Programming and animation

Retarget prop MoCap animation (+ Video tutor)

Actor is rarely recorded in splendid isolation, usually in the hand he holds an object, which is called the prop. This object has its own set of markers, often three is enough, and these markers are moving close to the actor. But the difficulty begins when the actor retarget into a character who has a totally different scale and proportion. And here, if for parts of the body retarget you can do automaticly, then, for all the additional facilities will have to do everything “by hands”. Although if you look at action space property in the character settings, there appears counted on the scale of the character to an actor.

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Моя первая публикация

This article is not avaliable in english.

Недавно нашел у себя на компьютере весьма памятный мне материал – текст брошюры, которая продавалась в моем городе на рынке в книжной лавке.  Это был октябрь 2000 года и мне тогда было 14 лет отроду.

Материал был написан на основе своего опыта работы с библиотекой OpenGL и разработкой проекта “Автомобиль в движении”. Как это всё было тогда наивно, но по своему загадочно и величественно на то время. В общем это было начало начал так сказать.

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OpenGL вне зависимости от платформы или SDL

This article is avaliable only in russian.

В виду того, что статья OpenGL для Win32 пользуется популярностью, я решил выложить еще несколько глав из когда-то намечавшейся книги по OpenGL и компьютерной графике. Материал еще имеет определенную актуальность, особенно для начинающих.

OpenGL – открытая графическая библиотека для работы с двухмерной и трехмерной графикой. Главной особенностью можно считать то, что она поддерживается практически всеми операцинными системами. Тем самым давая возможность обладателям Windows, Linux, MacOs и др. операционных систем творить свои трехмерные шедевры, в отличие от DirectX, который написан только под Windows. Однако в каждой операцинной системе инициализация OpenGL проводится по своему. Я мог бы конечно рассказать вам об этом, но главная цель моей книги – это показать новые возможности OpenGL с использованием современных видеокарт, поэтому для инициализации мы будем использовать библиотеку SDL. Это кросс платформенный мультимедийный API или иными словами, с помощью этой библиотеки мы сможем, будь-то Windows, Linux или MacOS, работать с графикой, клавиатурой и мышкой, таймером, событиями и т.д. Так что изучение OpenGL  не будет зависеть от выбора операционной системы.

Для начала ознакомимся с этой библиотекой и её возможностями. Я расскажу только о том, что нам потребуется в дальнейшей работе.

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Fixing Feet Sliding

I want to tell about quite popular issue of the MoCap animation – feet sliding effect, and how to fix it in MotionBuilder by several ways.

First of all, through the algorithm of feet stabilization and feet contact on the floor, and of course through self-editing by hand.

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OR SDK and STL string

OR SDK and STL string together generate 118 errors when compiling from error C2365: ‘operator new’: redefinition; previous definition was ‘function’

It seems that there is no reason to combine them, because in the OR SDK there is a class for the string – FBString. However, such a challenge comes when you want to connect third-party libraries or own development, often it’s all tied to the STL string and get rid of that there is no possibility.

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Labelator – rename your skeleton’s markers

Labelator – is a special helper object, which stores the names of objects around them by their spatial arrangement. 

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Some notes about constraints in ORSDK

Constraints have a very useful opportunity to update the position of objects in the evaluation thread. For example, I have a plug manipulator, which manages a set of objects in the scene. On the one hand could simply ask the object location like SetVector for each object. But first, it will be on thread in the drawing, and secondly, my plug-in performs the action in time.

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Free 2-day MotionBuilder SDK Training in San Francisco

The Autodesk Developer Network is offering a free 2-day MotionBuilder SDK training at Games Developer Conference (GDC) in San Francisco on March 9 and 10, 2010. This is a rare opportunity to work in a small class room environment with very knowledgeable instructors on the Media & Entertainment product of your choosing. The unique opportunity allows you to dive into the inner workings of the software, and come out with a strong fundamental knowledge of their architecture to see and understand how you can utilize and benefit from the API’s/SDK’s of these powerful software’s. For more details, go to the following links:

MotionBuilder SDK Training Description and Agenda

Register here for MotionBuilder SDK

Markers renamer script by the UIBuilder

Utility to rename a set of markers. Was used in the production for the standardization of naming a set of markers of diverse sources mocap data. In particular, if the animation shot with the same person, it is not necessary for each of them to do different MoBu Actor, it is enough to observe the unity of naming markers and can be combined animation with the scene had once trained actor.

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Real powerfull alternative to the desktop

When working with the desktop want more: more tools to the organization, more dynamics, effects. Any additional utilites like stickers, assistants and others are beginning to clog the taskbar, and eventually get rid of them … they lack the lightness. And finally caught me truly worthy contender to replace the desktop – Bump top. I have installed him and he was free to fit into the work. Not even have to get used to how it was with all sorts of variations on the theme of “3D desktop”. One of those products that are made with taste and made beautiful and qualitatively.

Official website of the Bump top