Datasheet

24  Chapter 1: Character Skeletons
To check your work so far, you can compare it to mocap_v05.ma on the DVD.
26. Hide all the joints and handles. Play the animation to check the quality of the
motion. Figure1.29 shows Jack in an extreme pose at frame 550.
Maintaining Performance
Other than the obvious geometry collisions, the
data transferred pretty well. e only major motion-
related issue is in the shoulders: they look too
high. Your rst thought might be to adjust
the animation or oset the IK handle.
Both those solutions can cause major
headaches. Adjusting the IK handle
only throws the timing o for
the rest of the arm. Adding
keyframes over the top via
a layer or secondary rig
has the potential to do the
same thing. More impor-
tant, doing so changes the performance.
Your goal is to use the data as is. It’s
the performance you want. Altering it, even
a little, destroys the actor’s intentions and, worse, the
timing of the captured motion. Maintaining its integ-
rity is paramount. In the next project, you’ll address the
shoulder issue without altering the performance.
Project: Shoulder Fix
In the previous project, you relied solely on SC IK
handles to drive Jack’s skeleton. ey worked for 90
percent of the character. However, using them on
the shoulders has forced the shoulders into a higher
constrained position that isn’t natural for Jack. In this
project, you’ll remove the handle and use only an orient
constraint:
1. Open the mocap_v05.ma scene from the chapter1\scenes folder on the DVD. It’s the
same scene that “Project: Motion Test” ended with.
2. Go to frame 1, and look at the shoulders (see Figure1.30).
3. Select ikHandle8, and delete it.
Figure1.29
Check the align-
ment at frame 550.
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