Physically-based Muscles and Fibers Modeling from Superficial Patches

Abstract

We propose a novel approach for the generation of volumetric muscle primitives and their associated fiber field, suitable for simulation in computer animation. Muscles are notoriously difficult to sculpt because of their complex shapes and fiber architecture, therefore often requiring trained artists to render anatomical details. Moreover, physics simulation requires these geometries to be modeled in an intersection-free rest state and to have a spatially-varying fiber field to support contraction with anisotropic material models. Inspired by the principles of computational design, we satisfy these requirements by generating muscle primitives automatically, complete with tendons and fiber fields, using physics based simulation of inflatable 3D patches which are user-defined on the external mesh of a character.