Became the Mother of Virtual YouTubers - Chapter 120
Jin Ha stared at the various complex monsters filling the screen for a moment before suddenly coming up with an idea.
“Isn’t it possible to extract features from the model’s shape in the form of prompts?”
Jin Ha hurriedly began typing new code onto the monitor.
Until now, the automatic rigging algorithm extracted point clouds from modeling and automatically placed joints at appropriate positions based on their density.
But that was not enough.
It couldn’t efficiently handle models with complex structures. Furthermore, it couldn’t semantically classify various forms of monsters.
What if biological characteristics and morphological information could be automatically extracted from the 3D model itself? And based on that, classify the species of the organism? If separate AI models could be trained for each category and rigging and skinning could be carried out?
“Specialized animations for each species could definitely be implemented.”
It was not an impossible idea in theory.
With deep learning models that extract prompts from 2D images widely available now, it seemed entirely possible to extract biological characteristics in prompt form from a 3D model and generate corresponding skeletal structures.
“…This is it.”
Fingers typing on the keyboard grew faster. Caffeine and dopamine surged through the veins. As the fog of fatigue in Jin Ha’s mind cleared, her once-tired eyes opened wide.
The code filled the other side of the screen in an instant. It was an algorithm that divided the model data into a three-dimensional grid and automatically generated a biological profile by analyzing the morphological characteristics at each location.
For example, if it had many tentacles, a translucent surface texture, and showed flexible movement, it would be classified as an invertebrate. If it was long and thin, with multiple joints arranged in a straight line along the body, it would be classified as an arthropod. If it had a clearly defined four-legged structure, the AI would learn to classify it as a quadrupedal mammal.
After several trial and error attempts, Jin Ha’s new AI model was completed. To test it, Jin Ha dragged a pre-made model file into the program.
At first, a jellyfish-type monster appeared on the screen.
[Analyzing form…]
Not long after the AI scanned the form, the data was output on the screen.
[Core structure: Non-Skeletal fluidic core]
[Recommended algorithm: Fluid Dynamics-based…]
After verifying that desired results were output when inserting other forms of monsters, Jin Ha smiled faintly. The results came out faster than expected and were so accurate that it felt almost anticlimactic.
Of course, looking at the overall process, it was merely the first step taken.
*
“First, let’s start with the tentacle type.”
As the jellyfish-type monster waved its tentacles, the model’s surface seemed to undulate before grotesquely distorting. The unnatural movement caused a creased frown of annoyance on Jin Ha’s face.
“I need to rewrite the surface deformation algorithm.”
Jin Ha’s gaze sharpened as she fell deep into thought. After a moment’s hesitation, she began to type again.
She had to completely revamp the existing neural network that described human muscle and skin structure. Instead of a skeletal framework, the new modeling focused on creating a flexible curved ‘core structure’ that made up the center of the tentacles, allowing the surrounding tissues to move fluid dynamically.
She added a touch of imagination. There are so many scenes that can be depicted with tentacles. Dozens of ideas came to mind immediately. …Of course, she never imagined anything that would warrant a red sticker from a cleanbot.
“Of course, it might accidentally sneak inside clothing!”
And while underwater creatures could indeed be in situations where they would inevitably get wet!
Thus, Jin Ha created a form of virtual skeleton and wrote equations to express the soft movements of the fluid. This was what she called a fluid dynamics-based weight model. Additionally, the neural network was configured to analyze the model’s surface tension, dynamically adjusting values so that the tentacles would bend naturally with every movement.
After implementing the equations and running the training, it was time for a light test. Theoretically, she thought it was perfect, but as always, reality had many variables. In the first test, the tentacles were excessively stiff and unnatural. In the next, they drooped endlessly and jiggled like jelly.
“Did I set the range too broadly?”
Jin Ha repeatedly double-checked the data and oscillated various parameters in and out of the weight values applied to the tentacles’ movements. Even while adjusting the equations, she never touched the terms related to ‘that.’ It was the essence (?) of the Demon race—Jin Ha’s aesthetics and philosophy. It was akin to having a king-size bed in an inn within a fantasy world.
After countless revisions, Jin Ha found the optimal parameters. Watching the tentacles move flexibly and smoothly, she sighed in relief.
“Finally, it’s done…”
However, the next model—the arthropod-type monster—was much more complex. Seeing the surface distort unnaturally every time the joints moved, Jin Ha’s expression twisted in frustration.
The problem was clear. There were too many defined joints inside the model, and the connections to the surface were too thin; therefore, simply transferring existing animation data could not create a natural movement.
Faint memories of robotic research papers that she had skimmed over once floated to her mind. Did they mention that arthropods moved with precise angles and tensions like robotic joints? Of course, she couldn’t recall the equations, not even the title. Jin Ha was not a mechanical engineering Ph.D. candidate, nor was she even an entomology Ph.D., and she outright lacked any doctoral degree.
“Would it be better to let the AI learn and find the weights on its own?”
When unsure, throwing it at the AI often resulted in half success.
Jin Ha designed a semi-autonomous weight optimization model that allowed the deep learning neural network to repeatedly learn the optimal weights between the skeleton and surface. After all, if you look at the movements of the joints, they are simply about moving left and right in a two-dimensional plane.
Thus, she made the model repeat the movements of each leg hundreds of thousands of times to find the optimal weights. What would take a human a lifetime to do could be done by an AI in just a few hours.
While the model was learning, Jin Ha placed a wolf-type monster in the new viewer.
“You should finish quickly.”
The algorithm had already been clearly defined. She developed an algorithm to crawl videos of quadrupedal animals from the internet, extracting movement data from millions of frames to reconstruct it in a 3D model.
As both AI models were trained simultaneously, Jin Ha felt the rented cloud GPU server, which she had spent a lot of money on, screaming. She began to think about setting up a personal server computer. She also wanted to move to a larger room.
“Should I look for a new place after finishing Jinro World content?”
The money Jin Ha made as a freelancer over the past year was monumental. Just last year, she was worrying about how to pay rent the following month.
“Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to move to a rural area.”
After all, the room she had now was just a single room she found only with consideration for commuting to graduate school. If she were to continue working in this remote-centered manner, moving out of the metro area didn’t seem like a bad idea.
“But then I wouldn’t be able to get drinks from Daon or Young-Jun easily, and that would be a bit disappointing.”
While designing NPC modeling and planning her life, the training of the two AI models was completed.
Jin Ha checked animations on the left monitor for the arthropod model and the right monitor for the wolf model.
On the left, the monster’s legs moved slowly. As the legs folded and extended, the surface curvatures blended seamlessly and naturally.
One could even feel the characteristic cut and taut elasticity of an insect.
On the right, the wolf began to dash across the grassland with agility as if hunting prey. The movement captured the tension and flexibility of the muscles, creating a dynamic representation. Additionally, the realistic expression of its growling mouth was perfect.
“Now… I need to refine the auto-skinning model for other categories.”
Also, after finishing the design of the AI models, a mass production pipeline needed to be established. It’s natural for another job to begin after one task is completed.
As the sun outside the window set and rose again beyond the curtains, Jin Ha immersed herself deeply, typing away on the keyboard. She was not just creating technology. She was creating an ecosystem, breathing life into a new world.