A multi-user virtual environment system with extensible animations

ABSTRACT

Multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) systems integrate the technologies of virtual reality and distributed system to allow users to interact with each other in a realistic virtual environment. However, due to the inflexibility in the current message protocol design, most of these systems can only allow a user to trigger canned animations in a sequential manner. In order to enable more flexible avatar animations, we propose to use XML as the language to design message protocol and extensible animations. We modified an open source MUVE system called VNet and replaced its message protocol with XML-based structures. We have also designed three animation functions to illustrate the extensibility of animation specification: avatar motion synchronization, flexible animation scripts, and integration of animations at different levels. Several animation examples have been designed to demonstrate how these functions can be used to enrich avatar animations in a MUVE system.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.1 Multimedia Information Systems

Additional Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.3 COMPUTER GRAPHICS
      I.3.7 Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism
          Subjects: Virtual reality; Animation

Keywords:
VNET, VRML, XML, computer animation, multi-user virtual environments