22. An apparatus for animating a character figure in a video image memory responsive to stored motion data, said character figure being represented in said memory as having a first plurality of joints and a plurality of links coupled between respective pairs of said first plurality of joints, said plurality of links representing respective limbs of said character figure, said apparatus further responsive to an input goal to animate said character subject to at least one constraint, said apparatus comprising: means for storing a representation of each of said first plurality of joints in said memory; means for storing a representation of each of said plurality of links in said memory; means for storing a representation of the respective positions of said first plurality of joints and said plurality of links in said memory; means for computing, responsive to said stored motion data, a first set of motions derived from said stored motion data for each of said first plurality of joints respectively; means for computing, responsive to said input goal, a second set of motions subject to said constraint for each of said first plurality of joints respectively; means for combining said first set of motions with said second set of motions to form a combined set motions; means for modifying said stored representation of the positions of said first plurality of joints and said plurality of links in said memory using said combined set of motions; and means for rendering said stored representation of said links as the limbs of said character figure in said video image memory.
22. An apparatus for animating a character figure in a video image memory responsive to stored motion data, said character figure being represented in said memory as having a first plurality of joints and a plurality of links coupled between respective pairs of said first plurality of joints, said plurality of links representing respective limbs of said character figure, said apparatus further responsive to an input goal to animate said character subject to at least one constraint, said apparatus comprising: means for storing a representation of each of said first plurality of joints in said memory; means for storing a representation of each of said plurality of links in said memory; means for storing a representation of the respective positions of said first plurality of joints and said plurality of links in said memory; means for computing, responsive to said stored motion data, a first set of motions derived from said stored motion data for each of said first plurality of joints respectively; means for computing, responsive to said input goal, a second set of motions subject to said constraint for each of said first plurality of joints respectively; means for combining said first set of motions with said second set of motions to form a combined set motions; means for modifying said stored representation of the positions of said first plurality of joints and said plurality of links in said memory using said combined set of motions; and means for rendering said stored representation of said links as the limbs of said character figure in said video image memory. 23. An apparatus in accordance with claim 22, further including: means for computing, responsive to said stored motion data, a third set of motions derived from said stored motion data for each of said first plurality of joints respectively, wherein said stored motion data includes at least first and second motion sequences, said third set of motions being computed from said first and second motion sequences to smoothly blend said first motion sequence into said second motion sequence; means for combining said third set of motions with said combined first set of motions and said second set of motions to form a second combined set motions; and means for modifying said stored representation of the positions of said first plurality of joints and said plurality of links in said memory using said second combined set of motions.