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Motion Studio Tutorial
About Truespace Archives
These pages are a copy of the official truespace forums prior to their removal somewhere around 2011.
They are retained here for archive purposes only.
Motion Studio Tutorial // Roundtable
Post by frank // Feb 23, 2006, 5:01pm
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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A couple of folks in the #truespace channel talked me into doing a Motion Studio tutorial so here's what I've come up with so far:
http://www.frankladner.com/mostu/
I wanted to share it for anyone else who has an interest in Motion Studio. As you'll see from the page, there are things that have yet to be added but what's there now should help get the first-time user up to speed with the plugin.
Hope this helps someone!
Frank |
Post by Tiles // Feb 23, 2006, 9:40pm
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It definitely does ;) |
Post by hultek43 // Feb 23, 2006, 11:49pm
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Total Posts: 234
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I hope you'll expand upon it to include the use of T-bones. |
Post by TheWickedWitchOfTheWeb // Feb 24, 2006, 1:12am
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TheWickedWitchOfTheWeb
Total Posts: 858
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WOO!
Frank really knows his MoStu stuff, anyone wanting to learn this plugin couldn't wish for a better Jedi Master!
Forever your Padawan ObiFranKenobi :) |
Post by stoker // Feb 24, 2006, 2:50am
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Whoooooooo:banana: :banana:
Thats pretty impressive Frank:D |
Post by frank // Feb 24, 2006, 5:31am
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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LOL! Thanks a lot for the encouragement, guys!
hultek43: I hope you'll expand upon it to include the use of T-bones.
I sure can - thanks for the suggestion! Also, I'd like to show the different ways of rigging, say, a hip (t-bones vs. connected bones, etc.) |
Post by stoker // Feb 24, 2006, 6:03am
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I had a quick glance at the tutorial before and have just been through it thoroughly seems to be excellent. Clearly alot of work gone in to it. Thanks for sharing:D :D :jumpy: |
Post by frank // Feb 24, 2006, 6:56am
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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stoker: Clearly alot of work gone in to it. Thanks for sharing
Thanks, Stoker! The part that takes the longest is getting screengrabs, cropping/resizing in Photoshop, saving back out, and bringing them into the HTML doc in Dreamweaver. It would go faster if I was just using words but pictures work much better. :)
Thanks again to everyone who has checked it out so far! |
Post by mrbones // Feb 24, 2006, 7:00am
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mrbones
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Good Job Frank.:) Thanks again and Cheers. |
Post by stoker // Feb 24, 2006, 11:44am
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stoker
Total Posts: 506
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Thanks, Stoker! The part that takes the longest is getting screengrabs, cropping/resizing in Photoshop, saving back out, and bringing them into the HTML doc in Dreamweaver. It would go faster if I was just using words but pictures work much better. :)
Yer, I know what you mean, I would never have the patience to do anything as detailed as that, never mind the knowledge.:jumpy: |
Post by frank // Feb 27, 2006, 7:23am
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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I've added a couple of new things to the Motion Studio tutorial.
http://www.frankladner.com/mostu
- Vertex Painter
- Attaching Objects
...and more still to come
I'm thinking it's quite a bit of info (text and images) on one page. Maybe I should finish this one out as it is and then for the more advanced things (t-bones, character rigging, etc.) I can have them on their own page(s).
All Ideas are welcome!
Frank |
Post by frank // Feb 27, 2006, 8:29am
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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Here's a test animation I did with the simple character, Mr. lowercase "i", built using the tutorial.
http://www.frankladner.com/i_springy.wmv
The jump was animated once and repeated using the Mark/Register tools in MotionStudio. (I plan to cover these features later as well.)
This is a perfect example of when motion capture would not fit the bill. How many mocap libraries are there for unipeds (or is that monopeds)? ;) |
Post by wolf-tec // Feb 27, 2006, 9:24am
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wolf-tec
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thanks frank....
your tutorial is getting me back to motionstudio...i used it quite a while ago but somehow lost track and never really got familiar with its possibilities....
great effort ! |
Post by frank // Feb 27, 2006, 1:35pm
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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wolf-tec: thanks frank....
your tutorial is getting me back to motionstudio...i used it quite a while ago but somehow lost track and never really got familiar with its possibilities....
Excellent! I'm happy to know it's of use to folks. ...and I'm really glad to hear that it's getting you back into MotionStudio! If there is any way I can help further, you or anyone else feel free to email me (frank@frankladner.com). |
Post by jamesmc // Mar 1, 2006, 7:45am
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jamesmc
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Hi gang, :)
Just dropping by to see how everyone is.
Made about 37 models with animation in another venue. Three short movies (1 flash)with, some post production work in Ulead Studio, Zwei Stein and Virtual Dub. And dozens of 3D objects that ended up in 2D background poses.
I guess that tS seems to be more techno-Geek than what the average artist needs. Although, I suppose one could get used to tS, I found my calling elsewhere.
Thanks again Frank for volunteering your help and tutelage. That's a rare thing these days.
Cya guys! |
Post by frank // Mar 1, 2006, 10:48am
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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I've broken the tutorial into multiple pages now, so you guys don't have to do a lot of scrolling. :)
http://www.frankladner.com/mostu/
jamesmc: Thanks again Frank for volunteering your help and tutelage. That's a rare thing these days.
Thanks, James! |
Post by Naes3d // Mar 9, 2006, 10:40am
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Naes3d
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Wow, just checked out you MotionStudio tute and I have to say it's something even I might be able to understand...nice work. One day I might be convinced to buy it. We should have more tS tutorials like that...free! |
Post by frank // Mar 9, 2006, 10:45am
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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Naes3D: Wow, just checked out you MotionStudio tute and I have to say it's something even I might be able to understand...nice work. One day I might be convinced to buy it. We should have more tS tutorials like that...free!
Thanks for the feedback, Naes! Let me know if you have questions or anything. There are other topics I plan to add later. If there's something specific you'd like to see, let me know and I'll try to add it. |
Post by frank // Apr 3, 2006, 8:56am
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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Update:
Attaching Sub-Skeletons
http://www.frankladner.com/mostu/ |
Post by frank // Apr 3, 2006, 11:16am
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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Another short-n-fun animation with Mr. Lowercase "i":
http://www.frankladner.com/mr_i_flips.wmv
Crits and comments welcome. |
Post by TheWickedWitchOfTheWeb // Apr 3, 2006, 11:30am
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TheWickedWitchOfTheWeb
Total Posts: 858
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Wow, thanks Frank! I only asked about this a few hours ago and already he delivers!
You really are a star! Thanks to your easy to follow tuition I hope we'll see a few more anims from trueSpacers of all versions!
Thanks again, it's really appreciated. |
Post by frank // Apr 3, 2006, 4:23pm
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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Wow, thanks Frank! I only asked about this a few hours ago and already he delivers!
You really are a star! Thanks to your easy to follow tuition I hope we'll see a few more anims from trueSpacers of all versions!
Thanks again, it's really appreciated.
Not a problem - I enjoy doing it. I'm glad you've found the info useful and I hope others do as well.
Yes, it would be cool to see more anims from users of all versions of trueSpace! :) |
Post by frank // Apr 18, 2006, 7:13am
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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Update: Facial Animation
http://www.frankladner.com/mostu/
As stated on the page, this isn't a step-by-step tutorial but it presents one way to set up a facial rig in MotionStudio. |
Post by LazeeGazzz // Apr 18, 2006, 11:38am
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Total Posts: 55
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Hey Frank,
how come you're using 'Motion Studio Pro 2006' in the flash movie?:o The last version available is 2003! What's all that about? Also, the demo .scn crashes tS when I try to open up the Pose lib. I get the gist though. |
Post by frank // Apr 18, 2006, 3:07pm
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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how come you're using 'Motion Studio Pro 2006' in the flash movie? The last version available is 2003! What's all that about? Also, the demo .scn crashes tS when I try to open up the Pose lib. I get the gist though.
It's a newer version I got from Scott @ Primitive Itch for testing. The reason that it crashes is likely due to the new "batch pose" feature he added. Although I'm just using regular poses in this file, older versions of MoStu apparently can't read any pose info from newer versions.
I just verified the crash in the 1.0.8 (2003) version so I went back into the 1.1.0.2 (2006) version and tried to save the rigged head as a .COB/object file. At that point, trueSpace hangs on me.
If this was an object rigged and saved from an older version, I don't think we'd have this problem. As it stands now, the file is only useful to me and two other guys as we are the only ones with the new version.
Sorry about that!
Anyway, I hope you get the idea from the page and the Flash file. The main thing is the method behind it.
:) |
Post by LazeeGazzz // Apr 18, 2006, 4:38pm
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LazeeGazzz
Total Posts: 55
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Frank..........I think you're hiding some really good news here.
Let me get this straight: after nearly 3 years of cajoling and pleading and begging and stuff (I have read all the primitive Itch forums) Scott is actually back developing MoStu!!! That's phenomenal amazing news Frank. How come you're so cool about it? You wanted it to happen the most.
A recent post of yours celebrated the fact that MoStu still actually and unexpectedly worked as a plug-in with the new-fangled tS7 invention. So....I reckon that was the incentive for Scott to come out of retirement and get back to business. Wow! Humdinger's been suspiciously quiet recently too. Come on Frank, spill the beans. Are these minor fixes to keep it 'on the road' or part of the fabled MoStu-2 development????????????
Time for some bananas.......Oh No! The bananas have malfunctioned! |
Post by frank // Apr 18, 2006, 5:22pm
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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:)
I was floored when Scott sent the emails with updates (there were a couple of them within days of each other one time). ...but that has been a few months or so ago with no word from Scott since. I did send some feedback on the latest builds and I was hopeful that maybe he would release them to the public.
He comes and goes, basically. He has to first support his family through other means, and I understand that. As cool as MotionStudio is, trueSpace plugins can't pay the bills for Scott. I think it's more of a spare-time kinda deal.
For over three years I've sent persuasive emails and posted on the Primitive Itch forum for continued MotionStudio development - and had the opportunity to speak with Scott on the phone once (He's as nice a guy as you ever want to talk to.). I've even tried to figure out a way for him to work with Caligari on integrating MotionStudio 2 into trueSpace. ....of course I also offered to pay for MoStu 2.0, even though I got a "free upgrade" email for being an early-purchaser. ;)
I think my tenacity has done some good but I don't think we will ever see MotionStudio 2.0. :(
Sorry if I sound negative but I don't want any of you guys to be mislead and dissappointed.
That said, MotionStudio in its current form is still the top plugin for character animation in trueSpace 5.1, 6.6, etc... Rock-solid. |
Post by frank // Sep 13, 2006, 6:02am
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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Update:
http://www.frankladner.com/mostu/
Dope Sheet / Animating
More to come, possibly. ;) |
Post by Tiles // Sep 13, 2006, 6:45am
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Tiles
Total Posts: 1037
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Weeehaaa :)
More to come? Maybe some additions, like how to scale a ready rigged mesh ( turn off Auto drill down Select and Auto transform joints. Then select your skeleton in Mostu ... )? Or the trick to create a "floating" bone. I forgot how to ... ;) |
Post by frank // Sep 13, 2006, 7:00am
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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Weeehaaa
More to come? Maybe some additions, like how to scale a ready rigged mesh ( turn off Auto drill down Select and Auto transform joints. Then select your skeleton in Mostu ... )? Or the trick to create a "floating" bone. I forgot how to ...
Alright! I get a "Weeehaaa"! That makes it all worthwhile.
:)
I will see what else I can do but as far as the 'floating bones', this will tell you how to do it:
http://www.frankladner.com/mostu/14.htm |
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