Patent · US Expired

Animation system and method for defining and using rule-based groups of objects

US6353437B1 · kind B1 · utility

57Cited by
7References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 29, 1998
Grant dateMar 5, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 29, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06T2213/12
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An animation system and method for defining and using one or more groups of objects in an animation allows an animator to define at least one membership rule that determines membership of an object in a group. Parameters such as properties, operators, effects, constraints, expressions and the like can be defined for the groups and can be inherited by each member of the group. A membership rule is evaluated at defined intervals to determine which objects in a scene satisfy the rule. The objects that satisfy the rule are included in the group defined by the membership rule. At least one parameter, selected by the animator for application to the group, is then inherited by each member of the group.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.