In contrast to keyframe animation, dance notation systems may be regarded as a more suitable and complete conceptual framework to describe movement. They form a basis for accurate description of movement, and serve at the same time as an instrument of thought.
Of the existing dance notation systems, the Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation (EWMN) introduces several key features, which could easily be integrated into existing key frame animation technique, in order to transform it from a positional to a movement-oriented approach. This notation system defines limb movement out of a small set of movement categories, which are quantified by numerical values and hierarchically linked to represent the dance as a whole. Furthermore this notation introduces a dynamic hierarchy between limb segments, which is dependent on the supporting body parts (e.g. mostly the feet) and thus constantly changing throughout a movement sequence. This dynamic hierarchy, as opposed to a static, pelvis rooted hierarchy known from traditional animation software, provides a simple means to model the gravitational influence on dance movement.
Translating these notation originated concepts into mathematical descriptions will provide a more accurate and efficient way to compute body postures over the flow of time.
While this notational framework based on EWMN addresses many issues previously neglected in 3D animation, it will not always provide a complete solution for producing realistic movement. Concepts based on Kinetography Laban / Labanotation may complement this basic analysis with more complex analytical approaches, which usually denote movements of an entire limb chain (e.g. arm or leg). They will be implemented by algorithms based on inverse kinematics. Also algorithms to determine adequate acceleration and deceleration within the defined movement paths must be found to ensure more realistic movement dynamics.
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