This week, I worked on animating my character using motion capture. I chose mocap because it offers realistic movements, and it was also a skill I wanted to improve.
Switching to Rokoko Mocap
For this project, I decided to use Rokoko for mocap. Last term, I used VICON, but it didn’t work well for me, so I wanted to try something new. Roos guided me through the Rokoko setup, which was a smooth process.
I asked my best friend and flatmate to act out the motions for me. This was important because I needed to observe the performances from an outside perspective and ensure they matched the story. I showed her my previs and storyboards before we began, and we spent about 2–3 hours recording the movements. We also tried recording face mocap data, even though I didn’t use it in this project.
Processing the Data in Maya
After recording, I imported the mocap data into Maya. Using HumanIK, I mapped the mocap to a simple rig I had prepared for my character. The retargeting process included:
- Importing the Rokoko data into Maya.
- Setting up the source skeleton and linking it to my character’s rig using HumanIK.
- Adjusting the motion to align correctly with the character.
- Baking the animation onto the rig for final use.
Refining and Integrating the Animation
Once the data was retargeted, I referenced the animations into my scenes. I used animation layers in Maya to clean up the motions and ensure they fit the context of each shot. This step was time-consuming but essential for making the animations look polished.
Using Rokoko mocap allowed me to create natural movements that enhanced the overall quality of the animation. It was a valuable process, and I learned a lot along the way.
