Message-based object-oriented interaction modeling

This paper describes a message-based object-oriented tool for exploring mathematically-based interactions which produce complex motions for computer animation. The tool has been implemented as an object in the object-oriented computer animation system - The Clockworks. It supports the definition of complex interactions between geometric objects through the specification of messages to the interacting objects. Our approach is general, flexible and powerful. The tool itself is not hardcoded to a particular application. It simply sends the messages specifies by the user. Messages are specified as strings which may be stored, modified and interpreted. Since the tool is part of the Clockworks it may utilize many of the powerful features of the system, including data structuring, mathematical, geometric modeling, and rendering objects. The tool has been used to explore a general spring and mass model, and the response of objects in a vector field.