Performing 3D scene and animation authoring tasks efficiently: an innovative approach

3D animation is becoming a key technology in application areas such as information visualization, telecommunications or teaching and training systems. In addition, the application potential of 3D animation is growing due to innovations like VRML. The authoring of 3D scenes and animations is, therefore, increasingly becoming a task in areas other than its classical application areas, entertainment and marketing, and is not only performed by professional computer animators. Accordingly, there is a rising demand for authoring tools that are efficient and easy to use, cost-effective, flexible and suitable for distributed systems. In this paper a concept for authoring 3D animations that can fulfil these requirements is presented. Based upon an element-oriented approach similar to clip art in drawing, authoring efficiency is increased. The concept is described and its implementation and applications are briefly discussed