16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elements of the model are arranged in hierarchy, and moving one of the elements in the model causes a repositioning of a set of elements associated therewith in the hierarchy.
1. A method for posing a computer-animated three-dimensional model in a three-dimensional scene space, the model including a plurality of elements, the method comprising: receiving a stroke drawn in a two-dimensional screen space by a user, the stroke having a starting point, an ending point, and a direction; associating the stroke with an element of the model, wherein the element has an axis of finite length that defines a position of the element in scene space; defining a first projection line in scene space which extends from a camera position and passes through the starting point of the stroke; defining a second projection line in scene space which extends from the camera position and passes through the ending point of the stroke; moving the element in the scene space based on the stroke, wherein the amount of the movement of the element in the scene space is determined by a three dimensional transformation which positions the element axis as intersecting both the first projection line and the second projection line, and the direction of the movement of the element in the scene space is determined based on the direction of the stroke; and displaying the moved element in a three-dimensional scene space.