GVU Technical Report Number:
GIT-GVU-96-32
Title:
Simulation Levels of Detail for Real-time Animation
Authors:
Jessica K. Hodgins
Deborah A. Carlson
Abstract:
When sufficient computing power is available, dynamic simulation can be
used as a source of motion for real-time, interactive virtual environments.
In this paper, we explore techniques for reducing the computational cost
of simulating groups of creatures by using less accurate simulations for
individuals that are currently less important to the viewer or to the action
in the virtual world. The less accurate, or lower level of detail,
simulations can be dynamic with fewer degrees of freedom, hybrid
kinematic/dynamic, or fully kinematic. We implemented a game that
uses a dynamic simulation of a one-legged robot as the test creature.
Because the creatures switch smoothly among different levels of detail
for the underlying simulation, we can achieve real-time performance for
a larger group of creatures than would be possible if each creature were
fully dynamic. We assess the performance gain from using the simulation
levels of detail and the effect that decreasing the accuracy of the
simulations has on the outcome of the sample game.
Keywords:
Level of detail, animation, real-time simulation, virtual environments
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