 |
Description  |
|
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to computerized animation methods
and, more specifically to a method and apparatus for creation and control
of random access sound-synchronized talking synthetic actors and animated
characters.
It is well-known in the prior art to provide video entertainment or
teaching tools employing time synchronized sequences of pre-recorded video
and audio. The prior art is best exemplified by tracing the history of the
motion picture and entertainment industry from the development of the
"talkies" to the recent development of viewer interactive movies.
In the late nineteenth century the first practical motion pictures
comprising pre-recorded sequential frames projected onto a screen at 20 to
30 frames per second to give the effect of motion were developed. In the
1920's techniques to synchronize a pre-recorded audio sequence or sound
track with the motion picture were developed. In the 1930's animation
techniques were developed to produce hand drawn cartoon animations
including animated figures having lip movements synchronized with an
accompanying pre-recorded soundtrack. With the advent of computers, more
and more effort has been channeled towards the development of computer
generated video and speech including electronic devices to synthesize
human speech and speech recognition systems.
In a paper entitled "KARMA: A system for Storyboard Animation" authored by
F. Gracer and M. W. Blasgen, IBM Research Report RC 3052, dated Sep. 21,
1970, an interactive computer graphics program which automatically
produces the intermediate frames between a beginning and ending frame is
disclosed. The intermediate frames are calculated using linear
interpolation techniques and then produced on a plotter. In a paper
entitled "Method for Computer Animation of Lip Movements", IBM Technical
Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 14 No. 10 Mar., 1972, pages 5039, 3040, J. D.
Bagley and F. Gracer disclosed a technique for computer generated lip
animation for use in a computer animation system. A speech-processing
system converts a lexical presentation of a script into a string of
phonemes and matches it with an input stream of corresponding live speech
to produce timing data. A computer animation system, such as that
described hereinabove, given the visual data for each speech sound,
generates intermediate frames to provide a smooth transition from one
visual image to the next to produce smooth animation. Finally the timing
data is utilized to correlate the phonetic string with the visual images
to produce accurately timed sequences of visually correlated speech
events.
Recent developments in the motion picture and entertainment industry relate
to active viewer participation as exemplified by video arcade games and
branching movies. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,305,131; 4,333,152; 4,445,187 and
4,569,026 relate to remote-controlled video disc devices providing
branching movies in which the viewer may actively influence the course of
a movie or video game story. U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,026 entitled "TV Movies
That Talk Back" issued on Feb. 4, 1986 to Robert M. Best discloses a video
game entertainment system by which one or more human viewers may vocally
or manually influence the course of a video game story or movie and
conduct a simulated two-way voice conversation with characters in the game
or movie. The system comprises a special-purpose microcomputer coupled to
a conventional television receiver and a random-access videodisc reader
which includes automatic track seeking and tracking means. One or more
hand-held input devices each including a microphone and visual display are
also coupled to the microcomputer. The microcomputer controls retrieval of
information from the videodisc and processes viewers' commands input
either vocally or manually through the input devices and provides audio
and video data to the television receiver for display. At frequent branch
points in the game, a host of predetermined choices and responses are
presented to the viewer. The viewer may respond using representative code
words either vocally or manually or a combination of both. In response to
the viewer's choice, the microprocessor manipulates pre-recorded video and
audio sequences to present a selected scene or course of action and
dialogue.
In a paper entitled "Soft Machine: A Personable Interface", "Graphics
Interface '84", John Lewis and Patrick Purcell disclose a system which
simulates spoken conversation between a user and an electronic
conversational partner. An animated person-likeness "speaks" with a speech
synthesizer and "listens" with a speech recognition device. The audio
output of the speech synthesizer is simultaneously coupled to a speaker
and to a separate real-time format-tracking speech processor computer to
be analyzed to provide timing data for lip synchronization and limited
expression and head movements. A set of pre-recorded visual images
depicting lip, eye and head positions are properly sequenced so that the
animated person-likeness "speaks" or "listens". The output of the speech
recognition device is matched against pre-recorded patterns until a match
is found. Once a match is found, one of several pre-recorded responses is
either spoken or executed by the animated person-likeness.
Both J. D. Bagley et al and John Lewis et al require a separate
format-tracking speech processor computer to analyze the audio signal to
provide real-time data to determine which visual image or images should be
presented to the user. The requirement for this additional computer adds
cost and complexity to the system and introduces an additional source of
error.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for a random access
user interface referred to as hyperanimator, which enables a user to
create and control animated lip-synchronized images or objects utilizing a
personal computer. The present invention may be utilized as a general
purpose learning tool, interface device between a user and a computer, in
video games, in motion pictures and in commercial applications such as
advertising, information kiosks and telecommunications. Utilizing a
real-time random-access interface driver (RAVE) together with a
descriptive authoring language called RAVEL (real-time random-access
animation and vivification engine language), synthesized actors,
hereinafter referred to as "synactors", representing real or imaginary
persons and animated characters, objects or scenes can be created and
programmed to perform actions including speech which are not sequentially
pre-stored records of previously enacted events. Animation and sound
synchronization are produced automatically and in real-time.
The communications patterns--the sounds and visual images of a real or
imaginary person or of an animated character associated with those
sounds--are input to the system and decomposed into constituent parts to
produce fragmentary images and sounds. Alternatively, or in conjunction
with this, well known speech synthesis methods may also be employed to
provide the audio. That set of communications characteristics is then
utilized to define a digital model of the motions and sounds of a
particular synactor or animated character. A synactor that represents the
particular person or animated character is defined by a RAVEL program
containing the coded instructions for dynamically accessing and combining
the video and audio characteristics to produce real-time sound and video
coordinated presentations of the language patterns and other behavior
characteristics associated with that person or animated character. The
synactor can then perform actions and read or say words or sentences which
were not prerecorded actions of the person or character that the synactor
models. Utilizing these techniques, a synactor may be defined to portray a
famous person or other character, a member of one's family or a friend or
even oneself.
In the preferred embodiment, hyperanimator, a general purpose system for
random access and display of synactor images on a frame-by-frame basis
that is organized and synchronized with sound is provided. Utilizing the
hyperanimator system, animation and sound synchronization of a synactor is
produced automatically and in real time. Each synactor is made up of
sixteen images, eight devoted to speaking and eight to animated
expressions.
The eight speaking images correspond to distinct speech articulations and
are sufficient to create realistic synthetic speaking synactors. The
remaining eight images allow the synactor to display life-like
expressions. Smiles, frowns and head turns can all be incorporated into
the synactor's appearance.
The hyperanimator system provides the capability to use both synthetic
speech and/or digitized recording to provide the speech for the synactors.
Speech synthesizers can provide unlimited vocabulary while utilizing very
little memory. To make a synactor speak, the text to be spoken is typed or
otherwise input to the system. Then the text is first broken down into its
phonetic components. Then the sound corresponding to each component is
generated through a speaker as an image of the synactor corresponding to
that component is simultaneously presented on the display device.
Digitized recording provides digital data representing actual recorded
sounds which can be utilized in a computer system. Utilizing a
"synchronization lab" defined by the hyperanimator system, a synactor can
speak with any digitized sound or voice that is desired.
The interface between the user and the hyperanimator system is defined as a
stage or acting metaphor. The hyperanimator system allows the user to
shift or navigate between a number of display screens or cards to create
and edit synactor files. While other paradigms are possible, this one
works well and allows relatively inexperienced users to understand and
operate the hyperanimator system to create, edit and work with the
synactors.
The dressing room is where synactors are created and edited and is where
users and synactors spend most of their time. The dressing room comprises
16 cards, 1 for each of the synactor images describing a synactor. Buttons
are provided on each card to allow the user to navigate between the cards
by pressing or clicking on a button with a mouse or other input device.
Within the dressing room, the image of the synactor is placed in a common
area named the Synactor Easel. Utilizing separate utilities such as "paint
tools" or "face clip art", the user can create and edit the synactor. With
a paint tool, a synactor may be drawn from scratch or, with clip art, a
synactor may be created by copying and "pasting" eyes, ears, noses and
even mouths selected from prestored sets of the different features.
Once the synactor has been created or built in the dressing room, the user
can transfer the synactor to a stage screen where the lip synchronization
and animation of the actor may be observed. The stage screen includes a
text field wherein a user can enter text and watch the synactor speak. If
the synactor thus created needs additional work, the user can return the
synactor to the dressing room for touchup. If the user is satisfied with
the synactor, the synactor can be then saved to memory for future use.
In the hyperanimator system, the synactor file is manipulated like a
document in any application. Copying, editing (transferring a synactor
file to the dressing room) and deleting actors from memory is accomplished
in the casting call screen. The casting call screen displays a stagehand
clipboard and provides buttons for manipulating the synactor files.
Copying and deleting sound resources comprising digitized sounds is
accomplished in the sound booth screen. The digitized sound resources are
synchronized with the image of the synactor in the screen representing the
hyperanimator speech synchronization lab. The speech sync lab examines the
sound and automatically creates a phonetic string which is used to create
the animation and sound synchronization of the synactor. The speech sync
lab generates a command called a RECITE command which tells the RAVE
driver which sound resource to use and the phonetic string with associated
timing values which produces the desired animation. The speech sync lab
also provides for testing and refinement of the animation. If the
synchronization process is not correct, the user can modify the RECITE
command manually.
The above described functions and screens are tied together and accessed
essentially from a menu screen. The menu screen contains six buttons
allowing a user easy navigation through the screens to the hyperanimator
system features. At the center of the menu screen is displayed a synactor
called the Hyperanimator Navigator who serves a guide for a user through
the hyperanimator system. The RAVE system is responsible for the animation
and sound synchronization of the synactors. RAVEL defines and describes
the synactor while the RAVE scripting language is an active language which
controls the synactor after it is created by a user. RAVE scripting
language commands enable a programmer to control the RAVE for an
application program created by the programmer utilizing a desired
programming system. Utilizing facilities provided in the programming
system to call external functions, the programmer invokes the RAVE and
passes RAVE scripting language commands as parameters to it. The RAVE
script command controller 43 interprets these commands to control the
synactor.
Once a synactor is created, it is controlled in a program by scripts
through the RAVE scripting language level. All of the onscreen animation
is controlled by scripts in the host system through the RAVE scripting
language. Various subroutines called external commands ("XCMD") and
external functions ("XFCN") are utilized to perform functions not
available in the host language, for example creating synactors from the
dressing room. The RAVE XCMD processes information between the scripts and
the RAVE driver. Fifteen separate commands are utilized to enable users to
open, close, move, hide, show and cause the synactor to speak. A program
may have these commands built in, selected among or generated by the RAVE
driver itself at runtime.
The hyperanimator system of the present invention is user friendly and
easily understood by inexperienced users. It provides a user with the
capability to create animated talking agents which can provide an
interface between people and computers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system which displays computer generated
visual images with real time synchronized computer generated speech
according to the principles of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a conceptual block diagram illustrating the hyperanimator
synactor authoring and use as implemented in the system shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating the major data flows and
processes for the system shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram illustrating a hierarchical overview
of the Hyperanimator screens;
FIGS. 5a-5h are presentations illustrating the screen layout of the display
screens corresponding to the major Hyperanimator screens shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6a is a presentation of the Face Clip Art menu screen;
FIGS. 6b and 6c are detailed presentations illustrating the screen layout,
for example display screens subordinate to the menu screen of FIG. 6a;
FIGS. 7a and 7b are detailed presentations illustrating the screen layout
for a second preferred embodiment of display screens subordinate to the
dressing room screen;
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the fields of a synactor model table
record;
FIG. 9 is a conceptual block diagram illustrating the flow of speech
editing and testing during the process of speech synchronization;
FIGS. 10a-10g are detailed presentations illustrating the screen layout for
the speech synchronization process shown in FIG. 9; and
FIGS. 11a-11d are presentations of animation sequences illustrating the
effects of coarticulation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to FIG. 1, in one preferred embodiment of the present
invention, a special purpose microcomputer comprises a program controlled
microprocessor 10 (a Motorola MC68000 is suitable for this purpose),
random-access memory (RAM) 20, readonly only memory (ROM) 11, disc drive
13, video and audio input devices 7 and 9,1 user input devices such as
keyboard 15 or other input devices 17 and output devices such as video
display 19 and audio output device 25. RAM 20 is divided into four blocks
which are shared by the microprocessor 10 and the various input and output
devices.
The video output device 19 may be any visual output device such as a
conventional television set or the CRT for a personal computer. The video
output 19 and video generation 18 circuitry are controlled by the
microprocessor 10 and share display RAM buffer space 22 to store and
access memory mapped video. The video generation circuits also provide a
60 Hz timing signal interrupt to the microprocessor 10.
Also sharing the audio RAM buffer space 23 with the microprocessor 10 is
the audio generation circuitry 26 which drives the audio output device 25.
Audio output device 25 may be a speaker or some other type of audio
transducer such as a vibrator to transmit to the hearing impaired.
Disc controller 12 shares the disc RAM 21 with the microprocessor 10 and
provides control reading from and writing to a suitable non-volatile mass
storage medium, such as floppy disc drive 13, for long-term storing of
synactors that have been created using the hyperanimator system and to
allow transfer of synactor resources between machines.
Input controller 16 for the keyboard 15 and other input devices 17 is
coupled to microprocessor 10 and also shares disc RAM 21 with the disc
controller 12. This purpose may be served by a Synertek SY6522 Versatile
Interface Adaptor. Input controller 16 also coordinates certain tasks
among the various controllers and other microprocessor support circuitry
(not shown). A pointing input device 17 such as a mouse or light pen is
the preferred input device because it allows maximum interaction by the
user. Keyboard 15 is an optional input device in the preferred embodiment,
but in other embodiments may function as the pointing device, or be
utilized by an instructor or programmer to create or modify instructional
programs or set other adjustable parameters of the system. Other pointing
and control input devices such as a joy stick, a finger tip (in the case
of a touch screen) or an eyemotion sensor are also suitable.
RAM 24 is the working memory of microprocessor 10. The RAM 24 contains the
system and applications programs other information used by the
microprocessor 10. Microprocessor 10 also accesses ROM 11 which is the
system's permanent read-only memory. ROM 11 contains the operational
routines and subroutines required by the microprocessor 10 operating
system, such as the routines to facilitate disc and other device I/0,
graphics primitives and real time task management, etc. These routines may
be additionally supported by extensions and patches in RAM 24 and on disc.
Controller 5 is a serial communications controller such as a Zilog Z8530
SCC chip. Digitized samples of video and audio may be input into the
system in this manner to provide characteristics for the talking heads and
synthesized speech. Digitizer 8 comprises an audio digitizer and a video
digitizer coupled to the video and audio inputs 7 and 9, respectively.
Standard microphones, videocameras and VCRs will serve as input devices.
These input devices are optional since digitized video and audio samples
may be input into the system by keyboard 15 or disc drive 13 or may be
resident in ROM 11.
Referring now also to FIG. 2, a conceptual block diagram of the animated
synthesized actor, hereinafter referred to as synactor, editing or
authoring and application system according to the principles of the
present invention is shown. The animation system of the present invention,
hereinafter referred to as "hyperanimator", is a general purpose system
which provides a user with the capability to create and/or edit synactors
and corresponding speech scripts and to display on a frame-by-frame basis
the synactors thus created. The hyperanimation system provides animation
and sound synchronization automatically and in real time. To accomplish
this, the hyperanimator system interfaces with a real time random access
driver (hereinafter referred to as "RAVE") together with a descriptive
authoring language called "RAVEL" which is implemented by the system shown
in FIG. 1.
Prototype models, up to eight different models, for synactors are input via
various input devices 31. The prototype models may comprise raw video
and/or audio data which is converted to digital data in video and audio
digitizers 33 and 35 or any other program data which is compiled by a
RAVEL compiler 37. The prototype synactors are saved in individual
synactor files identified by the name of the corresponding synactor. The
synactor files are stored in memory 39 for access by the hyperanimator
system as required. Memory 39 may be a disk storage or other suitable
peripheral storage device.
To create a new synactor or to edit an existing prototype synactor, the
hyperanimator system is configured as shown by the blocks included in the
CREATE BOX 30. The author system shell 41 allows the user to access a
prototype synactor file via RAM 20 and display the synactor on a number of
screens which will be described in detail hereinbelow. Utilizing the
various tools provided by the screens and the script command controller
43, the user is able to create a specific synactor and/or create and test
speech and behavior scripts to use in an application. The new synactor
thus created may be saved in the original prototype file or in a new file
identified by a name for the new synactor. The synactor is saved as a part
of a file called a resource. Scripting created, for example, digitized
sound "recite" commands can be saved to application source files by means
of "clipboard" type copy and paste utilities. The microprocessor 10
provides coordination of the processes and control of the I/0 functions
for the system.
When using a synactor, as an interactive agent between a user and an
applications program, for example, the hyperanimator system is configured
as shown by the USE BOX 40. User input to the applications controller 45
will call the desired synactor resource from a file in memory 39 via RAM
20. The script command controller 43 interprets script from the
application controller 45 and provides the appropriate instructions to the
display and the microprocessor 10 to use. Similarly, as during the create
(and test) process, the microprocessor 10 provides control and
coordination of the processes and I/0 functions for the hyperanimator
system.
Referring now to FIG. 3, a functional block diagram illustrating the major
data flows, processes and events required to provide speech and the
associated synchronized visual animation is shown. A detailed description
of the processes and events that take place in the RAVE system is given in
co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 06/935,298 which is
incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein and will not be
repeated. The hyperanimator system comprises the author system shell 41,
the application controller 45, the script command processor 49 and
associated user input devices 47 and is interfaced with the RAVE system at
the script command processor 49. In response to a user input, the
application controller 45 or the author system shell 41 calls on the
microprocessor 10 to fetch from a file in memory 39 a synactor resource
containing the audio and visual characteristics of a particular synactor.
As required by user input, the microprocessor will initiate the RAVE sound
and animation processes. Although both the author system shell 41 and the
application controller 45 both access the script command processor 49, the
normal mode of operation would be for a user to utilize the author system
shell 41 to create/edit a synactor and at a subsequent time utilize the
application controller 45 to call up a synactor for use (i.e., speech and
visual display) either alone or coordinated with a particular application.
The hyperanimator system is a "front end" program that interfaces the
system shown in FIG. 1 to the RAVE system to enable a user to create and
edit synactors. The system comprises a number of screen images (sometimes
referred to as "cards") which have activatable areas referred to as
buttons that respond to user actions to initiate preprogrammed actions or
call up other subroutines. The buttons may be actuated by clicking a mouse
on them or other suitable methods, using a touch-screen for example. The
screen images also may have editable text areas, referred to as "fields".
The hyperanimator system comprises a number of screens or cards which the
user moves between by activating or "pressing" buttons to create, edit and
work with synactors.
Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5a-5i and 6a-6f, FIG. 4 is a functional block
diagram illustrating a hierarchical overview of the hyperanimator screens.
The startup screen 51 comprises one card and informs a user that he or she
is running the hyperanimator system. The startup screen also provides the
user with bibliographic information and instructions to begin use of the
hyperanimator system. Once the initiate button (not shown) has been
pressed, the RAVE driver is called to perform system checks. The RAVE
driver is a portion of the hyperanimator system that handles much of the
programmatic functions and processes of the synactor handling. It
introduces itself with a box message (not shown) which includes a "puppet"
icon. After the initial checks have been passed, a star screen 53 is shown
which provides a transition between the startup screen 51 and the menu
screen 55. The menu screen 55 is then shown after the star screen 53. The
startup screen 51 also includes a button (not shown) for taking the user
to the hyperanimator credit screen 57. The credit screen 57 comprises one
card and provides additional bibliographic information to the user. The
credit screen 57 can be accessed three ways: from the startup screen 51,
from the menu screen 55 and from the first card in the dressing room 59.
Pressing or clicking anywhere on the credit screen 57 will take the user
back to the card he or she was at before going to the credit screen 57.
The menu screen 55 (also shown in FIG. 5a) comprises one card and is
provided to allow the user to navigate among the hyperanimator system
features. Upon first entering the menu screen 55, the Hyperanimator
Navigator 510 greets the user. The menu screen 55 contains seven buttons
for accessing the hyperanimator system.
The seven buttons allow the user to: go to the dressing room 59, go to the
casting call screen 67, go to the sound booth screen 63, go to the speech
sync screen 65, go to the credit screen 57, and quit 513 the hyperanimator
system. With the exception of the quit button, the buttons take the user
to different cards within the hyperanimator system. The quit button closes
hyperanimator and returns the user to the host operating system shell
level in the host program. Anytime the user returns to the menu screen 55
from within the hyperanimator system, the HyperAnimator Navigator 510 will
greet him or her.
The casting call screen 61 (also shown in FIG. 5b) comprises functions
which allow the synactor files to be copied or deleted from memory 39 or
placed in the dressing room 59. An appropriate designed button 521, 523
and 535 represents and initiates each of these tasks. Copying a synactor
file takes the file resource of a selected synactor from an application
program or synactor file and places an exact copy in a destination
application program or synactor file. (A synactor file is defined as a
file containing synactor resources only.) Placing a synactor into the
dressing room 59 (also shown in FIG. 5c) allows the user to edit an
existing synactor. The user selects a synactor from an application program
or synactor file stored in memory 39. Deleting a synactor removes a
selected synactor resource from an application program or synactor file in
memory 39. The RAVE driver includes special commands to accomplish the
tasks initiated at the casting call screen 61.
The sound booth screen 63 (also shown in FIG. 5f) comprises functions which
allow sound resources to be copied or deleted from a file. Sound resources
are portions of files which are sequential prerecorded digital
representations of actual sound. They are input to the system via digital
recording devices and stored as resource files in memory 39. An
appropriately identified button 527, 529 initiates these functions. The
sound booth screen also provides buttons 531, 533 to allow the user to
return to the menu screen 55 and the speech sync screen 65.
The dressing room screen or dressing room 59 begins with an animated
sequence (not shown) showing a door opening into a room. The dressing room
59 is used to create new synactors or to edit existing synactors. A user
can access the dressing room 59 from the menu screen 55, from any Face
Clip Art card 75, from the stage screen 77, from the spotlight screen 79
or from the casting call screen 61. The dressing room proper comprises
sixteen cards 71. Placing a synactor into the dressing room 59 places each
image 83 of the selected synactor in the synactor easel 85 on the
respective cards 71 in the dressing room 59. For example, the REST image
83 is placed on the REST card 87 and the REST button 89 is highlighted.
Each synactor will have sixteen images corresponding to respective ones of
the sixteen cards 71 of the dressing room 59. Each of the sixteen cards 71
contains two buttons allowing the user to return to the menu screen 55 and
go to the stage screen 77. Each of the sixteen cards 71 also includes a
button 95 for taking the user to the Face Clip Art menu screen 73. Each of
the sixteen cards 71 contain a field 97 at the top informing the user that
he or she is currently in the dressing room 59. Each of the sixteen cards
71 includes a representation of a painter's easel called the synactor
easel 85. Each of the sixteen cards 71 includes sixteen buttons 72 which
represent each of the sixteen cards 71.
With these buttons 72, the user can immediately go to any of the sixteen
cards 71 from any of the sixteen cards 71 within the dressing rom 59. For
each of the sixteen cards 71, the button that represents itself is
highlighted showing the user where they are within the dressing room 59.
Each of the sixteen cards 71 has a field 99 which labels which of the
sixteen cards it is. The sixteen cards 71 which make up the dressing room
59 are labeled as follows: REST, F, M, R, W, IH, AH, E, Al, A2, A3, A4,
A5, A6, A7, AND A8.
The first eight cards deal with specific lip positions which correspond to
the sounds of the letters that the cards represent. The last eight cards
deal with any type of expression. The first eight cards each contains a
picture in the field 99 of representative lips which indicate the lip
position corresponding to the letter that card represents. The last eight
cards contain the saying "Expressions" because expressions are not
predefined (the user can design the expressions as desired; smiles or
frowns, for example). The REST card 87 also has a special button 101 which
enables the user to copy the image 83 that resides on the synactor easel
85 within the REST card 87 to the synactor easel 85 on every card within
the dressing room 59. This button 101 is only present on the REST card 87.
Each of the sixteen cards 71 in the dressing room 59 also include a menu
103 which allows access to additional tools such as paint tool or
scrapbook applications which the user can manipulate to create or edit
synactors. Pressing the stage button 93 on any of the dressing room's
sixteen cards will initiate the building and copying of the synactor in
the dressing room 59 into a temporary memory (not shown) and take the user
to the stage screen 77 to display that synactor. No matter where the user
is located within the dressing room 59, pressing the stage button 93
always selects the REST card 87 to begin building and copying the synactor
into memory. When building the synactor, the art that is within the frame
of the synactor easel 85 on the REST card 87 is selected and copied first.
The hyperanimator system then calls on an external command (XCMD) which
provides the memory location where that image is stored. The next dressing
room card is then selected and the above procedure is repeated. Each of
the sixteen dressing room cards is selected in sequence and the art within
the frame of the synactor easel is copied. When all of images have been
copied, a list of the memory locations for the images is sent to the RAVE
driver where a synactor resource is built of those images in memory. At
the completion of the synactor resource file building process, the user is
transferred to the stage screen 77 to view the synactor thus created.
The stage screen 77, 78, 81 is a display for examining the
lip-synchronization of newly constructed synactors. It is entered by
pressing the appropriate button 93 found on any of the sixteen cards 71 of
the dressing room 59. The stage screen consists of eight cards 77, 78, 81
of which seven are used for animation purposes (not shown). The first five
cards 77 show stage curtains opening up. The sixth card 78 (also shown in
FIG. 5d) is an open stage 105 where a newly created synactor 107 is
displayed.
The stage screen 78 provides a button 109 and a field 111 which allow the
user to enter in any text string and see and hear the synactor 107 speak.
The "Read Script" button 109 takes the text string entered in the field 11
and calls the RAVE driver to create the animation and speak the text
string through the RAVE system. The stage screen 78 contains three buttons
113, 115, 117 allowing the user to return to the menu screen, return to
the dressing room, or go on to the spotlight screen 79, respectively, to
save the newly constructed synactor 107.
If the user chooses to return to the menu screen, the newly constructed
synactor is retired and the HyperAnimator Navigator 510 is returned. If
the user chooses to return to the dressing room 59, the two remaining
cards 81 in the stage screen are called showing the synactor being pulled
from the stage 105 with a stage hook. If the user would like to save the
synactor to a destination program or synactor file, the user should click
or press on the spotlight screen button 117.
The spotlight screen 79 consists of one card (also shown in FIG. 5e) and
allows the user to save a newly constructed synactor as a resource file. A
newly constructed synactor exists as temporary data in RAM memory and must
be saved permanently to a file or be lost. The spotlight screen 79
provides a field 119 where the user can type in a text string that will be
the new synactor's file name. The text string must be one continuous word.
The spotlight screen 79 has a "Save Actor" button 121 that allows the user
to select a destination program or synactor file to save the newly
constructed synactor resource in. If the destination program or synactor
file already contains a synactor with the same name as the text file in
the spotlight screen field 121, a different name must be selected or the
existing synactor file will be lost. After the newly constructed synactor
is saved, the user is taken back to the menu screen 55. The spotlight
screen 79 also includes two buttons 123, 125 which allow the user to
return to the menu screen 55 or to return to the dressing room 59.
Art which can be used to create synactors is provided within the
hyperanimator system in a Face Clip Art screen 73, 75. The Face Clip Art
screen comprises seventeen cards; one, shown in FIG. 6a, serves as a menu
for navigating among the Face Clip Art cards 75 and the other sixteen
cards 75 contain the actual art, examples of which are shown in FIGS. 6b
and 6c. The Face Clip Art screen can be entered from any of the dressing
room cards 71 through a Face Clip Art button 95. Upon entering the Face
Clip Art screen, the user is first taken to the Face Clip Art Menu 73.
From the Face Clip Art Menu 73, the user can directly acces | | |
