inVRs

The goal of the Avatara package is to allow the animation of arbitrary models with the help of a skeleton. The modeling of the avatar itself as the appropriate skeleton and animation sequences can be performed in a modeling tool, like for example Blender, Maya, or 3D Studio Max. The generated models and animations are exported separately in proprietary file formats from the modelling tool with the help of tool-specific scripts.

The Avatara package was created during a variety of projects by Helmut and Martin Garstenauer. The avatars can be attached as a simple scene graph node into an OpenSG scene. It is possible to play animation phases by the use of skeletal animation. The head bone and the hand position can be controlled individually to represent remote users.

The source distribution and a 45 page manual describing the modeling and exporting of the Avatara avatars as well as the API for OpenGL, OpenSG and inVRs is provided here.

Features¶

• Support of Blender, Maya, 3D Studio Max
• Modeling, texturing, armature and animations
• Export scripts for mesh, textures, armature and animations
• Support of OpenGL, OpenSG and inVRs
• VR specific API access by integration of special skeleton functions with animation system
• GLUT and OpenSG viewer for the avatars
• Mathematics library featuring quaternions
• Model animation: key-frame based or quaternion based key-frame interpolation
• Custom animation speed and motion blending