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Anyone out there using .BVH files with tS 7.5?
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Anyone out there using .BVH files with tS 7.5? // Archive: Tech Forum
Post by W!ZARD // Feb 14, 2008, 5:35am
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W!ZARD
Total Posts: 2603
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I have a couple of characters I've rigged using .bvh files and they work really well - I very happy with the results.
What I want to do now is copy a section of the .bvh anim clip and paste it to extend a walk cycle.
I'm at the stage where I can get my character to walk forward four paces and then jump back four paces and walk them again but I want to get her walking forward 8 or even 12 paces using the same section of the clip.
The manual is good for rotating a sphere and waving an arm but doesn't say much at all about how to do this.
Any pointers would be appreciated - I'm still wearing my 'Noob Hat' when it comes to animations;) |
Post by kena // Feb 14, 2008, 11:05am
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kena
Total Posts: 2321
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Mr. Bones could probably help the most here. I'm less than a n00b with animation myself. |
Post by Igor K Handel // Feb 14, 2008, 11:09am
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Igor K Handel
Total Posts: 411
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The ideal prog for editing BVH is Kaydara motionBuilder buts it's $$$$$$$$$. A freebie BVH editor can be found here
http://davedub.co.uk/bvhacker
Although relating to MotionBuilder I would recommend the following video tut as useful and very relevant for TS too.
The tut site you want is
http://3DBuzz.com
You may need to register (free) in order to dload the video tutorial,,, again free!! Did I mention free? lol
As there is no direct link to the file I will describe how to find
Once on 3Dbuzz main page click video tutorials (top middle of screen)
Scroll to motionbuilder and open
the file you need to dload is in Issue 2 and is part 4(animating with poses)
phew it takes longer to write than actually do.
Yours
IK |
Post by Igor K Handel // Feb 14, 2008, 1:25pm
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Igor K Handel
Total Posts: 411
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Hi Again
Since my last post I have been looking into this further, IE trying to stay completely within the TS environment. I have found a solution, but it seems a bit untidy to me. Perhaps someone could further enlighten me too.
Anyway what I did was as follows (from Memory)
Import BVH file.(by left dragging BVH file from library onto my character.
Open story editor screen
Open BVH track and select track contents
Right mouse and razor at end of 1 complete walk cycle
Erase the remainder
Copy and paste this 1 cycle side by side on same track. So you should now have two identical cycles one after the other.
Ok at this point I had the same problem on the first repeat. The translation returned to the start position. Now in most progs there is a relative button. I actually thought the passthrough button would achieve this, but it doesn't, at least I can't get it too. A simple click and the second cycle would usually start from whatever relative positon it finished in on the previous frame. TS doesn't appear to have this facility.. Please correct me if anyone knows different
the workaround I had to use...
As this is from memory heres a grey area... convert bvh track to keyframes(right click on the bvh track for the options) ( its possible that conversion wasnt required, to find out just open fcurve if there are curves when character is selected on screen and matrix selected in fcurve editor, then no conversion is needed) open fcurve tab.
In Fcurve panel you scroll to matrix (on left) click arrow to expand the matrix, to see the translate, rotate, scale for the complete character.
If you now left click on the translate axis that is the direction your character is walking in,, you should see TWO obvious curves,,, IE the origonal and the pasted single cycle..
OK you should note the shape of both curves.. Identical shapes, but one higher on the graph than the other. Thats your problem , if they are identical then the start point in real space is the EXACT same point, which is why the character jumps back to its beginning point in the space of 1 frame. SO drag select the complete second cycle and move it vertically in the graph,so that the first point of the second cycle is at the same value/height as the LAST point of the first cycle. Think of them as eyebrows, the end of one should be the same level as the start of the next!
There you go the second cycle now starts where the translate of the last one ended.. DA DA
NB I found that before drag selecting the second cycle, it was less messy if I first erased all the inbetween keyframes within each cycle, as there were loads of unneeded keyframes for translation, as generated by motion capture.
Provided the translation was constant only a beginning and end key is needed.
Hope this helps.. I sure don't think I would be any good at writing manuals lol
Yours
IK Handel |
Post by W!ZARD // Feb 14, 2008, 7:28pm
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W!ZARD
Total Posts: 2603
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Hi Again
Hope this helps.. I sure don't think I would be any good at writing manuals lol
Yours
IK Handel
Oh I don't know! You may have uncovered a hidden talent because that is perfectly clear to me and makes complete sense. I knew it had to be possible and would involve adjusting the Matrix key frames.
While I was out buying veges today an idea came to me about how to do it another way - I've yet to check out my idea and if it doesn't work as I think it should then your approach gives me another option.
Many thanks for taking the time to spell it all out for me Igor - I appreciate that.
I guess you could say you've helped me to get a handel on it!!;) |
Post by Igor K Handel // Feb 15, 2008, 8:34am
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Igor K Handel
Total Posts: 411
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And as I sat up in my Tower Crane, an idea came to me lol (Strange the places that users think about TS)
Just keep the first and last keyframe (translate that is) of each cycle.
Or, and maybe this is better, just keep the first keyframe of the first translate cycle and then double click to make a final translate KF on the last frame of the 2 cycles. No messing about and nice quick linear interpolation..
All ears whats your idea? |
Post by W!ZARD // Feb 16, 2008, 6:21pm
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W!ZARD
Total Posts: 2603
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Well I'm almost embarressed to say :o . What I'd been doing was trying to reposition the 'actor' at the beginning of the first copied cycle and it was producing all sorts of weird results - like the character suddenly leaping to a different part of the scene or even turning itself inside out (not a good look!).
Then I figured out I should open the Actor object in the LE and select tyhe skeleton and translate that, record a keyframe on an additive track and trim out a few existing keyframes either side of the join between the original cycle clip and the copy.
Note that I've yet to confirm this as I've been working on other things but I'm confidant that would work well.
When I get a chance to get back to that scene I'll test it and confirm it. |
Post by Igor K Handel // Feb 17, 2008, 2:55am
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Igor K Handel
Total Posts: 411
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By its very nature,BVH is likely to include translate info. I suspect that using translate in LE may conflict with the BVH translate info. To get your idea working I believe that the translation would first have to be stripped out of the BVH. IE convert to keyframes and do own translation.
Having said that I may be wrong, so I'd be interested in the results of your test, as it would be a quicker way than what I have come up with so far.
Shame the info provided with TS doesn't go into this type of detail, as I would say it's going to be a commonly needed aspect of using BVH files.
Not to be embarressed we are all somewhat groping in the dark.
IK |
Post by W!ZARD // Feb 17, 2008, 3:15am
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W!ZARD
Total Posts: 2603
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Hi Igor - sorry to say I've still not tested this out as I've gotten myself bogged down in trying to set up what should be a fairly simple physics situation See my other recent post in this forum.
Re the translate info already in the .BVH files - I think that the secret lies in using an additive blend track so the new translation info is added to the existing .bvh translation info at the point it's required - I think!!.
I will get to try this at some stage soon - just not sure when. |
Post by W!ZARD // Feb 22, 2008, 3:40am
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W!ZARD
Total Posts: 2603
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Well my idea didn't pan out but I grabbed the BVH editor Igor linked to earlier and made my own walk loops. Once I had that the tS AE made the rest of the process very simple. |
Post by Igor K Handel // Feb 22, 2008, 9:02am
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Igor K Handel
Total Posts: 411
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Glad you got it sorted.
I still have this gut feeling there has got to be an easier way, I just haven't worked out what it is yet.
Will post if the inspiration hits me.
IK |
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