13

Implementing Inverse Kinematics

Welcome to Chapter 13! In the previous chapter, the user interface was modified to a much cleaner state by adding new types of controls. We will use the new combo boxes and radio buttons in this chapter too, allowing fine-grained control of the parameters of the new algorithms.

In this chapter, we will deep dive into an advanced technique for more natural-looking animations. Being able to easily move the hand or foot of the animated character to a specific point in space helps to create better animations, without us having to precalculate every possible motion and store them in animation clips.

First, we will clarify what Inverse Kinematics is and how it differs from the motion of the bones we used in the previous chapters. Then, we will explore the basics of the Cyclic Coordinate Descent algorithm (CCD) and add a solver class by implementing CCD.

At the end of the chapter, we will look at the Forward and Backward Reaching Inverse Kinematics...