Characterizing a Biped from 3ds max to MB

[Guna3d]

I'm working on that one myself. Getting the Biped into MB is fairly simple. You can either rename all the nodes to match the MB naming convention or remap your character settings manually within MB. The trick is getting the animation back into MAX. I hear ppl talking about exporting to BVH but BVH doesn't support spaces in names and CS nodes are full of spaces. I tried renaming all the nodes to match MB and that worked fine both for auto characterization and for BVH export but now CS won't recognize the new nodes names!!! :D

So to answer your question.... I dunno ..... but I'm working on it.

[vislaw]

Back before Alias bought MB from Kaydara we were looking at using MB in conjunction with Max/Character Studio. We had a demo version (Version 5.0 I think) and I found a discussion on the old Kaydara forum discussing these issues. I also downloaded a PDF file from the Kaydara Knowledgebase titled "Exporting Motion from MOTIONBUILDER to Character Studio. The subtitle says: "This document explains how to export an animation from MOTIONBUILDER to a character in 3ds max that is weighted on a Character Studio Biped using the .BVH format." I also downloaded a CS_BVH template that accompanied the pdf file.

I do recall that we were able to get the motion from MB to CS and once we made some scaling adjustments to the biped-based character we had it all worked. However, we found that inherent limitations in CS with respect to biovision files (for instance, no way to transfer finger motion) led us to go another direction.

Nevertheless, I still have the knowledgebase pdf files and the template files for going both directions (Max-MB/MB-MAX) and I'd be happy to e-mail them to you if you think they would be helpful. I have absolutely no idea whether the instructions or the files will work with the new version of MB, though, and there probably are much more knowledgable people here who will give you a better answer.

Mark

[bclark]

yup the old instructions and template files should work fine.. for anyone that needs to do this... best bet is just don't use CS:) or if you have to .. bug the MAX guys to fix CS and its lame a$$ bvh import limitations.

[shoaib]

vislaw: can you please e mail me the files at
shoaib_1999@yahoo.com
bclark: you r right... bvh import options are giving loads of problems.... i wish they'll fix it soon..or ever..lol
Guntherotto: hey dude if you or anyone else figures out the way taht works without any problems... share it please... thanx

[pob1211]

I think you'd better check this:http://www.3dbuzz.com/vbforum/showthread.php?t=107124
if you still have any issue about BVH/Biped/Max and MB.Detail step included and work for me so far.
As for BVH template,here you are.
Hope helps

[Funso]

That thread really doesn't help.

I follow his steps, and when then import the bvh into CS, I get "The follow track names were found and not recognised by Biped". Using Motionbuilder6 and Max 6.

Then the next pop up says that I am missing all the essential names. Wouldn;t mind, but I am following his steps to the letter, using the supplied cs_bvh file, etc.

[Funso]

Spent the last 2 hours working on this, and finally found a fool proof way to export.

I don't know if this is a problem for anyone anymore. If exporting from MotionBuilder to Character Studio is an issue for a few people, I can walk you through it. The help I found here, and at 3dbuzz, and at the Alias forums was very lacking on this topic.

[vislaw]

I, for one, would greatly appreciate having you walk us through the process!

Mark

[5p3c7r4]

Spent the last 2 hours working on this, and finally found a fool proof way to export.

I don't know if this is a problem for anyone anymore. If exporting from MotionBuilder to Character Studio is an issue for a few people, I can walk you through it. The help I found here, and at 3dbuzz, and at the Alias forums was very lacking on this topic.

Hi I saw your post regarding motionbuilder and exporting bvh files into character studio.
I am having the same problem, i cannot import into max because the naming structure is wrong. I am using max 7 and mobuilder 6
You said you had a fool proof method, can you please share it?
thanx

[LoneCanuck]

"yup the old instructions and template files should work fine.. for anyone that needs to do this... best bet is just don't use CS:) or if you have to .. bug the MAX guys to fix CS and its lame a$$ bvh import limitations."

Amen, Brad. Amen! However, there are ALOT of people with Max and CS in their pipeline who are not looking to change anytime soon. So as soon as they need mocap in their product...

I would love to see all Max animators switching to MB but that's just me fantasizing about a future that will just not be.

[Pedrotheartist]

It's happening.

I have a Max to Motionbuilder to Max pipeline and I don't touch CS. In fact, all my animations is done in MB, why bother with CS?

IMO Autodesk need to drastically update their character animation tools as I'm seriously thinking of totally dumping Max for my character animation needs.

[serc]

Pedrotheartist

hiye.. since u say everything is fine from mb to max.. i got a problem, my motion blending is done perfectly in mb. but when i open the fbx in max. my model goes to every start of each take.. meaning.. the blending that i did just did not take place. i have laready ploted the the animation to the skeleton.. can help me out?

[Pedrotheartist]

I've had no problem using the motionblend tool. If you send me the FBX file I could always have a look at it for you.

The way I use the motionblend tool is to select all your nodes of skeleton and alt drag them into the motionblend track, create your blends and click the Process button at the bottom of the screen. By clicking the Process button should bake your result track (bottom track) onto the nodes that you had originally alt dragged into motionblend track. Once the information is baked onto your nodes, you should be to see your results in max once you've imported the scene into max.

[serc]

hiye.. i done all the motion blending accrodingly.. after pressing the process button, there is the new take.. which is take 009. However when i bring this one to max.. the blending just doesnt work.. you can download the file from this link http://www.megaupload.com/?d=195G3EGA

thank you so much in advance! :) hope u can help me out.

[Pedrotheartist]

Hi Serc,

The link you have giving me is to download 'Sinan - My Portfolio.pps'

Is this link correct?

[hrydek]

Pedrotheartist

hiye.. since u say everything is fine from mb to max.. i got a problem, my motion blending is done perfectly in mb. but when i open the fbx in max. my model goes to every start of each take.. meaning.. the blending that i did just did not take place. i have laready ploted the the animation to the skeleton.. can help me out?


Well, while using Motionblendig be sure to process to another take to have animation. Change to another tab to check how animation looks like, and turn off story too, if you have any tracks there. MAybe this is the problem.

Someone mention, that is using version 6.0 to export BVH. In this version this export doesn't work. It gives "Model::" prefix in bvh file, and character studio isn't able to read such file. Even after removing this, animation looks very strange. It's solved in 6.0.1.

Hope this helps.

[serc]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=199AWRT0

oh my God... really sory bout the link.. and i was out for quite some time... here is the link... hope u can get a view of it...

and yup-i did process it to a new take.. it no story .. ermmm.. :D

tqs

[zoldt]

Hi I saw your post regarding motionbuilder and exporting bvh files into character studio.
I am having the same problem, i cannot import into max because the naming structure is wrong. I am using max 7 and mobuilder 6
You said you had a fool proof method, can you please share it?
thanx

Hi there! It seems to be a bug in MotionBuilder, wich names joints in BVH files incorrect way. According to Alias release notes about MB 6.0.1, this bug is fixed now. I have v 6.0 installed,and i solve this problem (that stupid mane prefix "Model::") just by removing it directly from a BVH file. Ive just opened it in notepad and search and replace "Model::" with a space.

Now it is working correct. Even key reducer does =)

[Ren0]

Spent the last 2 hours working on this, and finally found a fool proof way to export.

I don't know if this is a problem for anyone anymore. If exporting from MotionBuilder to Character Studio is an issue for a few people, I can walk you through it. The help I found here, and at 3dbuzz, and at the Alias forums was very lacking on this topic.

Would LOVE to

[Pedrotheartist]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=199AWRT0

oh my God... really sory bout the link.. and i was out for quite some time... here is the link... hope u can get a view of it...

and yup-i did process it to a new take.. it no story .. ermmm.. :D

tqs

Hi Serc,

It's really hard to see the cause of the problem just by looking at a .mov file. If I was able to see the FBX file, I might be able to spot the problem.

[serc]

hello, mr.Pedrotheartist

really sorry i gave u the wrong file AGAIN! sorry.. i didnt figure out my problem but i did re-do it and things were ok! tqs so much! :D

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