Modelling and Animation of Digital Characters within Multi-platform Production

谢里登学院将与领先的计算机图形软件公司 SideFX 合作，帮助他们在数字角色建模和动画领域实现解决方案的突破性交付。拟议的项目将集中于对逼真数字角色的建模、纹理和绑定的研究和开发，以提高可信度和观众参与度。重点将放在三个应用领域内的数字角色建模和动画：数字电影和电视；游戏引擎作为电影制作过程的一部分；以及以消费者为中心的虚拟和增强现实体验。后者的应用将包括将数字角色集成为虚拟人（VH），计算机生成的角色表现出类似人类的品质，并使用自然的人类模式（包括面部表情、语音和手势）进行交流。未来五年预计国际市场增长的两个重要领域的发展将带来 VH 商业应用大幅增长的潜力：虚拟现实和增强现实以及人工智能。媒体和娱乐领域存在商业化机会；跨所有部门的培训和模拟；为医疗保健、居家养老、教育等领域的人际服务提供补充支持。 该项目的成功需要一个研究和开发过程，实现计算机图形内容创建的美学、硬件的图形限​​制、复杂制作和后期制作工作流程的深入了解以及软件开发之间的关系的紧密结合和考虑。该项目将使谢里登数字艺术和计算机科学领域的研究人员团队与行业合作伙伴合作，开发出有利于公司的解决方案，同时获得第二个好处，即帮助支持安大略省媒体和娱乐行业在多平台制作领域的增长和国际竞争力。

Sheridan College will partner with SideFX, a leading computer graphics software company, to help them achieve breakthrough delivery of solutions within the area of digital character modelling and animation. The proposed project will centre on research and development into modelling, texturing, and rigging of photorealistic digital characters in order to enhance believability and audience engagement. The focus will be on digital character modelling and animation within three areas of application: digital cinema movies and television; game engines as part of a film production process; and within consumer-focused virtual and augmented reality experiences. The latter applications will include integration of the digital characters as Virtual Humans (VHs), computer-generated characters that exhibit human-like qualities and communicate using natural human modalities including facial expressions, speech and gesture. The potential for dramatic growth in the commercial application of VHs is being enabled by developments in two significant areas of predicted international market growth over the next five years: virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. Commercialization opportunities exist within media and entertainment; training and simulation across all sectors; and supplementary support for human-to-human provision of services in areas such as healthcare, aging in place, and education. Success within this project will require a research and development process that achieves close coupling and consideration of the relationship between the aesthetics of computer graphics content creation, graphical limitations of hardware, intimate knowledge of complex production and post-production workflows, and software development. The project will enable a team of Sheridan researchers from the digital arts and computer sciences to work together with an industry partner to develop solutions that benefit the company while having the secondary benefit of helping to support the growth and international competitiveness of Ontario's media and entertainment sectors within areas of multi-platform production.