Disney Developed Software To Revolutionize Macy’s Parade Balloons

The reason your favorite cartoon or picture show grapheme has n’t appeared in Macy ’s annual Thanksgiving Day Parade is n’t necessarily because they ’re not popular , it might be that crafting an inflatable likeness has just been too difficult . But to ensure no fad gets left out , the folk at Disney Research have developed special softwaremaking it easy to twist any 3D mannikin into an inflatable balloonwithout it getting deformed or bloated in the process .

Once a 3D model has been spell , the software allows a designer to specify areas that should be process as seams . Using fabric physics and something called “ tension battleground hypothesis ” the computer software can model what a 3D role model would depend like high-flown , grant the designer to test revision after rescript until it looks ripe .

When they ’re well-chosen with the result , the software will then generate patterns for the case-by-case piece needed to assemble the balloon , taking into account how the pieces might stretch and warp as per the simulation , to ascertain that when the creation is inflate it looks exactly like the original model . Gone are the days when kids might fuddle Garfield with Heathcliff , but they ’ll still be confused as to who precisely Felix the Cat is . [ Disney Research ]