Linear Blend Skinning Weight Optimization Utilizing Skeletal Pose Sampling

A novel and useful mechanism for the skinning of 3D meshes with reference to a skeleton utilizing statistical weight optimization techniques. The mechanism comprises (1) an efficient high quality linear blend skinning (LBS) technique based on a set of skeleton deformations sampled from the manipulation space; (2) a joint placement algorithm to optimize the input skeleton; and (3) a set of tools for a user to interactively control the skinning process. Statistical skinning weight maps are computed using an as-rigid-as-possible (ARAP) optimization. The method operates with a coarsely placed initial skeleton and optimizes joint placements to improve the skeleton's alignment. Bones may also be parameterized incorporating twists, bends, stretches and spines. Several tools add additional constraints to resolve ambiguous situations and interactive feedback aids users.