Are classical animation techniques better suited to imparting life to computer animated characters than capturing a performance from an actor or puppeteer via motion capture or a digital input device? Panel OverviewThis panel will focus it's discussion on the application and worth of motion capture (mocap) technology, in its many forms, within the CG character animation field.These forms include full body motion capture systems, digital and stop-motion armatures, and other real-time physical input media. Motion Capture and CG Character AnimationOrganizer Gordon Cameron (SOFTIMAGE Inc.) Panelists

We present a system for animating an articulate figure using a physical skeleton, or armature, connected to a workstation. The skeleton is covered with sensors that monitor the orientations of the joints and send this information to the computer via custom-built hardware. The system is precise, fast, compact, and easy to use. It lets traditional stop-motion animators produce animation on a computer without requiring them to learn complex software. The working environment is very similar to the traditional environment but without the nuisances of lights, a camera, and delicate foam-latex skin. The resulting animation lacks the artifacts of stop-motion animation, the pops and jerkiness, and yet retains the intentional subtleties and hard stops that computer animation often lacks.