Poor mans motion capture

[beaker]

Sythneyes is a camera tracker, not a motion tracker, so it figures out the motion of the camera in 3d space. So it isn't needed for what you want to do.

Digital Fusion can do this. What you need to do is film the shot from front and side angles with some kind of tracking markers at the joints. Both cameras need to be static. Then 2d track the markers from both views, then export the tracking to your 3d app and combine the tracking into translations for your bones.

[Dutchman]

Heeey nt65,

First of all, thanks for the PM you sent me about that tears...! Once I'll reply it! :blush:

And about that motioncapure; I don't think I understand you quite well... :shrug:Don't you mean matchmoving? Cause what should you do with 3D motion capture stuff within DF? :rolleyes: :scream: If you really mean capturing motion from video footage, I'd assume to just put markers on crucial points (around joints etc), and just to track them in (the awesome :beer:) Digital Fusion.... :) Then you can maybe stick the rotation of an object to it.... or so (with a modifier)...

Did this help you, or did I understand it wrong? :surprised

Good luck on it!
Gijs

[whoops, Beaker did just explain it better... :blush: But I've never used that method, and I wonder if it works wel (I've been thinking of how to use it very often)..? Beaker (or somebody else ;) ); have you ever used it, and did it give nice results?]

[beaker]

I have never used it for character motion capture but I have used that concept for many other things(use it all the time for patching and any 2d/3d integration).

It will work but its a lot of extra work. You need to write a few scripts to change the tracking data into something the 3d app can read. Also what happends if your tracking markers are obstructed. Your going to have to film it from atleast 4 angles to make sure you get visible trackers from the xyz that are unobstructed. If your character is fast moving(motion blur) or turning a lot it is going to be a paint in the ass because your going to have to combine a lot of tracks from different camera angles.

This method is pretty much what Vicon motion capture systems do (one of most popular mocap systems in the industry). They just 2d track little ping pong balls on people in realtime from 8-16 different cameras and combine the information together. It's just more automated and works faster than 30fps.

[Dutchman]

It's just more automated and works faster than 30fps.
Ánd more expensive ;)

You could give it a try to just track all dots down, and use some wiring etc in (for example) 3ds Max. For example a dummy for the XY and a dummy for the Z movement, and just combining this in one single dummy (by using wiring). But at that point you've only solved óne dot... This is some kind'a work a roto-team could do... ;) But if you've got money for a roto-crew, than you'll also have money for a Vicon system ;)

I'm still curious about if somebody managed motioncapturing in the 'cheap' way! And if they have some scripts to share - to do the job...!

:bounce:

[Cman]

If it came to that, wouldn't it be easier to just roto the video?
Meaning, use the video as a backdrop and animate to that video?

[nt65]

Thanks for everyones comments.

You all hit the nail right on the head. Certain tracking spots where in fact being obstructed, which meant that we had to find a way to paint or manually track the points.
I am new to this so I am not sure if we are doing it correctly.

I had heard that SynthEyes does do very good camera tracking and object tracking. So we tried to get that to work. We still havent managed to get it right.

How can I do it in Fusion?
Beaker:
"...Then 2d track the markers from both views, then export the tracking to your 3d app and combine the tracking into translations for your bones."

How do I export the tracking into the 3D app?

thanks again.

[beaker]

Not sure about Digital Fusion exactly, but most compositors have a way to import/export tracking data to an ascii text file (check the online help :) ).

Then in order to import it depends the 3d app. Maya for example has a motion capture format that it can import called "anim" which is pretty much just a text file with 3 colums of translation data(xyz). With a pretty simple script you can just take the data DF exports as and change it to the formating of "anim". I would just animate a dummy object and export it as "anim" in order to see the formating.

[Dutchman]

Yeaaaah...!!! I FOUND IT! Exactly what we(/I ;) ) needed! And it's called SIMI MOTION! You have to import at least footage of 2 angles, and this (amazing?!) software combines it to a true mocap-file!

Screenshot:

http://www.simi.com/uploads/pics/motion_screen_digi_en.jpg

Website: SIMI (http://www.simi.com/en/products/motion/index.html)

Looks as if it's exactly what we were talking about!?!?

If somebody knew it before, and has used it before, pleasetell about your experiences! :bounce: :)

Greeeetz & Have a nice evening,
Gijs

[btw: Beaker; you've got some stunning and cool work on your site!]

[Cman]

I sent SIMI an email requesting pricing and it came back undeliverable.

Any idea if they're still around and cost of system?

[Dutchman]

I must admit that I also didn't find any prices... :blush: But I did an information request both on the SIMI-site and also on the site of the Dutch compagny that sells it. LINK (http://www.biometrics.nl/productindexwebsite.html)

Any idea if they're still around and cost of system?
Well, as I said I just requested some info... When I have more info, I'll post it :)

Btw; to me it still looks quite promising... :) Something I wonder, is if it's realtime (I don't think I'd need real-time-ity ;) , but it would be a cool feature :) )... And if you'd really need some other essential stuff (hardware) besides the software... :shrug:

We'll see!

-------------------------------------------------------

EDIT: I've Google'd some nice new info...! Some links:
- Comparing info or so (http://www.ne.jp/asahi/gait/analysis/comparison99/SIMI.html)
- zFlo Motion (http://www.zflomotion.com/software/motion.html) > brings the software to the VS people..!?
- SIMI on Siggraph! (http://www.siggraph.org/s2001/exhibition/detail/174.html)

The fact that it has been @ Siggraph, means that its kind'a famous software... Has nobody seen the booth of it, on Siggraph 2001? :eek:

[nt65]

Hey Dutchman,
YOO HOO!! WELL DONE!! :bounce:

Lets hope it doesn't cost too much though.

I'll download as well and have a play.

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