9

Motion Capture Conversion Parameters D ialog 1071
Other filtering options include footstep extraction,
apply ing the skeletal structure stored in the
motion-capture file to the biped, looping the data,
importing a portion of the motion-capture file,
and selecting tracks to load.
Motion-Capture Buffer
Any file imported using Load Motion Capture
File is stored in its raw (nonfiltered) form in the
motion-capturebuffer. Thisbufferisusedto
try new filtering options with the Convert From
Buffer command, and to paste keys f rom the raw
motion-capture data to the biped using Paste
From Buffer on the Motion Capture rollout. The
Show Buffer command displays a stick figure that
represents the buffered data.
You can create your own library of imported and
optimized motion-capture data by saving .bip files
forusewithothercharactersoraspartofalonger
script in Motion Flow mode. Use a biped that has
no mesh attached to it with Physique. You import
the data, adjust it to your liking , and save it as a .bip
file. You can also run standard .bip fi les through
this filtering process to create loops or to extrac t
footsteps from a freeform animation.
Note: Marker files contain position data. Regular
motion-capture files contain joint rotation data.
biped.ini Parameters
The biped.ini text file in the \plugcfg directory
hasparametersforsmoothingthevaluesof
motion-capture joint angles for the body’s center
of mass, th e spine, and the head during import.
The lines appear as below:
MocapHeightSmoothing=0
MocapBodyHorzSmoothing=0
MocapBodyRotSmoothing=0
MocapSpineSmoothing=0
MocapHeadSmoothing=0
Higher values of smoothing will cause t he importer
to fi lter and "smooth out" the data using a gaussian
filter, t a k ing out spikes and jerks in the motion.
These values must be integers, and can range f rom
0 to any high number, but practical values would
probably always be less than 10. For most cases,
smoothingisnotneeded,sothedefaultvaluesare
set to zero.
Procedure
To use Fit To Existing to import a motion-capture file:
Use a motion-capture file that contains footsteps
and other mot ion. A handspring motion would
be ideal for this example.
1. Select a biped.
2. Click Motion panel > Motion Capture rollout
>LoadMotionCaptureFile.
3. Select a motion-capture file.
The Motion C apture Conversion Parameters
dialog displays.
4. Se t Footstep Extraction to On, then click OK.
Themotion-capturefileloads.
5. Select Motion Capture rollout > Show Buffer to
display raw mot ion-capture data as a red stick
figure, t hen click Play.
During the “hand spring” period of the
playback, the hands on the red stick fig ure
representing the raw motion data touch the
ground. The biped, using t he filtered data, is
positioned higher and cannot reach the ground.
Dynamics calculates the biped higher than the
rawmotiondatabecausethefootstepsbefore
and af ter the handspring are so far apart in
time. Creating a f reeform per io d in Track View
— Dope Sheet and reloading the same file
using the Fit To Existing option wil l m atch the
biped’s position to the motion-capture position
during the handspring.
6. Find the Footsteps track for the biped in Track
View .