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Research · Technical

A deep learning framework for character motion synthesis and editing (SIGGRAPH 2016 / SIGGRAPH 2026 Test-of-Time award)

ACM Digital Library · Holden, D., Saito, J., Komura, T. · Jul 2016

Key points

  1. Holden, Saito and Komura's 2016 SIGGRAPH paper received the SIGGRAPH 2026 Test-of-Time award, recognising its lasting impact on neural character animation.
  2. The paper introduced a deep-learning framework for character motion synthesis and editing using convolutional autoencoders.
  3. Its approach underpins a decade of neural character-animation methods now standard in research and production pipelines.

Summary

Published at SIGGRAPH 2016 and awarded the SIGGRAPH 2026 Test-of-Time award, this paper by Holden, Saito and Komura established the deep-learning approach to character motion synthesis and editing that has shaped the field for a decade. Using convolutional autoencoders, it enabled natural, controllable character motion generation from data rather than hand-keyed animation. The Test-of-Time award marks it as a canonical reference for animation curricula covering the origins and development of neural character animation.

Source

Source: ACM Digital Library ↗ (Research)

Cite this item

Holden, D., Saito, J. & Komura, T. (2016). ‘A deep learning framework for character motion synthesis and editing (SIGGRAPH 2016 / SIGGRAPH 2026 Test-of-Time award)’, ACM Digital Library. Available at: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2897824.2925975

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