Desktop animation of multiple human figures

Life Forms, a desktop system specifically designed to develop a full-motion specification for multiple human figures is described. The Life Forms application complements a general-purpose animation system with full modeling, rendering, and composition capabilities. The system supports this process from concept development through detailed choreography and composition to visualization of the final result. Normally, Life Forms´ output serves as input to a general-purpose animation system, where an environment is added, body models may be elaborated, and rendering of final images occurs. The enhanced images are then transferred to videotape or film and go on to postproduction. Several concepts of human figure animation are reviewed in discussing Life Forms.<>