Ready to Start Using MotionBuilder to Edit Mocap But Feel Overwhelmed?
Introducing
Motion Editing 101
Your complete step-by-step guide to transforming mocap into high quality, production ready animations for video games and crowd simulations...
Even if you've never used MotionBuilder before!
By the end of this comprehensive, hands-on course, you'll not only have a set of production ready animation clips and renders for your showreel like these👉
But also a framework for editing motion capture you can build on for the rest of your career.
Why MotionBuilder?
When it comes to editing motion capture, Autodesk MotionBuilder is the go-to software for professional animators and motion editors around the world.
Its real-time interface and powerful toolset have helped bring hundreds of characters to life at some of the world’s leading VFX, Video Game and Motion Capture Studios.
But Learning MotionBuilder Can Feel Overwhelming.
There's the steep learning curve getting to grips with MotionBuilder's unique user-interface and tools. Then there's the lack of documentation and tutorials, making it difficult to know what to do and when to do it. And finally, there's the typical "hands-on" learning experience most people get: in a studio, on a project, with a deadline…
On top of all that there's the motion capture, with its hundreds of keyframes, on every object, on every frame, for the entire animation. There are problems to fix, details to add, and a list of technical and artistic adjustments to make. And all this usually needs to “look cool” and be finished today!
This is Usually When Panic Sets In!
Suddenly, you're up to your neck in keyframes, FCurves and Animation Layers; wrestling with a Control Rig that doesn't seem to make sense; frantically Googling for answers, but only finding partial solutions, if any at all. Before you know it, you're deleting mocap and hand animating into the small hours, hating the idea of ever using mocap again.
But it doesn't have to be like this...
Introducing
MotionBuilder Fundamentals:
Motion Editing 101
Learn how to create the three essential types of animations every game engine and crowd simulation relies on: Idles, Loops, and Transitions.
In this practical step-by-step course, you'll create five production-ready animations that blend together seamlessly using the same motion editing workflow I've perfected over the last 20 years creating hundreds of animations for blockbuster films and video games.
I'll guide you through the entire process, from importing the mocap onto your character and selecting the best clips to use, to exporting and rendering the finished animations, so you always know exactly what to do and how to do it.
As we go, I'll explain everything I’m doing—my thought process, editing techniques, and the tools I'm using—to give you all the tips, tricks and techniques you need to overcome any challenges you might face.
You’ll work along side me using the same industry standard assets and workflows used in professional studios, giving you all the practical production experience, without the pressure of a project deadline.
By the end of the course, you'll not only master these three foundational editing techniques but also gain a comprehensive understanding of everything from MotionBuilder's user-interface to advanced motion editing techniques and workflows.
So, whether you're aiming to break into the industry, enhance your existing skills, or explore new animation techniques, this course will equip you with the knowledge and expertise to tackle your next MotionBuilder project with confidence.
Hi, I'm Simon Kay
Over the past 20+ years I’ve used MotionBuilder to help bring hundreds of film and video game characters to life at some of the world’s leading VFX, Video Game and Motion Capture Studios including DNEG, Sony and Centroid
Throughout my career, I’ve enjoyed sharing my knowledge with animators, students, and beginners worldwide, both in-person and online, through my blog and YouTube channel. So, whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, I'm here to help you master MotionBuilder and unleash your creativity.
Course Outline:
Make Scenes More User Friendly
Before we do anything, we'll add infinite undo's just in case we make any mistake!
Next, we'll increase the size of the floor grid, change the camera background colour, and create a real-time shadow to improve the way our scene looks and make it more user-friendly.
Know What to Expect From Mocap
We'll start with a detailed look at a typical mocap delivery file:
- How the data is usually delivered,
- The issues you might run into,
- Why they happen,
- What to do about them,
- The key concepts to understand before editing.
Then look at the cleanest way to import the data onto our character and identify and fix any problems.
Pick the Best Clips
Once we've imported the mocap, we'll select the clips that will give us the best results with the least work to create our 5 actions:
- Stand Idle
- Stand to Walk
- Walk Cycle
- Walk to Stand
- Sigh
And then use Story to accurately trim and align them in the scene ready for editing.
Create Seamless Blends
Next, we'll use Pose Controls to perfectly align our character in correct pose at the start and end of every animation.
And check the animations look good and "feel" right BEFORE ANY MOTION EDITING.
Controlling Character Controls
Understanding how MotionBuilder's Character Control Rig works is the key to transforming mocap to suit the character.
So, before we start editing, we'll look at how the different settings work:
- IK vs FK
- Keying Modes
- Pinning
- IK Blend T/R
Refine and Enhance
Now it's time to use everything we've learned so far to create our animations clips.
- We'll use Pose Controls to create clips that loop and blend seamlessly.
- Add Animation Layers to correct and refine the animation.
- Use the Control Rig to enhance the performance and add missing detail.
Reality vs Video Games
There's a difference between what someone can do in the real world and what a character needs to do in the game world.
So, using TimeWarp, we'll transform real-world motion into hyperrealist in-game animation and make the "Stand to Walk" feel more responsive, and the "Walk to Stand" cover less distance.
Optimise and Export Animations
Once you've finished motion editing, it's time to export the animations to maximise compatibility, storage, editing, and reuse.
Render Files
Last but not least, you'll render each animation ready for feedback or to add to your showreel.
We'll use HUD objects to "burn" some useful information into each render:
- Frame Number
- Frame Rate
- Take Name
- Artist Name
This way, everyone will know exactly what they're looking at and talking about.
Course Curriculum
- 23 Understanding Animation Layers (9:01)
- 24 Walk Cycle Plan Edits (6:20)
- 25 Walk Cycle Fix Foot-Floor Contact (20:17)
- 26 Walk Cycle Loop Action (15:25)
- 27 Walk Cycle Fix Foot Slide (28:12)
- 28 Walk Cycle Reduce Head Motion (6:18)
- 29 Walk to Stand Create and Apply Stand Base Pose (11:32)
- 30 Walk to Stand Fix Pose Transitions (17:41)
- 31 Stand to Walk Fix Foot Floor Contact (8:02)
- 32 Stand to Walk Paste Base Poses and Fix Foot Slide (6:34)
- 33 Stand to Walk Add Drive (12:58)
- 34 Stand Idle Paste Base Poses (1:37)
Introducing Mocappy's Academy Community
As a student, you’ll also have exclusive access to the brand new Academy Community. This is where you can connect with fellow students, share work, and discuss all things MotionBuilder, as well as find help, encouragement, and a motivational boost when things don't seem to be making sense.
Everything You Need IS Included
You'll be able to follow along with lessons using the same industry standard assets you'd use in a professional studio:
Characterized MetaHuman
A production ready, characterized MetaHuman female character file, just like you'd find in a professional studio. Including characterization, import and export groups, textures and shaders. The only thing left to do is import the mocap.
High Quality Motion Capture
A complete 43 second optical mocap walk, mapped to a MetaHuman female skeleton, ready to import on to the Kendra character, just like you'd receive from your mocap company or department.
Keyboard Shortcuts
A downloadable PDF you can print out for easy reference to convert MotionBuilder keyboard shortcuts to their Max or Maya equivalents.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What experience do I need?
The course is designed to be accessible to everyone, whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced animator. You do not need to know MotionBuilder, but a basic understanding of 3D software is required.
What if English isn’t my first language? Will I still be able to follow the course?
Every video lesson has subtitles and a step-by-step summary to make sure you never miss a step, tip, or hotkey
What if I don't know how to Characterize a Character or Retarget Mocap?
All the characterization and retargeting has been done for you. The course includes a fully characterized Female MetaHuman character, Kendra, and high quality optical mocap retargeted and ready to import onto the female MeatHuman character.
Why should I pay for this when I can find the content for free?
Good question! There are free resources and forums to help you learn MotionBuilder, so if you don't have the money right now, they're a great place to start.
However, this course is designed to give you a complete, start-to-finish, project-based workflow. You'll learn exactly what to do, why you're doing it, and the order you need to do it in to get the best results. Plus, you'll get all the relevant tips, tricks, and techniques you need to keep building your skills and confidence using MotionBuilder.
How long is the course?
The course is split into 45 lessons over 9 modules, with about 6 hours of in-depth video tutorials.
What if I don’t have time right now or something comes up later?
The course is designed to be self-paced, so you can binge-watch all the lessons on the first day, do one module a month, or come back when things calm down. And with lifetime access and no production deadline, it's the perfect stress-free way to learn how MotionBuilder whenever and however you want - across all your devices.
What isn't covered in the course?
This course focuses on the tools and techniques of editing motion capture in MotionBuilder. It does not cover the following topics:
- Optical Motion Capture Clean-up, Solving, with Actor
- T-Posing and Characterization
- Retargeting
- Prop and Environment Interaction
- Cut Scene or Shot Creation
- Live Streaming and Recording
- Python Scripting
See below for a full list of what is and isn't covered in the course.
What do I need to follow along with this course?
You'll need a computer and a copy of MotionBuilder. All the assets, character files, and motion capture data are included in the course and available for download from day one.
Plus, one of the advantages of MotionBuilder is that you don't need a supercomputer and top-of-the-range graphics card to take advantage of its real-time capabilities. You can find details of the system requirements here.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
If you feel like the course doesn't cover what you were expecting or you're not satisfied with it, just contact me within the first 30 days, and I'll give you a full refund.
What IS Covered in the Course:
✔️File - Open, Merge, Save As, Save Selected
✔️Motion File Import... (aka import skeleton mocap/animation)
✔️Viewer Window
✔️Character Controls
✔️Transport Controls
✔️Navigator
✔️Cameras
✔️Control Rigs
✔️Position Constraints
✔️Lights
✔️Live Shadow Shader
✔️Takes
✔️FCurves
✔️Story
✔️Key Controls
✔️Animation Layers
✔️Pose Controls
✔️Properties
✔️Asset Browser
✔️Groups
✔️Plot Properties
✔️Render… and Render Settings
✔️Setting and Preferences
✔️Interaction Mode - hotkeys
✔️TimeWarp
✔️Head Up Display/HUD Objects
✔️Trajectories
✔️Hotkeys
What IS NOT Covered in the Course:
❌Character Definition
❌Character Settings
❌Character Extensions
❌Actors
❌Actor Face
❌Character Face
❌Dopesheet
❌Animation Triggers
❌Filters
❌Sets
❌Camera Switcher
❌Handles
❌Animation Paths
❌Constraints
❌Materials, Video, Textures
❌Python Scripting