SmurVEbox: a smart multi-user real-time virtual environment for generating character animations

Animating virtual characters is a complex task, which requires professional animators and performers, expensive motion capture systems, or considerable amounts of time to generate convincing results. In this paper we introduce the SmurVEbox, which is a cost-effective animating system that encompasses many important aspects of animating virtual characters by providing a novel shared user experience. SmurVEbox is a collaborative environment for generating character animations in real time, which has the potential to enhance the computer animation process. Our setup allows animators and performers to cooperate on the same virtual animation sequence in real time. Performers are able to communicate with the animator in the real space while simultaneously perceiving the effects of their actions on the virtual character in the virtual space. The animator can refine actions of a performer in real time so that both collaborate together on the same animation of a virtual character. We describe the setup and present a simple application.