In this tutorial we’re going to look at 5 quick things you can do to your character BEFORE you characterize it that will make it easier to work with in MotionBuilder. These might seem a bit random at first, but this is exactly what I do every time I import a new character into MotionBuilder….
How to Export a Character to MotionBuilder
Every character animation project I’ve worked on in MotionBuilder has always started in another 3D package. So, I thought it only seemed right to start my first video tutorial in the same way. In this tutorial you’ll learn all the settings you need to successfully export your character to MotionBuilder using the FBX exporter plug-in. I’ll take…
How to Rig a Character for MotionBuilder
Most people usually encounter MotionBuilder for the first-time when they want to animate a character with motion capture. And the first question they usually have is, “how do I rig a character for editing motion capture in MotionBuilder?” This was certainly the case when I first started using it back in 2000 at Acclaim Entertainment….
4 Step Motion Editing Workflow: How to Edit Motion and Create Characters
Correcting Motion Capture is only part of the motion editing process. The real skill is taking that motion and turning into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of a character. Just like any animator you need bring your character to life by showing the audience what your character is thinking and feeling by the way it…
Complete Guide to Pose in MotionBuilder
Whether you’re mirroring a hand pose, looping an animation or adding pre-built poses to actions, applying a pose to a character is something you’ll do almost every time you edit a file in MotionBuilder. In this tutorial you’ll learn how to use the Pose Controls to create a library of poses you can save, merge…
How To Create a Walk Cycle in MotionBuilder
Creating a walk cycle using motion Capture is one of the best ways to learn the tools and techniques you’ll need for motion editing in MotionBuilder. In this tutorial you’ll learn: How to Import Mocap Data How to Select a “Loop-able” clip in Story How to Fix Foot Sliding How to Create and Apply Poses How…
Retargeting Animation In MotionBuilder
A complete guide to retargeting animation in MotionBuilder. Learn how to import and connect characters, retarget animation and export files as FBX or BVH. This tutorial will teach you everything you need to know about retargeting animation in MotionBuilder: Merging and connecting Characters and Actors. Importing skeletal animation and optical motion capture. Retargeting settings. Plotting animation to control…
Understanding MotionBuilder’s Control Rig
The Control Rig is one of the 3 ways you can animate a character in MotionBuilder. It is MotionBuilder’s Full Body FK/IK character rig and although it is designed for editing mocap, it can also be used for animating characters – it just requires a little translation into more animator friendly terminology. Because the Control Rig was originally designed to…
Using Custom Bone Names in MotionBuilder
Creating a Custom Character or Skeleton Definition File allows you to use your own custom bone names and still automatically characterize characters. Once a character has been manually characterized, a “Custom Character Asset” or “Skeleton Definition File” can be created. These assets provide the same automatic characterization functionality as the default MotionBuilder Character asset but…
How to Characterize a 3DS Max Biped in MotionBuilder
In this tutorial you will learn how to successfully characterize a 3DS Max Biped character in MotionBuilder. Before you can begin using the character animation features in MotionBuilder you will need to characterize your Biped. The process involves 3 main steps: T-Posing – This is the most import part of the process and requires accurate…