Visualizing style differences through 3D animation

ABSTRACT Style is a ubiquitous aspect of the design of both graphical and physical objects, usually more readily demonstrated by presenting an example of the style than by describing the style in words. What constitutes a specific style is often implicit and indicated by a reference example. The explicit description of such styles, e.g., to define a given style, usually involves static illustrations of exemplars and a written guide to the interpretation of its salient stylistic features. The formal comparison of styles conventionally involves presentation of exemplars, and a comparative description of their stylistic differences, often using a specialized vocabulary. Rather than words and labels to direct attention to stylistic features, one can take advantage of an innate property of the human visual system to detect differences through motion. By modeling sculptures of different styles as variations on a common shape, blend animation allows one style to change smoothly into another by interpolation. The viewer can now appreciate style differences, not by shifting gaze from one to another, but by watching one become another, wherein their differences attract visual attention. The dynamic visualization of stylistic change can thus help illustrate styles change, and in general, offers new animation tools.