Assignment 3: Applying motions to a skeleton

For this assignment, you will perform the following steps in the mocap production pipeline:

• Actor Setup in MotionBuilder: Import a ROM marker data (.c3D file) into MotionBuilder. Find a frame where the subject is in a T-pose. Map the markers to Actor (an intermediate skeleton). Export a .hik (a marker set) which you will use to apply an actor to other motions. (MB_Actor)
• Character Setup in Maya: Build a skeleton of your 3D character in Maya. (Step 1 in MB_Character)
• Character Setup in MotionBuilder:
• Import a motion into MotionBuilder, apply the data to an Actor, and deactivate it. (Step 2 in MB_Character)
• Import the skeleton into MotionBuilder as a Character, and characterize. (Steps in 3 - 5 MB_Character)
• Correlate the Actor and the Character. Activate both Actor and Character. Plot the motion to the skeleton (i.e., bake keyframes to the skeleton) and export it as a .fbx file. (Steps 6 - 10 in MB_Character).

Notes:

If your 3D character can be proportionally same as your capture subject, import the marker data of your capture subject in a T-pose into Maya and match your 3D character's proportion to the performer's. By doing so, you will be required to do less motion editing than not matching the proportions.

Naming the skeleton joints using the MotionBuilder's naming conventions will make it easier for you to correlate an Actor and a Character.

• A skeleton of your 3D character (.mb or .fbx).
• One Range of Motion Trial baked to a skeleton per group (.fbx).
• Two motions baked to a skeleton per group member (.fbx).

Due date

3/3/2009