1. A method of animating the eyes of a character, comprising:
a. when eyes of a character are to fixate on or gaze at a target, defining a visual axis for
each eye, wherein the visual axis is used to point the eye during animation, the visual axis having
a fixed rotational offset from a ocular axis of the eye, wherein the ocular axis is defined by a line
passing through a center of the eye and the center of a pupil of the eye, wherein the number of eyes
is two, constituting a first eye and a second eye, and further comprising defining a gaze direction
vector as a line segment between a point directly between the centers of the two eyes and a gaze
target control handle;
b. such that the fixed rotational offset accounts for a positional offset of a fovea at a back
of the eye, such that a natural and realistic eye position is created and defined throughout animated
motion.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein if the character is human, setting the fixed rotational offset between the visual axis and the ocular axis to between 4° and 8°.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising setting the fixed rotational offset to about 5°.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing a gaze target to reside at a location of the control handle or at a location along of the gaze direction vector by specifying a fixed location on the gaze direction vector, whereby the gaze target may remain close to the eyes for accessibility while maintaining a neutral and stable convergence.
5. A computing environment for creating a computer-generated character having two eyes, the computing environment comprising:
a. memory for storing data about a first eye of a character, including data about a first visual axis, the first visual axis having a fixed rotational offset from an ocular axis of the eye, wherein the ocular axis is defined by a line passing through a center of the eye and a center of a pupil;

b. memory for storing data about a second eye of a character, including data about a second
visual axis, the second visual axis having a fixed rotational offset from an ocular axis of the eye,
wherein the ocular axis is defined by a line passing through a center of the eye and a center of a
pupil; and
c. memory configured to define a control handle, the control handle for animating the first
and second eyes by moving a target the eyes are pointed at, where a fixation distance scales with
a distance of the control handle from the eyes, and wherein the control handle is disposed between
the target and the eyes,
d. such that the fixed rotational offset accounts for a positional offset of a fovea at a back
of the eye, such that the computing environment creates and defines a natural and realistic eye
position throughout animated motion.
6. The computing environment of claim 5, further comprising memory configured to define a control handle, the control handle for animating the eyes by moving a direction the eyes are pointed at while maintaining a constant fixation distance, the control handle disposed between the target and the eyes.
7. The computing environment of claim 5, further comprising memory configured to define a control handle, the control handle for animating the eyes by moving a direction the eyes are pointed at, where a fixation distance scales with a distance of the control handle from the eyes, the control handle disposed between the target and the eyes.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
a. storing data about an eye of a character, the eye modeled by at least a partial surface;
and
b. shading at least a top portion of the partial surface, the shading relative to a shading
value of the remainder of the partial surface.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the partial surface is defined by a plurality of contiguous
polygons.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the partial surface is defined by a partial or complete sphere or ellipsoid.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein the shading is between 40% and 60% of the shading value of the remainder of the partial surface.
12. The method of claim 8, wherein an area of the top portion is equal to an area of the remainder, to within +/- 25%.
13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
storing data about an appearance of the eye at a camera location, the stored data at least including data corresponding to a partial enlargement or a change of position or both of a pupil or iris of the eye caused by corneal refraction of the partial surface.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the enlargement is between 0 and 15% of the unenlarged amount.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the position change is between 0 and 45 degrees of the unenlarged amount.