Patent ID: 8508537

Claim:
A game animation system, comprising: one or more processors configured to execute a game, wherein the game includes one or more objects, and wherein an object includes one or more control elements and one or more elements; non-transitive electronic storage storing: source animation curve data, the source animation curve data representing an animation curve of an object, wherein the source animation curve data describes change in a state of a control element over time, wherein a change in the state of the control element affects a position and/or orientation of elements of the object, where the elements of the object are different simulated physical portions of the object; secondary source animation curve data, the secondary source animation curve data representing a secondary animation curve of a secondary object, the secondary object being separate, discrete, and unconnected to the object in the game, wherein the secondary animation curve data describes change in a secondary state of a secondary control element over time; a description of a first dependency graph defining transforms for the source animation curve data, wherein the first dependency graph includes nodes representing hierarchically interrelated elements of the object; and a secondary description of a secondary dependency graph defining transforms for the secondary source animation curve data, wherein the secondary dependency graph includes nodes representing interrelated elements of the secondary object; wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute a game engine configured to evaluate an interaction of the object related to the first dependency graph and the secondary object related to the secondary dependency graph to simulate a releasable engagement between the object and the secondary object in the game, where evaluation of the interaction is based on grouping a first element of the object and a second element of the secondary object into a meta network, wherein the meta network includes a functional node that is connected to the first element and the second element during the simulated releasable engagement.