Topology-Independent Mesh Deformation Using Curvenets
Traditional character rigging usually binds a polygon mesh directly to a skeleton, requiring skin weights to be created or adjusted again when the mesh topology changes. This project investigates a topology-independent alternative inspired by Pixar’s Curvenet concept, presented in Character Articulation through Profile Curves by de Goes et al. (2022).
The project was implemented as a Maya plugin using C++ and Python. An artist draws a network of connected profile curves, referred to as a Curvenet, on a source mesh and binds it to selected joints. A custom half-edge structure embeds the same logical network into each target mesh, where it defines surface regions and guides deformation independently of the mesh’s vertex and face layout. A node-weight editor allows joint influence on the Curvenet to be refined before the Curvenet, skeleton and edited weights are transferred together.
The final prototype demonstrates the same authored Curvenet rig driving corresponding hand meshes with different polygon topology, without directly skinning or repainting weights on each polygon mesh.
Thesis Topology-Independent Mesh Deformation Using Curvenets