Archive notice: This article was originally published on August 2, 2006. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Natural Motion is showing three new products at Siggraph, although one of them is no longer entirely fresh: Endorphin 2.6 was already on display at the GDC in San Jose at the end of March. The program for “Dynamic Motion Synthesis” (DMS) now brings a few small improvements over its previous version.
The truly new product and Natural Motion’s main Sigraph performer is Euphoria. It represents, in a sense, the real-time version of Endorphin and likewise contains DMS technology. Whereas conventional animation merely connects keyframed motion sequences, Euphoria promises a realistic simulation of movements.
To do this, the software gives the skeleton an “artificial intelligence” that allows it to react to external influences. If a Euphoria character is bumped from the side, it reacts like a human – for example, while falling it will try to break its fall with its arms.
How the character reacts to external influences can be influenced only through target behaviour. If a character is pushed from the side while walking, a directive could, for example, be: “Try to always keep walking”. The reaction to the sideways push would then turn out differently than with the setting “React with surprise to disturbances”.
With Euphoria, this artificial intelligence can be incorporated into games for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 or PC, for example. This is intended to make every game unique: If, in a rugby game, one meets an opponent and knocks them to the ground, this fall will look different every time because there are no prefabricated movements. The opposing characters are merely provided with “artificial intelligence” and with a list of events to which They are intended to react. The opponents’ behaviour is therefore simulated in real time, which promises significantly more variety and realism in the game.
To ensure that all movements in the final game engine look exactly as they do in Endorphin or Euphoria, Natural Motion offers another product: Morpheme. This is a game engine, or the part of the engine that defines the behaviour of the characters. Morpheme is intended only for major customers who can incorporate the engine into their programming. According to the provider, there are already a few installations at well-known game manufacturers. The official roll-out is not to take place until January 2007. Because Morpheme entails high integration costs and requires close collaboration with Natural Motion, the manufacturer is not yet announcing prices.
Further Links:
- Natural Motion
