Modeling of deformation using NURBS curves as controller

This paper presents a new method in computer facial animation that models facial deformation by modifying the NURBS curve. In this work, displacement vectors of curve points are decomposed into physically meaningful components. Three independent vectors are determined for each curve sample point and the directions of the vectors possess anatomic meaning. The movement of the curve point is then resolved into components along the three vectors. These components can be processed individually to simulate a real face, and then summed again into a vector. The resultant vector can thus affect the polygonal vertices of a face model that are associated with the curve point. This method represents an extension of our previous work in computer facial animation. Experiments suggest this technique can be used to facilitate subtle modeling and animation of facial deformation. © 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.