A skeleton/cage hybrid paradigm for digital animation

Digital animators require simple tools and techniques that allow them to create computer animations in an easy, fast and intuitive way. To perform this kind of task, several methods are available, like cagebased or skeleton-based skinning. Cages and skeletons allow animators to define mesh deformation in order to obtain a character pose. Both of them have different pros and cons, and different expressive power. We aim to create a new skinning technique using a skeleton/cage hybrid paradigm that merges together the expressive power of both of them, reducing the complexity of pose definition and making the animation pipeline more simple, intuitive and straightforward.