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Amazing animation editor!

stringtheory9stringtheory9 Posts: 411
edited December 1969 in Art Studio

I just discovered this software and it looks amazing. It lets you splice and combine BVH files and mix and match any bones combination while fixing joint offsets and more. It has a mapping function so you can map (retarget) any skeleton into a format that actually works in Carrara (or your favorite 3D software)! It fixes foot sliding along with a host of other issues. You can even add a sountrack for timing and video for rotoscoping. I'm just getting into it so just scratching the surface right now but it has extensive documentation so there isn't too much guess work. This could be the animator/cleanup dream tool!

It's free, runs on Mac or PC and there are a ton of animations that can be downloaded from the site.

Enjoy! http://charactermotion.com/products/danceforms/index.html

Comments

  • emms54emms54 Posts: 41
    edited December 1969

    Hi,

    Thanks for the hint. Have you tried it and exported an animation to DS ?

    Regards

  • stringtheory9stringtheory9 Posts: 411
    edited December 1969

    emms54 said:
    Hi,

    Thanks for the hint. Have you tried it and exported an animation to DS ?

    Regards

    Hi emms54, I haven't gone to DS but I have imported into Carrara and the results have been very good. I would imagine that they would be the same for DS as the DS BVH import routines are quite a bit more forgiving than Carraras.

  • emms54emms54 Posts: 41
    edited December 1969

    Ok, thanks again. I'll havé to give a try

  • wsterdanwsterdan Posts: 2,348
    edited December 1969

    stringtheory9 said:
    I just discovered this software and it looks amazing. It lets you splice and combine BVH files and mix and match any bones combination while fixing joint offsets and more. It has a mapping function so you can map (retarget) any skeleton into a format that actually works in Carrara (or your favorite 3D software)! It fixes foot sliding along with a host of other issues. You can even add a sountrack for timing and video for rotoscoping. I'm just getting into it so just scratching the surface right now but it has extensive documentation so there isn't too much guess work. This could be the animator/cleanup dream tool!

    It's free, runs on Mac or PC and there are a ton of animations that can be downloaded from the site.

    Enjoy! http://charactermotion.com/products/danceforms/index.html

    Thanks for the heads up, I used to use their Life Forms software many, many years ago with Infini-D, I'll have to check it out.
    -- Walt Sterdan
  • kaz42kaz42 Posts: 63
    edited December 1969

    Thanks for the link! I have iClone 6 for animation now, but this looks like a great tool for those that don't have access to iClone. And for those of us that do, the motion libraries they're offering for free are a great asset. That's a LOT of BVH to play with. :)

  • wolf359wolf359 Posts: 3,828
    edited December 1969

    kaz42 said:
    Thanks for the link! I have iClone 6 for animation now, but this looks like a great tool for those that don't have access to iClone. And for those of us that do, the motion libraries they're offering for free are a great asset. That's a LOT of BVH to play with. :)


    Same here I use Iclone and natural motion Endorphin
    I remember when this app was called lifeforms when I had a paid version on Mac OS 9

    I am Surprised to see it still around.

  • jaebeajaebea Posts: 454
    edited December 1969

    I used to use Lifeforms years ago too. But now I also have just purchased iClone 6 to work side by side with Daz.

  • argus1000argus1000 Posts: 701
    edited June 2015

    jaebea said:
    But now I also have just purchased iClone 6 to work side by side with Daz.

    I hope you have purchased 3DXchange 6 pipeline too. That's essential if you want to transfer your files (sets, figures and animation) to and from Maya, Motionbuilder, Daz Studio and iClone.. I couldn't do without it.
    Post edited by argus1000 on
  • jaebeajaebea Posts: 454
    edited December 1969

    I plan on it but am been overwhelmed with vet bills right now. As soon as I am on my feet again, I will be getting it. I purchased iclone 6 about 2 months ago and have been playing.

  • emms54emms54 Posts: 41
    edited June 2015

    As for me, I bought the full suit of Iclone...Including 3Dexchange...

    And so much for my money:
    - rigging Daz stuff is not easy, many issues for import. The procedure is really complex
    - importing back to daz is out of my possibilties, characters go crazy and distorted.

    I have accepted my 499 USD loss, and forget about it.
    Maybe if I could invest 3 full weeks of my time, I could make value out of it, but I am just a newbie working to make my living, so I don't have this time.

    :red:

    Post edited by emms54 on
  • argus1000argus1000 Posts: 701
    edited December 1969

    emms54 said:

    - importing back to daz is out of my possibilties, characters go crazy and distorted.

    Have you tried to export only the animation from iClone as a BVH? That's what iClone is good for: animation. You can easily import that in Daz Studio.
  • emms54emms54 Posts: 41
    edited December 1969

    argus1000 said:

    Have you tried to export only the animation from iClone as a BVH? That's what iClone is good for: animation. You can easily import that in Daz Studio.

    Yes I did, and I followed a tuto, importind Daz Character to iClone, and back to Daz. Result showed strange movements of the legs and arms, I gave up after a week-end of misadventure.
  • argus1000argus1000 Posts: 701
    edited June 2015

    emms54 said:
    Yes I did, and I followed a tuto, importind Daz Character to iClone, and back to Daz. Result showed strange movements of the legs and arms, I gave up after a week-end of misadventure.

    If you used V4/M4, you may have made a mistake re-targeting the figure to get it ready import in iClone. If you have used Genesis, which is re-targeted automatically, then I don't know where the problem lies. For me, a great help was watching the 3DXchange training DVD ($30).
    http://www.reallusion.com/event/12-3DXchange5_training_dvd/default.html
    Most of the animation in my movie "Trance" (below) was made of BVHs made in iClone with motion puppet (walk designer) and imported in Daz Studio.
    Post edited by argus1000 on
  • Hermit CrabHermit Crab Posts: 841
    edited December 1969

    I hope you don't give up emms54, after paying for this software. Unfortunately I don't have Pipeline but Argoss1000 does great work with these tools.

    Being busy with other things in life recently I've lost track with all that iclone can do. But maybe it is the character you're working with that has been the problem as Argoss suggested. I think its only recently that Genesis2 could be used in 3dXchange also.

  • emms54emms54 Posts: 41
    edited December 1969

    Thank you for the encouragements, I'll get back to it when I find time.
    I have posted my work, composed on Daz3D + After Effect, on my website.

  • cobuspcobusp Posts: 303
    edited December 1969

    Cool, thank you!

  • kaz42kaz42 Posts: 63
    edited December 1969

    I downloaded all their stuff a week or two ago, then my hard drive crashed. I've been trying for a few days to get back on for another copy, and keep getting a Bandwidth Exceeded error from their site. Anyone know if they're just gone now, or when they will be back up?

    And since they were offering all this as freeware now (I can't check the website to see their exact licensing), any chance one of you that got it could check the license in the download for redistribution rights and put it up somewhere public? :D I was hoping to get some of these anims into iClone 6 this week while I had off work, but their website has thwarted me.

This discussion has been closed.