animating from mocap

# 1 14-02-2008 , 10:15 AM

Registered User
Join Date: May 2006

Location: Hastings UK

Posts: 895

I have a load of fully rigged characters which I am needing to animate. I have some files with walkcylces and other active movements which I would like to use on these characters. Does anyone know if there is a easy way of doing this since at the moment I am just adjusting the size of the animated skeletons so they are roughly the same size as my characters. I am then trying to move the rigged character so each joint matches the skeleton and keyframing it.

Any advice is much appreciated.

Quote

# 2 14-02-2008 , 08:19 PM

Lead Modeler - Framestore
Join Date: Feb 2003

Location: UK

Posts: 6,287

I think what you are doing at the moment is pretty much spot on. the guys Im working with atm are doing the same thing, so anything specific you need to know I'll ask ans get back to you if I can.

cheers
Jay

Quote

# 3 14-02-2008 , 09:54 PM

Registered User
Join Date: May 2006

Location: Hastings UK

Posts: 895

Cheers Jay, much appreciated. Seems to be a lot trickier than I had expected it to be to get a lifelike movement and not have things looking robotic.
Guess it is just a case of watching people walking and running and trying to try and get a better feel of things. Was wondering if it might be worth downloading a trial version of motion builder to see if it is easy to use. Although I imagine it will probably be more time consuming to learn than to simply do what I am at the moment.
Also all of my characters are set up with the same rig. Would this allow me to use animation which I have set up for 1 rig on another. It would obviously need some tweaking due to different body shapes but would give a rough idea layed out to work from.
Any useful tips or thoughts are very welcome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxcht9hZg7E

Cheers,

Leon

Last edited by leonlabyk; 14-02-2008 at 09:59 PM.

Quote

# 4 15-02-2008 , 12:02 AM

Moderator
Join Date: May 2005

Location: Manchester Uk

Posts: 6,300

I use motion builder, its awesome, really easy to use and all in realtime.

I the main process is to link the joints names together so that the data can go form the mocap to the skeleton's heirarchy.

So the generall motion builder workflow is to make the skeleton and skin in maya, export into MB then characterize the maya character with a motionbuilder character, linking joints and making your naming converntion match MB's then you can add a FBIK or straight mocap, or blend the two.

MB's got a lot more under the hood too, facial animations etc etc.

"No pressure, no diamonds" Thomas Carlyle

Quote

# 5 15-02-2008 , 12:41 AM

Registered User
Join Date: May 2006

Location: Hastings UK

Posts: 895

I used the setup machine on my rig and it doesnt seem to work in motion builder.

Quote

# 6 15-02-2008 , 01:49 AM

Moderator
Join Date: May 2005

Location: Manchester Uk

Posts: 6,300

I dont think rigs go into MB

"No pressure, no diamonds" Thomas Carlyle

Quote

# 7 15-02-2008 , 03:04 AM

Lead Modeler - Framestore
Join Date: Feb 2003

Location: UK

Posts: 6,287

you can use the same rig on all your characters providing you have the same name hierachy, as there can be a few probs from what I saw last week. I'll find out tomorrow...

Also I think Steve is right about the rigs going into mb. What you could do to sort out your animation cycles is to probably use your mocap and seaparate and combine/blend in the trax editor. That should make things a bit more interesting...

Cheers for now
Jay

Quote

# 8 15-02-2008 , 04:10 AM

Registered User
Join Date: May 2006

Location: Hastings UK

Posts: 895

I am a bit lost with all this at the moment but found a learning edition of a piece of software that may help me called endorphin. I think I simply import my characters skeleton and then fit it to the software's base skeleton. I can then run my fbx files and create my animation in there and once finished export my skeleton out with the animation back into maya.
I cannot really understand how to use mb at the moment and may come back to it when I am not in a rush to get things done. For now I just need something quick and easy so I can knock out the animation for some characters in a few days.

Cheers for your help guys, a lot of it is going over my head since I am new with animating characters but I am sure I will get there in the end. Damm life was a lot easier animating in 2d just a lot more time consuming.

Quote

# 9 15-02-2008 , 04:27 PM

Moderator
Join Date: May 2005

Location: Manchester Uk

Posts: 6,300

Ive used endorphin, and it aint as simple as that at all, the fbx plug in messes with the scale of the objects, so your skeleton will either end up massive and a rigt paint to scale and lock the joints, and wait till you map the character as the endorphin set up has a lot of joints that you have to match to your character.

Motionbuilder is quite a bit easier, but you can get the "auto animation" that you get in endrphin. BUt characterizing is really fast in MB

If you want to get to grpis with motion builder fast go over to 3d buzz, they have a really good section on MB

"No pressure, no diamonds" Thomas Carlyle

Quote

# 10 15-02-2008 , 07:24 PM

Registered User
Join Date: May 2006

Location: Hastings UK

Posts: 895

With motion builder do you simply import in your skelton and model with weighting and ik/fk and set it up for animation. Take it you then export this out once you have characterized it with animation and then tranfer it across to your original weighted rig in Maya.

Last edited by leonlabyk; 15-02-2008 at 07:39 PM.

Quote

# 11 15-02-2008 , 07:49 PM

Moderator
Join Date: May 2005

Location: Manchester Uk

Posts: 6,300

No, the workflow is.

Model and texture, build the skeleton (no rigging or very simple rigging just to help in skinning) then paint the weights remove any rigging that youve done then export and import into MB.

Then you drag your character into MB, then drag the MB character onto your character and then go to characterize, it wont do it so then go and set up the character manually, then you can choose a FBIK or an input skeleton (a mo cap skeleton)

"No pressure, no diamonds" Thomas Carlyle

Quote

# 12 15-02-2008 , 10:54 PM

Registered User
Join Date: May 2006

Location: Hastings UK

Posts: 895

I just dont seem to be able to get to grips with it. I am going to speak with the guys I am doing this for and see if they can get someone else in to animate these. I think it will come out crap and take ages if I do it in Maya and the animtion really needs to be 100% spot on for this.

Thanks for your input though guys it is much appreciated and I will try and get to grips with motion builder in the near future.

Quote