Transition between MotionCapture and Standard Key Animation?

#1

I have followed, with 3DSMax9, the “CG-Academy Intermediate Rigging” Tutorial over 4DVD. Thanks to Paul Neale and your experience!

But I want ask one question:
Is it possible to use at same time the IK animation and this CG-Academy standard body rigging, with the MotionCapture files?
In example: I want that my character switch between one walk cycle (MotionCapture), and the standard Keyframe animation (CG-Academy Rigging), where my character pick up a glass off of a table; but I want also mantain the original character Rigging Controls made in the CG-Academy Tutorials.

Therefore, I think that the best way to work is that:
-Create one skeleton with IK and CG-Academy Rigging Controls;
-Create another Biped skeleton (3DSMax CharacterStudio) to use the MotionCapture files.
-Constraint the master skeleton, at first to the Rigging Controls, and at second to the Biped Skeleton, that have MotionCapture movements applied.
-Switching the weight of the Contraints, at desired point in time, between the IK Rigging Controls and Biped skeleton, to obtain the transition of the movements, from motion capture and standard Keyframe animation.

This is good?
This works well, or it is too much complex to realize?
Or anyone know another way to display the Markers of MotionCapture files (.BVH), without using Biped and CharacterStudio Plugin?

I have see these suggestions using the Stockmoves MotionCapture files, for the Maya Setup, not for 3DSMax, but this workflow can be also applicable to 3DSMax; this is the page:
http://www.e-motek.com/entertainment/stockmoves/tutorials/MayaTutorials/mayaconnectadvanced.htm#1

See this paragraph:

"2.4 Combining motion capture with inverse kinematics

In many cases you may find that you want to combine the use of inverse kinematics with motion capture. For example, if you want your character to walk over and pick up a glass off of a table. For the walk, you will want to use the motion capture data and for the picking up of the glass you will want to use an IK handle. In Maya, this can be done by using double orientation constraints on your character’s skeleton. One constraint will be used to bind the skeleton to the Stockmoves elements, and the other will be used to bind the skeleton to another skeleton that has an IK handle assigned to it. To switch between the two, you just have to animate the goal weights…"

#2

I’m glad that you are liking the DVD’s

There are ways to handle what you are doing. Some far more complex then others. I have written a motion cature conversion tool that allow me to take mocap in the raw form and apply it to the controls of one of my complex character rigs on both the IK and FK portions of the rig as well. This is one of the complex methods but it works extreamly well.

Another is to use biped as you have and constrain it and blend the constraints from one to the other. I have done this as well. You can also bake the animation from one to the other with simple scripts by making $theRigControlObject.trasnform=$theMocapObject.transform one every frame. If you are using animation layers you can then blend on and off the mocap. Obviously the script has to have a bit more thenw what I just posted but it isn’t a big deal if you have some script experience.

#3

I should also mention that you can use the save load animation tool to get similar results as the last suggestion and not write a line of code.

#4

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