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Thread: Computer Simulation of Dance

  1. #1
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    Computer Simulation of Dance

    Hi

    ( Starts first thread - Woo ! )

    Have any of you seriously considered Computer Simulation of Dance ?

    I searched for 'simulation', but ended up side-tracked into sexual/healing threads (and now I can't get that song out of my head !)

    I spotted
    http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/b...html#post26185
    ... an email from Gadget {to Beowulf1970} suggestiing I write a computer program to automatically generate dance routines from a list of moves ...

    and Jiveoholic's excellent 3D animations
    Jiveoholics Anonymous, Modern Jive Dance Step Database - Click '9 examples' to the right ...

    and a VRML example somewhere (can track it down if interested ...)

    I haven't read all 1100 posts in the World of Warcraft thread , but people don't seem to be taking their dancing there, from a sample of the first and last pages !

    Maybe SecondLife would be a better platform ?
    I haven't tried it yet.

    Anyone with experience of
    Motion Capture
    Video Analysis
    Force Capture
    3D modelling
    VRML
    X3D
    IK (Inverse Kinematics)
    Dance XML
    Laban Notation
    Sommer Gentry
    World of Warcraft / SecondLife
    ?

    I have plenty of ideas around this area - just dipping a toe in the water to see if I hit any resonances ...

    I have time, hardware and some software at the moment, although the time should really be spent job-hunting !

    Eric
    Last edited by EricD; 5th-August-2007 at 05:06 PM. Reason: "New Page 1" is not a great Title tag, jiveoholic !

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    Registered User Ghost's Avatar
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    Re: Computer Simulation of Dance

    Quote Originally Posted by EricD View Post
    I haven't read all 1100 posts in the World of Warcraft thread , but people don't seem to be taking their dancing there, from a sample of the first and last pages !
    *cough*
    http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/g...tml#post360191

    http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/g...tml#post374973

    and the guild emblem is "winged feet" - for light-footed dancers

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    Re: Computer Simulation of Dance

    Thanks for finding those - there's a few more on YouTube if you search for "{mmo} dance", where {mmo} = 'Guild Wars' | "World of Warcraft" | SecondLife

    So individuals have written script to animate characters in solo dance, even mimicking published videos.


    I hadn't come across Guild Wars.
    Anyone know the underlying technology ?
    Markup/modelling/scripting languages, game engine ?
    (That applies to WoW too ?)

    Clip: World of Warcraft Dancing, With Source - Kotaku
    Doh !
    I was looking for the source script code for the emotes !

    I would guess there's not much automation - just manual coding.
    Very well done on the video analysis, though.
    Maybe there is some 'physics' behind the Sumo Chippendales' stomach and Alizée's hands - you move the arm, and the hand flops about without having to be explicitly moved.

    Yes, KillingTime - partner dancing is where it gets interesting.
    I know there are some kinds of 'partner interaction' *ahem* in SecondLife.
    Not sure how complex, though !

    Some degree of cause-and-effect automation is available in not-too-pricey software.
    Not sure why the demos are violent ...
    http://72.51.34.84/download/ts75_video/BobVsBob.wmv 189kb

    trueSpace Community Forums - View Single Post - Captain's Blog
    As the car hits the girl, she crumples and is dragged by the car simply by physics and collisions.
    RAR Video also in 4Mbyte WMV (with commentary in Scots !) - http://64.34.176.58/tS75_video/Simulation.wmv

    $600, but free trial ...
    Steep learning curve, but ... Hey, I learned to dance !

    Looks like you could try out new moves without injuring anyone ...
    and work out better ways to lead.
    Maybe teach technique ?
    Last edited by EricD; 5th-August-2007 at 07:49 PM.

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    Registered User killingtime's Avatar
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    Re: Computer Simulation of Dance

    Quote Originally Posted by EricD View Post
    3D modelling
    VRML
    Dance XML
    Sommer Gentry
    I've done some 3D modelling (mostly in OpenGL) in the past. I never really got near the complexity of human body motion or anything. VRML I've played about with for fun. Likewise with DanceXML I tried to see if I could get it to simulate just two partner dancing but it seems to lack the complexity required to make it actually useful as a move guide (and I know it is extensible but I think it would require a lot of extending). I've seen Sommer Gentry in a few videos .

    Hope some of this helps .

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    Registered User Beowulf's Avatar
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    Re: Computer Simulation of Dance

    Quote Originally Posted by killingtime View Post
    I've done some 3D modelling in the past.

    I've dabbled in PovRay, MegaPov, Blender and Poser.. the last one being a 3d "mannequin" package. With the exception of the last one the other's are free and very good for 3d graphics.. Poser however.. is far from free. and I have a very old version I purchased many many years ago which lacks the cool new features of the later versions.

    However you can, to an extent, render animated humans that look.. well "moderately" realistic. (if by realistic you mean looking like a mechanoid in a low gravity environment )

    My forte was more in the 3D rendering of photo-realistic objects .. not people but I have dabbled and it is possible.

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    Re: Computer Simulation of Dance

    I see little point in re-inventing the wheel. The software used by the video games companies and film studios is obviously well up to the job of producing quality results. It is probably all jealously guarded and ultra-expensive. They must provide training editions. I would expect them to be seeking new outlets and trained users, and on both scores there may be a chance of scoring limited feature or watermarked editions if you could persuade them that you could produce a package linking dance notations to animation script.
    Another possible route is to link-up with colleges that are simulating athletic performance. I believe Bedford college has people working on that, and is strong on dance too. There are strong commercial and artistic opportunities in this, and such a project could apply for funding. The Bedford college has a proven ability to tap into that as well.
    I do not see this is not a hobby venture, but a way of life.

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    Re: Computer Simulation of Dance

    Quote Originally Posted by EricD View Post
    Have any of you seriously considered Computer Simulation of Dance ?
    The Virtual Amateur Dancing School

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