A Virtual Reality Direct-Manipulation Tool for Posing and Animation of Digital Human Bodies: An Evaluation of Creativity Support

Abstract

Creating body poses and animations is a critical task for digital content creators, movement artists, and sports professionals. Traditional desktop-based tools for generating 3D poses and animations often lack intuitiveness and are challenging to master. Virtual reality (VR) offers a solution through more intuitive direct-manipulation capabilities. We designed and implemented a VR tool that enables direct manipulation of virtual body parts with inverse kinematics. This tool allows users to pose and animate virtual bodies with one- or two-handed manipulations, while also moving, including bending, jumping, or walking. Our user study demonstrated that participants could produce creative poses and animations using this tool, which we evaluated for creativity support across six factors. Additionally, we discuss further opportunities to enhance creativity support.