Interactive Avatars with X3D
The Challenge
The blockbuster movie spread the word “Avatar” to the minds of millions of cinema visitors. However avatars can also be used outside predefined film interactively and in real-time with X3D. So avatars enable online gaming, shopping, human simulation or even video conferencing interactively.
The Solution
The movement of the avatar can be added from real-time motion capturing systems or manually from the H-Anim Standard of Web3D. Basically the skeleton under the skin of the avatar is animated according to some defined motion vectors. With this technique the same motion can be used for many different models. Predefined gestures can be added by the rendering software provider (www.bitmanagement.com) in BS Contact to be triggered when the user’s avatar needs to perform them (e.g. greeting, waving, etc.). Individual movements can be captured and applied to make these gestures more realistic (e.g. www.circlesandlines.com). The graphical quality of the online capable and interactive avatar on standard consumer hardware needs than to be adjusted to the target group of the application.
Examples from different use cases:
Applications may require film like quality of avatars, aiming to match humans closely: Please find below a link to a standard avatar screenshot:
http://www.bitmanagement.de/images/press/standard_avatar.large.jpg
Applications may also target to abstract from the real human being: Idees 3 com (www.idees3com.fr ), cartoon style avatars for e.g. e-commerce
http://www.bitmanagement.de/images/press/avatar_configurator.large.jpg
Applications may target to mix video and interactive 3D for even more human being like appearance: IVN, (www.ivn3.com), 3D Live Avatars for e.g. video conferencing http://www.bitmanagement.de/images/press/live_video_avatar.large.jpg
Applications may target monster like creatures – as it is also just 3D graphics - for e.g. Online Gaming Leelh, (www.leelh.fr) MMORPG – Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game http://www.bitmanagement.de/images/press/game_avatar.large.jpg
The 3D renderer supporting these applications is BS Contact from Bitmanagement Software GmbH (near Munich, Germany).
Bitmanagement is focused on Interactive Web3D Graphics (http://www.bitmanagement.com/en/products/product-workflow ).