54

Chapter 54

Mapping Mocap Data to an Actor Face

2. Right-click in the Asset browser and select Add favorite path from the contextual menu (fig 54-1).

Overview
This tutorial guides you through the process of setting up a motion capture source for facial animation. The major steps of this tutorial are as follows: Preparing the Scene (page 1) Adding an Actor Face (page 3) Creating a Face Reference (page 3) Creating a Marker Set (page 5) Plotting Animation To Your Channels (page 7) Testing the Animation (page 7)

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fig 54-1: A. Select Add favorite path from the contextual menu.

3. In the Open directory dialog box that appears, choose the FaceActorMocap folder (created when unzipping the T54_Face_Actor_Mocap.zip file) and click OK. The FaceActorMocap folder is added as a favorite path in the Asset browser. 4. From the Asset browser, drag theHappy.c3d file from the FaceActorMocap folder (fig 54-2, A) into the Viewer window (fig 54-2, B).

Note: This tutorial does not explain how to perform basic functions such as translating models, playing takes, and navigating the interface.

Step 1: Preparing the Scene

In this step, you will add a favorite path for the tutorial folder in the Asset browser window. As a result, you will be able to access the tutorial files directly from the interface. 1. From the menu bar, select File>New, then select Layout>Editing. MotionBuilder displays a new scene using the Editing layout. This layout displays all the windows you need for your work in this tutorial.
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fig 54-2: A. Drag the Happy.c3d file into the scene. B. A contextual menu appears in the Viewer window.

5. In the contextual menu that appears, select C3D Import to import the .c3d file (fig 54-2, B).

MotionBuilder 6 Tutorials P r e p a r i n g th e S c e n e

The motion data loads in the scene. The blue optical markers that display in the Viewer window represent the optical motion data (fig 54-3).

The markers are smaller and easier to see (fig 54-5).

fig 54-5: Marker size is reduced in the Viewer window.

8. Double-click in the Viewer window to deselect the markers, then select the optical root (fig 54-6). You can reposition all the markers simultaneously by moving the optical root because the optical root connects the recorded data of all the sensors.

fig 54-3: Optical markers display in the Viewer window.

6. Spacebar-drag around the blue markers to select them. You may have to change the camera view.

Note: Make sure you do not select the optical root (C3D:optical).

fig 54-6: Optical root

9. In the Viewer window, press R to switch to Rotation mode then enter 180.000 in the Y Rotation field. The markers rotate 180 degrees to face the positive Z-axis instead of the negative Z-axis (fig 54-7).

7. Open the Properties window, then select Group All if necessary. Expand Marker Settings and change the value in the Size field to 35 (fig 54-4, A).

fig 54-7: Optical root repositions all markers when it is rotated.

10. Double-click in the Viewer window to deselect the optical root.

fig 54-4: Properties Window A. The Size field changes the display size of markers.

11. Select the markers, click in the Viewer window, and press F.

Chapter 54: Mapping Mocap Data to an Actor Face Add ing an Ac tor Face

The markers are framed in the Viewer window and are easier to see (fig 54-8).

Since you can have many Actor faces, it is good practice to rename them.

fig 54-11: Rename the Actor face. fig 54-8: The markers are easier to see when framed.

Step 2: Adding an Actor Face

In this step, you will add and rename an Actor face. The Actor face will eventually be connected to the mocap capture marker data imported in the last step. 1. From Templates>Characters in the Asset browser, drag the Actor face template into the Viewer window. In the Navigator window, the Actor Face settings display (fig 54-9).

Step 3: Creating a Face Reference

In this step, you will set up a Rigid Body to stabilize the head movement. 1. In the Actor Face settings, open the MoCap pane. The Mapping model and related options display (fig 54-12).

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fig 54-12: MoCap pane A. Mapping model fig 54-9: The Actor Face settings display in the Navigator window.

2. In the Scene browser, click the Lock button to keep the settings from changing in the Navigator window (fig 54-10).
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fig 54-10: A. Lock the settings in the Navigator window.

To help distinguish markers in the camera views, select a marker to view its name in the lower right corner of the Viewer window. You can also press Shift-N to find the marker called C3D:NOSE by name. 2. From the Elements folder in the Asset browser, drag a null directly onto the optical marker that represents the nose in the Viewer window (fig 54-13).

3. Right-click the Actor face in the Scene browser, select Rename, and type Happy MoCap. Press Enter to confirm the new name (fig 54-11).

MotionBuilder 6 Tutorials Creati ng a Face Ref erenc e

The C3D:NOSE optical marker displays green when you drag the null onto it. The null appears in the center of the marker and will act as a stabilizing reference for the face. This reference points in the same direction as the face.

6. Alt-drag the markers from the Viewer window into one of the RB Source fields (fig 54-16).

fig 54-16: Drag markers to define them as Rigid Body sources. fig 54-13: The nose reference points in the same direction as the face.

3. Double-click in the Viewer window to deselect the reference object. 4. Expand the Reference group in the Marker Set list (fig 54-14).

Note: Do not drag markers into the Reference field.

7. Click Overwrite in the dialog box that appears (fig 54-17).

fig 54-17: Overwrite the Rigid Body sources.

fig 54-14: Rigid Body source fields display in the Reference group.

5. Ctrl-click on the markers RLHD, RUHD, LUHD, and LLHD (fig 54-15) in the Viewer window. You can select these optical markers from the Viewer window using the Schematic view (Ctrl-W) or the camera views.

Overwrite replaces any existing markers, and Merge appends the new markers to the markers already in the list. In this case, you could use Overwrite or Merge since there are no other markers in the list. The markers appear as separate entries in the Rigid Body fields (fig 54-18).

fig 54-18: Markers appear in Rigid Body fields.

fig 54-15: Rigid body sources are selected.

You can also select the markers from the Scene browser. Expand the Opticals folder, then C3D:optical. Ctrl-click on the names of the markers to select them. Other markers can be used as Rigid Body sources, as long as they contain a minimal amount of movement. You can use from three to five markers as Rigid Body sources.

Chapter 54: Mapping Mocap Data to an Actor Face C r e at in g a Mar ke r Se t

8. Select the null you previously added, and Alt-drag it into the Reference field (fig 54-19).

3. Using fig 54-22 and the following table as cell references, select and drag the optical markers for the other parts of the face into the appropriate cells as indicated in the following table. Make sure to deselect markers once you have dragged them into the cells. If you drag a marker into a Mapping model cell that already contains markers, the new object is appended to the list of markers. Each cell can have up to five markers.

fig 54-19: Alt-drag the object into the Reference field.

The face reference is set. When you complete the Marker and play the motion data, the reference will move with the markers. 9. Double-click in the Viewer window to deselect the null.

If you need to delete a marker, select the marker in the left column of the Marker Set list, and press Delete. To delete all markers and the reference, click the title Model at the top of the Marker Set list, and click Ok in the dialog box that appears. Right Outer Eyebrow Right Inner Eyebrow Left Inner Eyebrow Left Outer Eyebrow Right Upper Eye Left Upper Eye Right Lower Eye Left Lower Eye Right Mouth Upper Mouth ROBR RIBR LIBR LOBR RUOE LUOE RLOE LLOE RMOU LUMO, RUMO LLMO, RLMO LMOU CHIN RLCH, LLCH, RUCH, LUCH

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Step 4: Creating a Marker Set

In this step, you will create a Marker set to associate the optical markers with the parts they control. 1. Select the left and right lower mouth markers, LLMO and RLMO (fig 54-20).

fig 54-20: Select markers in Viewer window.

Lower Mouth Left Mouth Chin Unused

2. Alt-drag the selected markers into the Lower mouth cell of the Mapping model (fig 54-21). The Mapping model displays the number of markers that affect each facial part.

fig 54-21: Mapping model with two markers in the Lower mouth cell.

MotionBuilder 6 Tutorials Creati ng a Ma r ker Set

A E G

B C D F H

A dialog box appears reminding you that the face must be in the rest pose and facing the Z-axis (fig 54-25).

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fig 54-25: Click Ok in dialog box.

7. Click Ok in the dialog box. MotionBuilder automatically defines the zone of movement for the facial markers.

fig 54-22: A. Right outer eyebrow B. Right inner eyebrow C. Left inner eyebrow D. Left outer eyebrow E. Right upper eye F. Left upper eye G. Right lower eye H. Left lower eye I. Right mouth J. Upper mouth K. Lower mouth L. Left mouth M. Chin

4. In the Mapping model, click the Lower mouth cell (fig 54-22, K) to make sure that the facial parts correspond to the correct markers. A green circle appears around the selected cell, and the Marker Set list displays the markers influencing that facial part (fig 54-23).

Note: You can scale the global movement using the bounding boxes that define specific zones for the mouth, eyes, and eyebrows. For example, you can scale up the bounding box for the mouth to decrease the range of movement.

8. To show the bounding boxes in the Viewer window, activate Display in the Regions area (fig 54-26).

fig 54-23: Selected cell in the Mapping model displays its markers in the Marker Set list.

5. Click each cell in the Mapping model to make sure that the correct markers correspond to each facial part.

fig 54-26: Boxes define the movement zones for eyebrows, eyes,

Note: To view all markers in the Marker Set list, click the background of the Mapping model to deselect all cells.

9. In the Rest Pose area, click Snap (fig 54-27).

fig 54-27: Rest Pose area after Snap is activated.

6. In the Regions area, click the Find button (fig 54-24).

10. Click Ok in the dialog box that appears. The starting pose of the face is set, and the mapping is activated. The Active option is automatically enabled, and the other options in the Regions and Rest Pose areas are disabled. To make any changes to the mapping, you must disable Active.

fig 54-24: Find button in the Regions area.

Chapter 54: Mapping Mocap Data to an Actor Face Plotti ng Anim ati on To Your Ch ann els

11. Open the Channels pane. The Use MoCap option should be active (fig 54-28, A). 12. Play the animation (Ctrl-Spacebar). The motion capture source drives the channels. The channel sliders move and show their active values, and the Preview pane shows the effect of the motion capture (fig 54-28).

1. Click Plot Animation in the Channels pane (fig 54-29, A).

fig 54-29: A. Plot Animation button B. Animate and Keyframe buttons are activated after plotting.

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The Plot Animation Dialog appears (fig 54-30).

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fig 54-28: A. Use MoCap is active, letting the motion capture data drive the channels. B. The Channel sliders move. C. The values change. D. The Preview model shows the effect of the motion capture.

Step 5: Plotting Animation To Your Channels

You are now ready to transfer the motion capture data from the source to the channels. Plotting makes the channels available for use in keyframing, Relations, Expressions, or in the FCurves window.

fig 54-30: Plot Animation dialog

2. Click Plot. The motion data from the optical markers is transferred to the channels. All Animate buttons for the generic channels activate automatically (fig 54-29, B), which means that you can now animate the channels.

Step 6: Testing the Animation

In this step, you will delete the optical markers and face reference from your scene to make sure that the animation plotted to your Actor face correctly and the optical markers are no longer driving your channels. 1. In the Schematic view, Spacebar-right-click the C3D:optical marker, or root, press Delete, then click Ok in the Deleting Model(s) dialog box that appears. All of the optical markers in your scene are deleted.

MotionBuilder 6 Tutorials Conc lusion

You no longer need the optical markers because they do not drive the movements of your character anymore. 2. Select and delete the null that was used as the face reference from your scene. 3. Switch to the camera views. Nothing displays in the Viewer window. 4. Play your take and observe the Preview model. The Preview model still moves as the take plays because the motion from the optical markers is now plotted to the Actor face channels.

Conclusion
In this tutorial, you learned how to import a motion file and add an Actor face, a face reference, and a Marker set. You also plotted data from your motion file to the Actor face channels. You are now ready to keyframe animation or create a Character face to define your generic channels.