Euphoria

Euphoria is a game engine animation software developed by NaturalMotion, most well know in the context of Grand Theft Auto for its incorporation into the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine, which Grand Theft Auto IV runs on, for use in character animation and ragdoll physics.

Description

The software allows pedestrian models in GTA IV, including the player, to perform animated movements more naturally utillizing "on-the-fly" animation programming generated exactly as the player interacts with the player character, as opposed to fetching scripted animations in previous GTA games; this allows pedestrians to seamlessly execute different animated sequences (like tilting while walking and turning around a corner, or thrusting their arms forward when pushing against doors or pedestrians). Due to the nature of the software, no one animation cycle is the same.

In addition to enhanced animation cycles, Euphoria is also designed to provide more life-like ragdoll animation by giving each live pedestrian autonomy to flail, flip, attempt to stay standing when forced against the player character or an object, or continue to move after falling to the ground. Characters in a drunken state are also excellent examples of this feature in action.

Notes

• A predecessor in the GTA series of the Euphoria engine is a three-point animation system employed in RenderWare games, where the player's head, upper body (upper torso and arms), and lower body (lower torso and legs) are individually animated based on their interaction with their surroundings. Of interesting note is the ability for a pedestrian's head and upper torso to turn towards any vehicle or pedestrian that they bump into.

  In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, this animation system is extended to the player's head when driving a vehicle, allowing the player character to look to the direction of any vehicle they had recently had an accident with.

  • Player characters in RenderWare GTA games may additionally execute obscene hand or arm gestures when honked at by a vehicle (i.e. the finger in Grand Theft Auto III, or the bras d'honneur in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City).