MeGa MoCap V2Technical Documentation

MeGa MoCap V2 ™ is Credo Interactive's largest collection of quality motion files ever. Built from the ground up to provide consistent motion capture data, MeGa MoCap V2 is the animator's dream for productivity enhancement. Originally created by the world renowned Pepper's Ghost Studio in the UK, MeGa MoCap V2 has been expanded and enhanced by Credo to ensure maximum compatibility with your application.

MeGa MoCap V2 is compatible with 3D Studio Max, Character Studio, Maya, LightWave, Poser, Life Forms and more.

MeGa MoCap V2 files are provided in:

12 unique categories - 10 industry standard file formats.*

*Millennium figures are not yet available in all categories. Please click here for details on which bundles are available for Millennium figures.

Categories

Sitting, Talking & Drinking
Motion Challenged
Walking & Running
Perky Posturing
Walking with Objects
Dirty Work
Walking & Running 2
Ambient Moves
Negotiating Obstacles
At Home & Office
Carrying the Weight
Hard Movin'


Applications and File Formats

3D Studio Max .max
Character Studio .bip
Life Forms .lfa
LightWave 3D .lws
Maya .mb (Maya clips)
Poser* .bvh (Poser-specific)
Other formats .3ds, Acclaim, .htr, and .bvh


*Poser BVH files are specifically tweaked for optimization with Poser. These BVH files may not load in other programs which support BVH import.

Using MeGa MoCap V2 with Life Forms

Life Forms MeGa MoCap V2 files are in .lfa format.

Opening Files
Go to File > Open.
Browse to the MeGa MoCap V2 .lfa file.
Click okay. The animation will load.

Using MeGa MoCap V2 with LightWave
LightWave MeGa MoCap V2 files are in .lws format.

Go to File > Load scene.
Select the animation file
Press open - the scene will load.

Using MeGa MoCap V2 with 3D Studio Max:
3DS Max MeGa MoCap V2 format files are in .max format.

Open the file "target_skeleton.max"
Merge your mesh into the scene
Skin your mesh to the target skeleton
Go to file>import to import,
Choose LFA from the file type list,
Select the LFA motion file.

Using MeGa MoCap V2 with Maya:
Maya MeGa MoCap V2 format files are in .mb format.

Open the file named "target.mb"
Import your mesh and skin it to the skeleton.
Open the trax editor.
(in the trax editor) - Go to file > import.Select ".mb" for the file type and select the motion file.
A second skeleton with a clip attached will appear in the scene.
(in the trax editor) - Select the imported clip.
Copy and paste the clip to the original skeleton. (make sure your paste options are set to "node names")
Select the imported skeleton and delete it.

Using MeGa MoCap V2 with Biped:
Biped MeGa MoCap V2 format files are in .bip format.

Attach your mesh to a biped figure (using the skin modifier or physique)
Select the biped and go to the motion panel.
Go to open file and select a .bip file.

Using MeGa MoCap V2 with Poser for default figures:

The regular Poser MeGa MoCap V2 format files are in BVH format. You can use these files with Poser 3, 4, or 5.

The name of the files will indicate whether you should select a male, female, or child Poser figure.
File Naming Conventions
m = male f= female g = girl b = boy

For example, m_walk_limp should be applied to the Casual male figure.
f_sit_talk should be applied to the Casual female figure.
You can use any other Poser 3 or 4 figure, but for optimal results we suggest using the Casual figures.

IMPORTANT: Do not use the default male figure which comes up when you open Poser.
This figure is a Poser 2 figure and will not be compatible with the BVH MeGa MoCap V2 files.

Poser 3
" Select a figure that corresponds to the name of the animation file - a dialog box will open asking whether you want to keep the figure's proportions.
" Check the "Keep current proportions" box - then click okay.
" The figure will appear in the screen.
" Go to File > Import > BVH motion.
" Open the file you wish to import.
" A dialog box will pop up asking which axis to align the arms along.
" Select "Along X axis."
" The file will now import. Larger files may take some time.

Poser 4
" Select the figure that corresponds to the name of the animation file. A dialog box will open up stating that the current figure contains customized geometry and asking if you would like to apply this to the new figure type.
" Leave the boxes unchecked, then select okay.
" Another dialog box will open.
" Check "keep current proportions", then select okay.
" Go to File > Import > BVH Motion.
" Open the file you wish to import.
" A dialog box will pop up asking which axis to align the arms along.
" Select "Along X Axis."
" The file will now import. Larger files may take some time.

Poser 5
" Select the figure that corresponds to the name of the animation file. A dialog box will open up stating that the current figure contains customized geometry and asking if you would like to apply this to the new figure type.
" Leave the boxes unchecked, then select okay.
" Another dialog box will open.
" Check "keep current proportions", then select okay.
" Go to File > Import >BVH Motion.
" Open the file you wish to import.
" A dialog box will pop up asking which axis to align the arms along.
" Select "Along X Axis."
" A dialog box will pop up asking whether the motion captured should be scaled automatically or not.
" Select Scale Automatically.
" The file will now import. Larger files may take some time.

Using MeGa MoCap V2 with Poser for Millennium figures by Daz 3D:

These files are specifically configured and mapped to work with Michael or Victoria Millennium figures in P4 format. These files are not optimized to work with other models including the Poser default figures.

Select Michael 2 P4 or Vicki 2 P4 from The Figures > Daz People menu.
*Important* make sure you select the P4 version. These files may not load properly with other versions.
Follow the same procedure as for Poser 4 or 5 above, depending on the version you are working on

Known Limitations with MeGa Mocap and Poser Millennium figures:

MeGa MoCap is specifically mapped to the Michael 2 P4 and Vicki 2 P4 figures. Motion will not map correctly to the non P4 versions of these models.

Motion data is not mapped to Poser figures' fingers, however motion may transfer hierarchically down the child joints of a figure. This may result in hands with no finger movement but slightly curled fingers in some animations.

Contact Credo Interactive Inc.

email: info@charactermotion.com
web: www.charactermotion.com
telephone: 1.604.291.6717
fax: 1.604.291.7484

snail mail:
321 Water Street, Suite 503
Vancouver, BC V6B 1B8
Canada.


Copyright © 2004 Credo Interactive Inc.

Life Forms, MeGa MoCap V2 and PowerMoves are trademarks of Credo Interactive Inc.
All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.