Endorphin is a dynamic motion synthesis software package developed by
NaturalMotion.
[Endorphin] Endorphin can be used to generate computer simulations of large numbers of independent
characters interacting with each other and the world according to brief scripts or 'behaviours'. It combines physics, AI, and
genetic algorithm
In computer science and operations research, a genetic algorithm (GA) is a metaheuristic inspired by the process of natural selection that belongs to the larger class of evolutionary algorithms (EA). Genetic algorithms are commonly used to ge ...
s to create realistic animations. Unlike
Euphoria
Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and d ...
, also developed by NaturalMotion, Endorphin is not an engine, but a 3D animation tool for
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ...
.
At the heart of the software is an ''adaptive behaviors'' module which assigns context-sensitive motions to characters based on their surroundings --- for example, football players could be programmed to automatically tackle when near another player, or a swordsman could swing to attack nearby enemies. This automatic behaviour generation differentiates the software from competitors, and reduces the burden on animators to individually select behaviours for each agent in a large scene.
Registered users on Naturalmotion's website can attain a free learning edition of Endorphin, however it lacks the feature to export the animation to popular CAD Software, a feature only available in the full version of the program.
It has been used in movies and video games such as
Troy
Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Ç ...
,
Poseidon
Poseidon (; grc-gre, Ποσειδῶν) was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as ...
and
Tekken 5
is a fighting game developed and published by Namco for the arcades in 2004, and for the PlayStation 2 in 2005. It is the fifth main and sixth installment, in the '' Tekken'' series, marking the tenth anniversary of the series. The game is set ...
. As of 2014, Endorphin is no longer supported by NaturalMotion. The software is unavailable for purchase, and the user community has been removed from the company's website.
References
External links
Official Endorphin WebsiteNatural Motion Website
3D graphics software
Animation software
Windows graphics-related software
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