Real-time skeletonization for sketch-based modeling

Skeleton creation is an important phase in the character animation pipeline. However, handcrafting skeleton takes extensive labor time and domain knowledge. Automatic skeletonization provides a solution. However, most of the current approaches are far from real-time and lack the flexibility to control the skeleton complexity. In this paper, we present an efficient skeletonization method, which can be seamlessly integrated into the sketch-based modeling process in real-time. The method contains three steps: (i) local sub-skeleton extraction; (ii) sub-skeleton connection; and (iii) global skeleton refinement. Firstly, the local skeleton is extracted from processed polygon stroke and forms a subpart along with the sub-mesh. Then, local sub-skeletons are connected according to the intersecting relationships and modeling sequence of subparts. Lastly, a global refinement method is proposed to gives users coarse-to-fine control on the connected skeleton. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method on a variety of examples created from both novices and professionals. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Skeleton creation is an important phase in character animation, and manual creation can be labor-intensive. Automatic skeletonization offers a solution, with this paper presenting an efficient method that can be seamlessly integrated into the sketch-based modeling process in real-time. The method involves local sub-skeleton extraction, sub-skeleton connection, and global skeleton refinement, providing users with detailed control over the connected skeleton.