High Degree of Freedom Input and Large Displays for Accessible Animation

High Degree of Freedom Input and Large Displays for Accessible Animation Noah Lockwood Master of Science Graduate Department of Computer Science University of Toronto 2006 We explore methods of making computer animation accessible to nontechnical users by utilizing high degree–of–freedom, gestural input and visualization on a large display. Design principles are developed which guide our approach and focus on expressive but comprehensible techniques. We present two applications of these principles to animation tasks: first, to animatic creation, where we develop techniques for rough animation and cinematic communication; and second, to facial animation, where direct manipulation mediates the complexity of a fully expressive virtual face. We present preliminary user evaluation of our techniques, and discuss future directions of our approach.