Motionbuilder 2009

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Motionbuilder 2009 // Hardware

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Post by Dragneye // Nov 25, 2008, 10:44pm

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Is Autodesk Motionbuilder 2009 an upgrade of the Motionbuilder we've come to know and love on here?
And, can it be used with tS? Or others like Lightwave, zbrush, etc. Didn't find that info on their site. Anybody know and/or have used it? And how does it compare with 7.6's animation tools? Compatible?

Post by RichLevy // Nov 26, 2008, 1:53am

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I have not used MB since Kaydara sold ner off to Maya...

I do use Image Modeler though and if what I am seeing with IM2009 is any indication, AD is not concerned with playing nice with outside world applications. FBX is not a universal translation format in AD's world. They write the standard now and it is up to the outside world to comply with it. I have found that IM2009 FBX models do not play nicely in many of the programs I use...

To AD's credit they do supply the specs and sdk with the program...


I would assume you might find something similar with MB


Rich

Post by Dragneye // Nov 26, 2008, 11:34am

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I agree about being so FBX. Even though one can import obj, that's the problem with 'creating their own world'. They get to tell us what's possible.

So is it something to use with tS? Does it offer anything better/different for animation than what 7.6 has? Does it work with tS?

May I ask what other programs you have used it with Rich?

Post by RichLevy // Nov 26, 2008, 1:55pm

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I agree about being so FBX. Even though one can import obj, that's the problem with 'creating their own world'. They get to tell us what's possible.

So is it something to use with tS? Does it offer anything better/different for animation than what 7.6 has? Does it work with tS?

May I ask what other programs you have used it with Rich?


As I said Dragoneye, I have not used the program since Kaydara owned and developed it. I can only offer some things I have heard from other people for you...

I was told today that the FBX converter that AutoDesk has on their site does a good job of converting the new FBX 2009 format to other formats, even the older variety's, again I have no experience to offer on this.


Talk to jhowell, I believe he has mentioned using MB in conjunction with TS and some other programs.


Rich

Post by jhowell // Nov 26, 2008, 9:45pm

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Regarding MotionBuilder 2009 Iam beyond blown away. Because all character animation (and physics, fire and particles) is real time it provides immediate feedback. MB 2009 has a no restriction 30 day trial. My workflow is really simple. Create my character animation in MB then export BVH to Truespace. Then grab the anim clips out of the imported BVH and drop them on my Truespace characters timeline. Just takes seconds. Putting the original BVH in the characters mesh is a breeze in Truespace and then all future BVH from MotionBuilder for that character just grab the ANIM CLIP's out of the MotionBuilder exported BVH's. 3dbuzz.com sure has some awesome MotionBuilder tutorials that you dont have to download. Just view them there.


Here is a quick MB to Truespace animation. Took only couple minutes in MB to create.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qNmcs5VfZ4


:jumpy:

Post by mrbones // Nov 28, 2008, 11:17am

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That looks Good J, Thanks for sharing that.:)

Post by RichLevy // Nov 28, 2008, 12:07pm

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Ouch... 4000.00.... too rich for my blood. Interesting program though. Endomorph used to have a free version that was fun to play around in also. I wish AD would do the Starving Artist version for us... uhhh... starving artists :D


We need more free tools :D


Rich

Post by Dragneye // Nov 30, 2008, 2:58pm

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jhowell that was very nice. Pretty good flow to the movement.

I like the drag n drop concept. But yes, $4000 needs a rethink. I need something that'll work... for sure, with a good machine. For an honest price (what you called it Rich?), yeah, for starving artists. :D

The old MB was relatively easy, except the pain of getting specific verts weight painted exactly, when the mesh got too thick.

Post by jhowell // Nov 30, 2008, 3:55pm

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I realize motionbuilder is pretty costly. I started years ago buying my software via student discounts for my non commercial work. So a few hundred is much different than $4,000. Besides motionbuilder of course poser offers incredible workflow back and forth to Truespace. But that still cost money. I have been amazed at how cool the FREE daz studio is working with truespace. Couple people in this forum have been working with daz studio and a bvh animation work flow. I will keep experimenting with the free softwares out there and working them with truespace. :jumpy:

Post by RichLevy // Nov 30, 2008, 4:46pm

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I can only hope more companies keep posting free for non commercial use versions of their software. Right now I am having a fun time playing around in Houdini Apprentice SD. It has all of the features of the 8000.00 version except that the output is at SD resolution (less than 800 x 600 pixels) and has a water mark... but at least you get to play around with some high end toys.


I am still suffering from my loss of XSI :) so I walk around the net at night looking for suitable replacements.


In the end, any tool on the market that does not allow for other programs to work with it is doomed and will not survive...


I have dl'ed Daz studio many times, I have never really ever messed around with it though, I keep getting sidetracked by other things.


Rich

Post by transient // Nov 30, 2008, 9:00pm

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Autodesk don't do the free apprentice thing. Even maya doesn't have one anymore, I don't think.


Having seamless operation between apps is one of those dreams that everybody agrees is really cool and frankly necessary, but never seems to happen. Truespace is probably one of the better apps in this regard, not that that's really saying much.

Post by noko // Nov 30, 2008, 10:31pm

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I realize motionbuilder is pretty costly. I started years ago buying my software via student discounts for my non commercial work. So a few hundred is much different than $4,000. Besides motionbuilder of course poser offers incredible workflow back and forth to Truespace. But that still cost money. I have been amazed at how cool the FREE daz studio is working with truespace. Couple people in this forum have been working with daz studio and a bvh animation work flow. I will keep experimenting with the free softwares out there and working them with truespace. :jumpy:


Yes Daz Studio has a very cool plugin called Animate which one can buy add on motions or create their own inside of DAZ Studio. Once created you can save as BVH which I have to go through another program (Fragmotion) to get file into tS intact. There the power of tS ability to blend comes in and all sorts of possibilities open up. I guess if one is successful enough, then a $4000 dollar program maybe will become useful, for me at this time that is too steep.
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