Interactive 3D caricature from harmonic exaggeration

Abstract

A common variant of caricature relies on exaggerating characteristics of a shape that differs from a reference template, usually the distinctive traits of a human portrait. This work introduces a caricature tool that interactively emphasizes the differences between two three-dimensional meshes. They are represented in the manifold harmonic basis of the shape to be caricatured, providing intrinsic controls on the deformation and its scales. It further provides a smooth localization scheme for the deformation. This lets the user edit the caricature part by part, combining different settings and models of exaggeration, all expressed in terms of harmonic filter. This formulation also allows for interactivity, rendering the resulting 3d shape in real time.