologies to design narratives using novel collaborative VR authoring tools.
INVICTUS proposes the design of three innovative authoring tools:
a tool to perform high-resolution volumetric captures of both appearance and motion of characters and that will enable their exploitation in both high-end off-line productions (film quality) and real-time rendering productions. This will ease high-fidelity content creation and reduce costs through less manual labor.
a tool to perform edits on high-fidelity volumetric appearances and motions, such as transferring shapes between characters, performing stylization of appearance, adapting and transferring motions. This will reduce manual labor and improve fidelity.
a story authoring tool that will build on VR interactive technologies to plunge storytellers in virtual representations of their stories to edit decors, layouts and animated characters, improving productivity and creativity.
By demonstrating and communicating on how these technologies can be immediately exploited in both traditional media (films/animation) and novel media (VR + AR) narratives, the INVICTUS project will open opportunities in the EU market for more compelling, immersive and personalized visual experiences, at the crossroads of film and game entertainment.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
35042 RENNES
France