I've been mentioning an ontogenic character rig as one of the main technical modules involved with my project. Here is a diagram that I hope will clarify what I mean. 3D animation software packages (like Maya) use a hierarchal joint system to drive character posture, gesture, and locomotion. It's basically the digital equivalent of a metal armature.
I am proposing the use of the same joint system to drive developmental changes. Overlapping the conventional animation joint network would be an ontogenic joint network that distorts the proportion of specific features on the character depending upon the desired life stage. The proportions will be based off growth slopes derived from the measurements of many individuals. The growth slopes for each body feature would be tied into the joints that control it. Global 'age' would be determined by a master control slider. Getting the two joint networks to work together will be a challenge, but it seems plausible. I know that in the animated film Tangled, the animators devised an "Age Slider" for the main villain.
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