Automatic single-view character model reconstruction

Abstract

In this paper we present a new method for automatically constructing 3D meshes from a single input image. With the increasing content demands of modern digital entertainment and the expectation of involvement from users, automatic artist-free systems are an important step in allowing user generated content and rapid game prototyping. Our system proposes a novel heuristic for the creation of a 3D mesh from a single piece of non-occluding 2D concept art. By extracting a skeleton structure, approximating the 3D orientation and analysing line curvature properties, appropriate centrepoints can be found around which to create the cross-sectional slices used to build a final triangle mesh. Our results show that a single 2D input image can be used to generate a rigged 3D low-polygon model suitable for use in realtime applications.