I noticed that all of these new cartoons seemed to have a couple of things in common. They often use a 2D un-animated background, which was sometimes scrolled across ala tratitional cartoon 'sets'. There was also evidance of ragdoll physics being used on the 3D actors in the scene.
Thinking on what I had seen (and I'm sure it's been done before), I thought of a neat kind of tool that could import a character from a popular editor. This character would be the basis for a ragdoll type object. Using the bone structures, I could attach 'strings' to the ragdoll at various joints. I could then pull those strings in various directions, effectively making my ragdoll into a puppet. Thow in a 2d-scrollable background, the ability to attach sounds, and a few more ragdoll puppets, and we have a simple, neat, puppet-theatre tool.
I do realise that it would not be as simple as this to create, and that ragdoll physics is more complicated than just manipulating bones and joints and whatnot. I guess that I'd need to research ragdoll techniques, and perhaps some inverse kineomatics (I think that's what it's called) to pull it off successfully.
I do think that this tool it would be within the realm of my abilities to do, so perhaps you will be seeing more of Akatimmeah Puppet Theatre in the future :)
