Patent ID: 8212809

Claim:
A method for floating object transitions, the method comprising the steps of: a computer receiving tracking data that identifies a location of an avatar associated with a range of an object in a virtual universe, wherein the range comprises a viewable field; responsive to the tracking data indicating an occurrence of a trigger condition, the computer identifying a set of flotation rules associated with the trigger condition, wherein the trigger condition is a most recent trigger condition in a plurality of existing trigger conditions; the computer identifying an optimal location and orientation of the object for each flotation action in a first set of flotation actions associated with the set of flotation rules; the computer initiating the first set of flotation actions to float the object above a surface, wherein the location and orientation of the object is modified in accordance with the first set of flotation actions associated with the set of flotation rules; and responsive to the most recent trigger condition having a higher priority than the plurality of existing trigger conditions, averaging, using the computer, an optimal location and orientation of a second set of flotation actions associated with the plurality of existing trigger conditions, wherein the location and orientation associated with the most recent trigger condition is given a higher weighting than other trigger conditions in the plurality of existing trigger conditions.