Field functions for implicit surfaces

The use of 3D computer generated models is a rapidly growing part of the animation industry. But the established modelling techniques, using polygons or parametric patches, are not the best to define characters which can change their shape as they move. A newer method, using iso-surfaces in a scalar field, enables us to create models that can make the dynamic shape changes seen in hand animation. We call such modelsSoft Objects.From the user's point of view, a soft object is built from primitive key objects that blend to form a compound shape. In this paper, we examine some of the problems of choosing suitable keys and introduce some new field functions that increase the range of shapes available as keys.