Creating iClone Character Motion using 3DS MAX Character Studio
Using the new released iClone3 3DS Max PlugIn, not only users can easily import any BVH (mocap) files into iClone3, also be able to take advantage of it's full power of motion editing: the biped animation system, key framing tools, layered motion editor, motion mixer, and workbench.
Here is a process on how to import BVH file into Character Studio, define multiple output clip files, and export motion to iClone withiClone3 Max Plugin. The same procedure can be applied to users who wish to create CS animation and export to iClone3.
Load iClone Character Studio Bone
Reallusion produces all iClone3 character animation using this CS Bone definition. This CS Bone is well aligned with iClone G3 male rigged bone in scale and size.
First please load Bone_CS.max file to 3D Studio Max.
Enter Character Studio Mode
Select the pivot of the CS bone, then click on the Motion Tab to turn on Character Studio mode
Load BVH Motion File
Load BVH file from "Load Motion Capture File" button.
Character Studio can automatically retarget different types of BVH files to Character Studio bone.
To keep the original mocap motion data fidelity, keep the default setting of Motion Capture Conversion Parameter as shown below for most cases. If users wish to use biped foot step for animation editing, please switch Footstep Extraction parameter to ON. Footstep extraction might slightly change the original motion.
After loading the BVH file, you may find the body scale has some significant change. It reflects the the bone scale definition stored in BVH file. No to worry at this point, this unexpected change can be recovered by saving the motion back to BIP (biped) format.
Save BVH File as BIP format
Now save the BVH animation into BIP (biped) format, this is the native Character Studio motion format.
Resume the iClone CS Bone with the correct bone scale
Before further animation editing, reload iClone's original CS bone to resume it's normal bone scale
Load the BIP Motion File
Edit Animation using Character Studio functions
Export Character Studio Motion for iClone3
Go File - Export, select the iClone3 VNS format
Define and Export motion clips in iClone3 3DS Max PlugIn
To export Character Studio BIP animation file, you need to select File Type: Character Animation, and check Biped option.
To export the whole motion sequence, please check Export Option - All. In this case the export file name would be 001.vns. You can also separate the whole animation timeline data into several motion clips. eg. motion01 = frame 0 to 200; motion02= frame 201-400, etc. Press Add button after you enter a new motion segment, it will add a new clip in the Clip List. If you want to change the value of certain clip, double click to highlight the target clip, type in the new name or value in the range area, and press the Update button to confirm the change.
When there are several clips in the list, iClone3 Plugin exports several VNS motion files with the corresponding clip names. Use "Export To" folder to define where you want to store motion files. Press OK to export all clips as files.
To compile a larger animation project which contains many motion clips, you can use the Save button to generate a text file which keeps the Clip List. Using an external text file to note the change of clip information can greatly simplify the clip editing works. Use Load button to load your updated Clip List file.
The format of the Clip List file should be as follow
#2 iClone3_CharAnimation_MClip
#Name, Start, End
motion01 1 100
motion02 201 400
