Enhanced Direct Delta Mush

Direct Delta Mush is a novel skinning deformation technique introduced by Le and Lewis (2019). It generalizes the iterative Delta Mush algorithm of Mancewicz et al (2014), providing a direct solution with improved efficiency and control. Compared to Linear Blend Skinning, Direct Delta Mush offers better quality of deformations and ease of authoring at comparable performance. However, Direct Delta Mush does not handle non-rigid joint transformations correctly which limits its application for most production environments. This paper presents an extension to Direct Delta Mush that integrates the non-rigid part of joint transformations into the algorithm. In addition, the paper also describes practical considerations for computing the orthogonal component of the transformation and stability issues observed during the implementation and testing

Acceleration Skinning: Kinematics-Driven Cartoon Effects for Articulated Characters

Secondary effects are key to adding fluidity and style to animation. This thesis introduces the idea of “Acceleration Skinning” following a recent well-received technique, Velocity Skinning, to automatically create secondary motion in character animation by modifying the standard pipeline for skeletal rig skinning. These effects, which animators may refer to as squash and stretch or drag, attempt to create an illusion of inertia. In this thesis, I extend the Velocity Skinning technique to include acceleration for creating a wider gamut of cartoon effects. I explore three new deformers that make use of this Acceleration Skinning framework: followthrough, centripetal stretch, and centripetal lift deformers. The followthrough deformer aims at recreating this classic effect defined in the fundamental principles of animation. The centripetal stretch and centripetal lift deformers use rotational motion to create radial stretching and lifting effects, as the names suggest. I explore the use of effect-specific time filtering when combining these various deformations together, allowing for more stylized and aesthetic results. I finally conclude with a production evaluation, exploring possible ways in which these techniques can be used to enhance the work of an animator without losing the essence of their art

Reconstructing Dynamic 3D Models with Small Data by Integrating Position-Based Dynamics and PDE-Based Modelling

Simulation with position-based dynamics is very popular due to its high efficiency. However, it has the weaknesses of lacking details when too few vertices are involved in simulation and inefficiency when too many vertices are used for simulation. To tackle this problem, in this paper, we propose a new method of reconstructing dynamic 3D models with small data. The core elements of the proposed approach are a curve-represented geometric model and a physics-based mathematical model defined by dynamic partial differential equations. We first use the simulation method of position-based dynamics to generate a group of keyframe poses, which are used to create the deformation animation of a 3D model. Then, wireframe curves are extracted from skin deformation shapes of the 3D model at different keyframe poses. A physics-based mathematical model defined by dynamic partial differential equations is proposed. Its closed-form solution is obtained to represent the extracted curves, which are used to reconstruct the deformation models at different keyframe poses. Experimental examples and comparisons made in this paper indicate that the proposed method of reconstructing dynamic 3D models can greatly reduce data size while keeping good details

Organic Processed Food in Europe

Executive Summary While the organic food market is one of the fastest growing food sectors in the world with consist-ently increasing rates of growth in all advanced economies over the past ten years, a major and growing part of the organic food sold and consumed is transformed from harvested commodities by food processing into processed food products. Differentiating between foods that are processed over and above food group categories remains a challenging issue. There are many classification systems for processed foods in academic literature and a few others applied in professional practice. Most of those designed with consumer nutrition guidance as one aim take nutrients or substances in general as their main criteria. Only the NOVA classification system takes processing techniques themselves into account. Furthermore, only the Wholefood Nutrition classification system (Vollwert Ernährung in Germany) takes environmental and additional impacts into consideration. Organic production itself is addressed by these two systems only: the former specifically excludes it while the latter specifically recommends food products from organic production. Thereby neither takes organic food processing itself into detailed account. Hence, neither these two nor any other of the described classification systems is appropriate for a deeper exploration of organic processed foods and a differentiation within these or between non-organic and organic processed foods. It could be shown that organic foods in the market cover all categories within studied processed foods classifications, including very highly processed foods categories. Given the growing attention paid to processing of foods and their connection with human health, as well as the dietary recommendation made by several private and national nutrition bodies to avoid very highly processed foods, the or-ganic sector does need to address this issue. One avenue could be to build on existing classification systems and adapt these to include organic specifications or else to develop a new classification, drawing on organic principles and the organic perspective as a guiding framework. The legislation for organic processing of foods provides a general framework with guiding principles and permitted substances for processing; some few technologies are specifically mentioned and for-bidden. The private standards of some organic associations provide more detailed guidance, though again, this is mostly limited to restriction of permitted substances and applications. The organic sector finds itself in a dynamic growth phase in the European Union and elsewhere. This is not only limited to organic farming production but also includes organic food production. The market analysis could not distinguish between processed foods effectively or at all, but overall it underlines the growth in processed organic foods entering the market year on year. Trends in the data studied suggest an increase in very highly processed organic foods. This development needs to be referred to the overall guiding principles for organic food and farming and addressed by the sector. Commu-nication of processing-related aspects of organic products as studied in producer websites, company video material and product packaging show little differentiation to that of non-organic products. Both would seem to use vague terms and avoid professional processing visuals. Herein may lie a chance for better promotion of organic foods if unique organic processing attributes can be distinguished

Commensal or Comestible? The Role and Exploitation of Small, Non-ungulate Mammals in Early European Prehistory. Towards a Methodology for Improving Identification of Human Utilisation.

This is the PhD thesis as examined, and without any third party permissions obtained. A further copy of this thesis with permissions, or with the relevant images removed, will be deposited in due course.Small mammals, namely those species larger than microfauna like rats and murids but smaller than medium, sheep-size fauna, are generally one of the less studied areas of zooarchaeology. While this may be partly influenced by modern cultural biases, it is more often because finding small, rabbit-sized, mammal remains in archaeological deposits presents a problem in accurately differentiating between those arising from natural, biological and anthropogenic agencies. This thesis tackles this subject using a synthesis of different methods, examining the exploitation and role of small, non-ungulate mammals in early Western European prehistory by combining existing ethnographic knowledge and archaeological research with actualistic experiments and bone assemblage analysis. It first presents a detailed summary of the various taphonomic effects on bone from natural, biological and human action, with particular reference to those of small mammals, using empirical evidence to describe the processes and likely resultant effects. Small mammal utilisation is then contextualised using archaeological and ethnographic evidence to examine past and present practices in Europe and other areas of the world. Different acquisition methods, such as hunting and trapping, are described, and using small mammals for dietary and non-dietary purposes is outlined, along with the rationale for such utilisation given their size. Also considered are other, more abstract ideological and symbolic roles they fulfilled within different cultures, whether physically using parts of the animal, or conceptually. To extend the existing methods available to zooarchaeologists, and improve identifying human exploitation of these species, the ‘chaîne opératoire’ of small game use is examined from an osteological perspective, starting with acquisition, through processing, cooking and consumption to discard, using a series of experiments and microscopic analysis to explore potential bone modification signatures and fracture patterns arising from such activities. Finally, it places these results into broader context by comparing the fracture patterns with bones from British and North American archaeological sites, to demonstrate that similar changes can be seen.Arts and Humanities Research Counci

Skin Drums, Squeeze Boxes, Fiddles And Phonographs: Musical Interaction In The Western Arctic, Late 18Th Through Early 20Th Centuries

Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2010This dissertation explores the nature of early globalization in the Western Arctic with a focus on musical interaction between indigenous and foreign populations during the late 18th through the 20 th centuries. The region experienced an unprecedented amount of cultural contact represented by various cultural groups including Native Alaskan, Canadian, Chukotkan, European American, African American, Latin American, Asian American, Oceanic peoples and others. Numbering in the thousands, natives and non-natives developed continuous and long-term relations working as explorers, whalers, traders, missionaries, miners, hunters, trappers, seamstresses, educators, law enforcement officials, and scientists. The Western Arctic's ethnically diverse population, relatively harsh physical surroundings, and absence of a common language allowed musical activity to serve as an important means of communication and increase awareness of the world. Music and dance helped to promote social bonding, trade, and religion. They also expressed cultural identity and contributed to ethnic differentiation. An examination of this musical interchange forms the first part of this study. Local indigenous communities during the late 18th, 19 th, and early 20th centuries interacted most extensively with the influx of explorers, commercial whalers, traders, and missionaries. Throughout the year but especially during the long winter season, these groups often participated in formal, informal, and impromptu gatherings featuring various types of music such as indigenous drum dance and song, folk, popular, church, and classical. Musical instruments including frame drums, fiddles, accordions, harmonicas, organs, pianos, guitars and devices such as phonographs, organettes, and music boxes played an essential role in musical exchange. Just as significantly, these objects also ranked as some of the region's more popular trade commodities. Perceptions of northern indigenous peoples through music and dance constitute a second part of this study. Outside fascination with the Arctic and its inhabitants as reflected in the many examples of late 19th and early 20 th century sheet music, piano rolls, and recordings suggest that cross-cultural interests, though often superficial and caricatured, were also reciprocal. Early musical representation of Arctic culture via southern compositions and performances shares crucial links to the expansion of globalization in North America and beyond

Big Hole (41TV2161): Two Stratigraphically Isolated Middle Holocene Components in Travis County, Texas Volume I

During April and May 2006, an archeological team from the Cultural Resources Section of the Planning, Permitting and Licensing Practice of TRC Environmental Corporation’s (TRC) Austin office conducted geoarcheological documentation and data recovery excavations at prehistoric site 41TV2161 (CSJ: 0440-06-006). Investigations were restricted to a 70 centimeter (cm) thick target zone between ca. 220 and 290 cm below surface (bs) on the western side of site 41TV2161 – the Big Hole site in eastern Travis County, Texas. This cultural investigation was necessary under the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), the implementing regulations of 36CRF Part 800 and the Antiquities Code of Texas (Texas Natural Resource Code, Title 9, Chapter 191 as amended) to recover a sample of the significant cultural materials prior to destruction by planned construction of State Highway 130 (SH 130). The latter by a private construction firm – Lone Star Infrastructure. This necessary data recovery was for Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Environmental (ENV) Affairs Division under a Scientific Services Contract No. 577XXSA003 (Work Authorization No. 57701SA003). Over the years since the original award, multiple work authorizations between TxDOT and TRC were implemented and completed towards specific aspects of the analyses and reporting. The final analyses and report were conducted under contract 57-3XXSA004 (Work Authorization 57-311SA004). All work was under Texas Antiquities Committee Permit No. 4064 issued by the Texas Historical Commission (THC) to J. Michael Quigg. Initially, an archeological crew from Hicks & Company encountered site 41TV2161 during an intensive cultural resource inventory conducted south of Pearce Lane along the planned construction zone of SH 130 in the fall of 2005. Following the initial site discovery, archeologists expanded their investigations to the west across the SH 130 right-of-way, and completed excavation of 10 backhoe trenches, 13 shovel tests, and 11 test units at site 41TV2161. The investigations encountered at least seven buried cultural features and 1,034 artifacts, some in relatively good context. The survey and testing report to TxDOT presented their findings and recommendations (Campbell et al. 2006). The ENV Affairs Division of TxDOT and the THC reviewed the initial findings and recommendations, and determined site 41TV2161 was eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and as State Antiquities Landmark as the proposed roadway development was to directly impact this important site and further excavations were required. Subsequently, TRC archeologists led by Paul Matchen (Project Archeologist) and J. Michael Quigg (Principal Investigator) initiated data recovery excavations through the mechanical-removal of between 220 and 250 cm of sediment from a 30-by-40 meter (m) block area (roughly 3,000 m3). This was conducted to allow hand-excavations to start just above the deeply buried, roughly 70 cm thick targeted zone of cultural material. Mechanical stripping by Lone Star Infrastructure staff created a large hole with an irregular bottom that varied between 220 and 260 cmbs. To locate specific areas to initiate hand-excavations within the mechanically stripped area, a geophysical survey that employed ground penetrating radar (GPR) was conducted by Tiffany Osburn then with Geo-Marine in Plano, Texas. Over a dozen electronic anomalies were detected through the GPR investigation. Following processing, data filtering, and assessment, Osburn identified and ranked the anomalies for investigation. The highest ranked anomalies (1 through 8) were thought to have the greatest potential to represent cultural features. Anomalies 1 through 6 were selected and targeted through hand-excavations of 1-by-1 m units that formed continuous excavation blocks of various sizes. Blocks were designated A, B, C, D, E, and F. The type, nature, quantity, and context of encountered cultural materials in each block led the direction and expansion of each excavation block as needed. In total, TRC archeologists hand-excavated 38.5 m3 (150 m2) from a vertically narrow target zone within this deep, multicomponent and stratified prehistoric site. Hand-excavation in the two largest Blocks, B and D (51 m2 and 62 m2 respectively), revealed two vertically separate cultural components between roughly 220 and 290 cmbs. The younger component was restricted to Block B and yielded a Bell/Andice point and point base, plus a complete Big Sandy point. These points were associated with at least eight small burned rock features, one cluster of ground stone tools, limited quantities of lithic debitage, few formal chipped and ground stone tools, and a rare vertebrate faunal assemblage. Roughly 20 to 25 cm below the Bell/Andice component in Block B and across Block D was a component identified by a single corner-notched Martindale dart point. This point was associated with a scattered burned rocks, three charcoal stained hearth features, scattered animal, bird, and fish bones, mussel shells, and less than a dozen formal chipped and ground stone tools. Both identified components contained cultural materials in good stratigraphic context with high spatial integrity. Significant, both were radiocarbon dated by multiple charcoal samples to a narrow 200-year period between 5250 and 5450 B.P. during the middle Holocene. With exception of the well-preserved faunal assemblages, perishable materials were poorly preserved in the moist silty clay loam. Charcoal lacked structure and was reduced to dark stains. Microfossils (e.g., phytoliths and starch gains) were present, although in very limited numbers and deteriorated conditions. The four much smaller Blocks (A, C, E, and F) yielded various quantities of cultural material and features, but these blocks also lacked sufficient charcoal dates and diagnostic artifacts Those artifacts and samples were left unassigned and analyzed separately from the Bell/Andice and Martindale components. The two well-defined components in Blocks B and D are the focus of this technical report. The components provide very significant data towards understanding rare and poorly understood hunter-gatherer populations during late stages of the Altithermal climate period. This final report builds upon the interim report submitted to TxDOT (Quigg et al. 2007) that briefly described the methods, excavations, preliminary findings, initial results from six feasibility studies, and proposed an initial research design for data analyses. Context and integrity of the cultural materials in the two identified components was excellent. This rare circumstance combined with detailed artifact analyses, solid documentation of their ages through multiple radiocarbon dates, and multidisciplinary approach to analyses, allowed significant insights and contributions concerning the two populations involved. Results provide a greater understanding of human behaviors during a rarely identified time in Texas Prehistory. The cultural materials and various collected samples were temporarily curated at TRC’s Austin laboratory. Following completion of analyses and acceptance of this final report, the artifacts, paper records, photographs, and electronic database were permanently curated at the Center for Archaeological Studies (CAS) at Texas State University in San Marcos