ARAPLBS: Robust and efficient elasticity-based optimization of Weights and Skeleton Joints for Linear Blend Skinning with Parameterized Bones

Publication
ARAPLBS: Robust and efficient elasticity-based optimization of Weights and Skeleton Joints for Linear Blend Skinning with Parameterized Bones  
We present a fast, robust and high-quality technique to skin a mesh with reference to a skeleton. We consider the space of possible skeleton deformations (based on skeletal constraints, or skeletal animations), and compute skinning weights based on an optimization scheme to obtain as-rigid-as-possible (ARAP) corresponding mesh deformations. We support stretchable-and-twistable bones (STBs) and spines by generalizing the ARAP deformations to stretchable deformers. Additionally, our approach can optimize joint placements. If wanted, a user can guide and interact with the results, which is facilitated by an interactive feedback, reached via an efficient sparsification scheme. We demonstrate our technique on challenging inputs (STBs and spines, triangle and tetrahedral meshes featuring missing elements, boundaries, self-intersections, or wire edges).
Preprint: Additional material: Video:
Jean-Marc Thiery, Elmar Eisemann
Computer Graphics Forum - 2017
Related patents
PATENT: Linear Blend Skinning Utilizing Statistical Weight Optimization Techniques  
This patent regards the definition and optimization of skinning weights for linear blend skinning.

You can find the description here.
Jean-Marc Thiery and Elmar Eisemann - partnered with TU Delft
PATENT: Linear Blend Skinning Utilizing Statistical Joint Optimization  
This patent regards the optimization of skeleton joints for linear blend skinning.

You can find the description here.
Jean-Marc Thiery and Elmar Eisemann - partnered with TU Delft
Code / Demo / Technique
Feel free to contact us if you are interested by running a demo, or want to discuss the various aspects of the code and the technique.
Examples (to come)
We will put here the several examples appearing in the article.
If you would like us to export results for your configurations, feel free to contact Jean-Marc Thiery by mail. We will parse your input into our software, run it for you, and record the session as well. If some interactions are needed, we will specify the ones we performed and they will appear in the session's video. As a counterpart, we will release some of the created results on this webpage. If you do not want this, please tell us beforehand.
If you want us to create weights for a volumetric structure, please send us the tetrahedral mesh, we will not create tetrahedral meshes from input surfaces ourselves.