Overview

This page provides instructions on how to use the OptiTrack MotionBuilder Skeleton plugin. This plugin allows you to map Motive 6DOF Skeleton joint angle data directly onto a MotionBuilder character.

Before following the walkthrough below, please refer to Autodesk MotionBuilder Plugin page for initial steps for setting up motive and downloading the OptiTrack MotionBuilder plugin.

Motive Data Streaming Setup (Server)

First, you'll want to follow the instructions below to set up the data streaming settings in Motive. Once this is configured, Motive will be broadcasting tracking data onto a designated network interface where client applications can receive them.

Streaming Settings

Open the Data Streaming Pane in Motive's Settings window and set the following settings:

• Enable - Turn on the Enable setting at the top of the NatNet section.

• Local Interface - Choose the desired IP network address from this dropdown to stream data over.

  • Loopback

    • This is the local computer IP address (127.0.0.1 or Localhost).

    • Used for streaming data locally on the PC you are running Motive on that does not interact with the LAN.

    • Good option for testing network issues.

  • 192.168.0.1x (typical, but may be different depending on which interface is used to establish a LAN connection)

    • This IP address is the interface of the LAN either by Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

    • This will be the same address the Client application will use to connect to Motive.

• Transmission Type

  • For streaming over a Wi-Fi network, setting the Transmission Type to Unicast is strongly advised.

• Select desired data types to stream under streaming options:

  • Rigid Bodies - Enabled (required).

  • Skeletons - Optional for Skeleton tracking.

  • Markers (Labeled, Unlabled, Asset) - Disabled for HMDs (advised).

  • Devices - Disabled.

• Skeleton Coordinates

  • Set to Local.

• Bone Naming Convention

  • When streaming Skeletons, set to FBX.

MotionBuilder Setup (Client)

To get started, drag the OptiTrack Skeleton plugin from the Motion Builder Asset Browser tab > Devices into the Viewer window. This will create a dropdown menu called I/O Devices in the Navigator tab. Click the + button next to I/O Devices and select OptiTrack Skeleton. This will populate the plugin's settings tab if it hasn't already auto-populated from the drag and drop step from earlier.

Device Settings

• Local address - IP address of the MotionBuilder computer. In situations where multiple network adapter cards are present, select the adapter that is on the same network as the Motive application.

  • 127.0.0.1

    • This is the local computer IP address (127.0.0.1 or Localhost).

    • Use this loopback address if Motive is running on the same machine as MotionBuilder.

  • 192.168.0.1x (typical, but may be different depending on which interface is used to establish a LAN connection)

    • This IP address is the interface of the LAN either by Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

    • Use this if Motive is running on a different computer, but on the same network as the MotionBuilder computer.

  • 169.xxx.x.xx

    • This address is assigned when a DHCP server could not be reached.

    • This address can be ignored for our application.

• Server Address - IP address of computer that is running Motive

  • 127.0.0.1

    • Use this IP when both Motive and MotionBuilder are running on the same computer.

• Server Type

  • Multicast (default) or Unicast

  • Must match what is selected in the Motive Streaming settings.

  • Multicast is default and recommended.

• Pause Streaming

  • Pauses the live stream.

  • Useful when characterizing from a Live T-Pose

• Update Bindings

  • Use to update model bindings when the actively tracked models list in Motive changes.

  • Only necessary if the plugin has not automatically detected the tracking list change (e.g. if the tracking list change and data was not streaming).

• Auto-Characterize

  • Automatically characterize each generated Skeleton based on the scaled neutral pose of the performer.

  • It will create a new MotionBuilder character with the same name as the mocap performer/MotionBuilder Skeleton pairing.

Once the above settings are input appropriately, you'll want to click the box next to Online. This indicate whether or not Motive is successfully streaming to MotionBuilder.

• Online color indicator

  • Green - Connected and streaming.

  • Yellow - Connected but not streaming.

  • Red - Not connected or streaming.

• Live

  • Indicates to MotionBuilder that data is coming from a live source (checked) or from a recorded take.

• Recording

  • Indicates to MotionBuilder that data from this device should be recorded when MotionBuilder is recording.

Model Binding

The Skeleton Device plugin uses model binding to map Motive Skeleton data to MotionBuilder animation nodes. There can be multiple model binding templates in a MotionBuilder scene. The active model binding is indicated in the model binding combo box on the Device tab.

Automatic Binding Update

The MotionBuilder plugin monitors the tracking model list it is receiving from the server (e.g. Motive). If it detects a change in the tracking model list, it will automatically update the current MotionBuilder Skeleton list to match, creating new Skeletons when necessary, or re-connecting to existing Skeletons where possible, based upon the Skeleton/tracking model name. It will not remove existing MotionBuilder Skeletons.

Manual Binding Update

If the plugin is unable to automatically update the model template, you must update your model binding in the Skeleton Device plugin to a model binding that matches the tracked model. To do this:

1. [Motive] Change the actively tracked models list by checking/unchecking the desired asset in the Asset pane.

2. [MotionBuilder Plugin] Press the Update Bindings button on the Skeleton Device tab.

3. [MotionBuilder Plugin] Select a valid model binding in the Model Binding dropdown.

Auto-Characterize

The Auto-Characterize button on the Skeleton Device will automatically characterize each generated Skeleton based on the scaled neutral pose of the performer. It will create a new MotionBuilder character with the same name as the mocap performer/MotionBuilder Skeleton pairing. The advantages of using this approach are:

• Does not require Performers to be in T-Pose.

• Simplifies the number of steps required to map mocap Skeleton onto your rigged MotionBuilder character.

• Can result in improved retargeting results, if performs typically do not present a good T-Pose, since the characterization is on a scale neutral, or ‘zeroed’ pose.

Step-By-Step Example

Motive Skeleton Streaming Step-by-step

Recording Skeleton Data

The OptiTrack Skeleton device can record optical data to the current MotionBuilder take. Please refer to the Autodesk MotionBuilder: OptiTrack Optical Plugin page for steps on how to record from devices into MotionBuilder.

Playing Back Recorded Data

The OptiTrack Skeleton device can be used show live data or blend live data with a recorded take. Please refer to Playing Back Recorded Data section for steps on how to record from devices into MotionBuilder.

MotionBuilder Skeleton Character Setup QuickStart

One approach to quickly stream Motive Skeletons onto MotionBuilder characters:

1. [Motive] - Setup a streaming session as outlined above under Motive Setup (Server). Set Data Streaming > Bone Naming Convention > FBX. If this is not set to FBX, the plugin will change this automatically when connected to the server.

2. [MoBu] - Connect to Motive and create a model binding as described in Step-By-Step above.

3. [MoBu] - Make sure the Auto-Characterize feature is enabled under the OptiTrack Skeleton Device.

4. [MoBu] - Import a rigged model. Be sure rigged model is in T-Pose facing +Z.

5. [MoBu] - Characterize rigged model.

6. [MoBu] - Rigged Model Character > Input Type > Character

7. [MoBu] - Rigged Model Character > Input Source > Select a Motive Character from Step 2.

8. [MoBu] - Rigged Model Character > Check Active. Model should snap to Motive Skeleton position.

9. Begin streaming/playback from Motive. Rigged model should now animate with Motive Skeleton.

Overview

This page provides instructions on how to use the OptiTrack MotionBuilder Optical plugin. The OptiTrack Optical Plugin device allows to you to map motion capture (optical) data onto an animated character within MotionBuilder.

Motive Data Streaming Setup (Server)

First, you'll want to follow the instructions below to set up the data streaming settings in Motive. Once this is configured, Motive will be broadcasting tracking data onto a designated network interface where client applications can receive them.

Streaming Settings

• Enable - Turn on the Enable setting at the top of the NatNet section.

• Local Interface - Choose the desired IP network address from this dropdown to stream data over.

  • Loopback

    • This is the local computer IP address (127.0.0.1 or Localhost).

    • Used for streaming data locally on the PC you are running Motive on that does not interact with the LAN.

    • Good option for testing network issues.

  • 192.168.0.1x (typical, but may be different depending on which interface is used to establish a LAN connection)

    • This IP address is the interface of the LAN either by Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

    • This will be the same address the Client application will use to connect to Motive.

• Transmission Type

  • For streaming over a Wi-Fi network, setting the Transmission Type to Unicast is strongly advised.

• Select desired data types to stream under streaming options:

  • Rigid Bodies - Enabled (required).

  • Skeletons - Optional for Skeleton tracking.

  • Markers (Labeled, Unlabled, Asset) - Disabled for HMDs (advised).

  • Devices - Disabled.

• Skeleton Coordinates

  • Set to Local.

• Bone Naming Convention

  • When streaming Skeletons, set to FBX.

MotionBuilder Setup (Client)

To get started, drag the OptiTrack Optical plugin from the Motion Builder Asset Browser tab > Devices into the Viewer window. This will create a dropdown menu called I/O Devices in the Navigator tab. Click the + button next to I/O Devices and select OptiTrack Optical. This will populate the plugin's settings tab if it hasn't already auto-populated from the drag and drop step from earlier.

Device Settings

• Optical Model

  • Specified the MotionBuilder "Opticals" model to map the markers to.

• Generate a new Optical model/Update the current optical model

  • Adds/updates the current Marker Set from OptiTrack to list of MotionBuilder "Opticals" model.

• Damping Time

  • Device damping time.

• Local address - IP address of the MotionBuilder computer. In situations where multiple network adapter cards are present, select the adapter that is on the same network as the Motive application.

  • 127.0.0.1

    • This is the local computer IP address (127.0.0.1 or Localhost).

    • Use this loopback address if Motive is running on the same machine as MotionBuilder.

  • 192.168.0.1x (typical, but may be different depending on which interface is used to establish a LAN connection)

    • This IP address is the interface of the LAN either by Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

    • Use this if Motive is running on a different computer, but on the same network as the MotionBuilder computer.

  • 169.xxx.x.xx

    • This address is assigned when a DHCP server could not be reached.

    • This address can be ignored for our application.

• Server Address - IP address of computer that is running Motive

  • 127.0.0.1

    • Use this IP when both Motive and MotionBuilder are running on the same computer.

• Server Type

  • Multicast (default) or Unicast

  • Must match what is selected in the Motive Streaming settings.

  • Multicast is default and recommended.

• OptiTrack Marker Set

  • The name of the OptiTrack Marker Set this optical is binding to.

• Marker Set Scale

  • The global scale factor to be applied to the marker data before mapping to the actor.

Once the above settings are input appropriately, you'll want to click the box next to Online. This indicate whether or not Motive is successfully streaming to MotionBuilder.

• Online color indicator

  • Green - Connected and streaming.

  • Yellow - Connected but not streaming.

  • Red - Not connected or streaming.

• Live

  • Indicates to MotionBuilder that data is coming from a live source (checked) or from a recorded take.

• Recording

  • Indicates to MotionBuilder that data from this device should be recorded when MotionBuilder is recording.

• Model Bindings

  • Unused.

• Device Information

  • Information about the status of the connection.

Step-By-Step Example

Motive Skeleton Streaming Step-by-step

Recording Optical Data

The OptiTrack Optical device can record streamed optical data to the current MotionBuilder take. Note that the looping feature in Motive must be disabled in order to record streamed data in MotionBuilder. The following step-by-step procedure can be used to record data:

Recording Optical Data Step-by-step

Playing Back Recorded Data

The OptiTrack Optical device can be used to show live data or blend live data with a recorded take. To playback recorded optical data, you need to tell MotionBuilder to disable live streaming.

Playing Back Recorded Data Step-by-step

Optical Data Namespace

When the opticals are generated, their naming conventions will be determined depending on whether the Organize Assets option was enabled under the Optical Device properties.

Organize Assests Enabled (default)

The device will generate optical data with colon ( : ) separator (e.g. AssetName:MarkerName), and all of the optical data will be organized under their corresponding root nodes.

Organize Assets Disabled

The device will generate optical data with an underscore ( _ ) (e.g. AssetName_MarkerName) and all of the optical data will be listed under a same optical node.

MotionBuilder Actor/Character Setup

The following guide is provided as a simplified process for working specifically with Motive, but this is not the only way. For the latest information on setting up and configuring MotionBuilder Actors and Characters, please refer to the MotionBuilder documentation.

To animate characters in MotionBuilder, you need to create the following data flow (or “mapping”):

Mocap Marker Data > MotionBuilder “Actor” > Skeleton Data > MotionBuilder “Character”

The Mocap Marker Data > MotionBuilder Actor step maps Motion Capture data (Markers) to the MotionBuilder Actor object. The MotionBuilder Actor object is a Skeleton solver that creates joint angles from Marker data.

The MotionBuilder “Actor” > Skeleton Data > MotionBuilder “Character” step is specific to MotionBuilder, and this pipeline maps the MotionBuilder Actor Skeleton onto your final character Skeleton. This step requires a “rigged” character. Refer to the MotionBuilder help for detailed information on this process.

Actor Setup (Mocap Marker Data > MotionBuilder "Actor")

There are 3 ways to create a Motive Marker Set > MobBu Actor mapping.

1. Create a new marker map from scratch.

2. Import a Motive exported FBX Ascii file.

3. Auto-create an actor from the Motive stream.

1. Create a new marker map from scratch

1. Create OptiTrack Optical device

2. Connect to Motive

3. Generate Opticals

4. Stream a frame of T-Pose data from Motive

   • You should see the Opticals in the MotionBuilder 3D viewer

5. Create MB Actor

6. Fit MB Actor to Opticals

7. Create an Optical > Marker Set > Actor mapping:

   • Import existing mapping

     • Actor > Marker Set > Import > OptiTrack HIK file

     • Drag all opticals (incl root) onto Actor’s “Reference Cell”

   • Create a new mapping:

     • Actor > Marker Set > Create

     • Drag individual opticals to Actor segments

8. Activate Actor (Actor > Activate)

   • Actor snaps to marker cloud pose

   • Actor should now be animating in Viewer

2. Import Existing Marker Map (from File)

Option 1: Restore Marker Set from HIK file

1. [MoBu] Import Marker Set definition (.hik file)

2. [MoBu] Connect to Motive

3. [MoBu] Generate Opticals

4. [Motive] Stream a T-Pose frame of data into MotionBuilder

5. [MoBu] Actor Panel : Drag Opticals to Actor Markers (Actor Prop Sheet > Reference)

6. [MoBu] Activate Actor (Actor > Activate)

   • Actor snaps to marker cloud pose

   • Actor should now be animating in Viewer

Option 2. Export FBX from Motive (Mobu 2017 and earlier only)

1. [Motive] Right-click on the Skeletons in the Assets pane and export Skeleton as FBX. Make sure the namespace separator is set to (_).

2. [MoBu] Merge FBX from Step 1 (File > Merge)

3. [MoBu] Connect to Motive

4. [MoBu] Select the OptiTrack Optical device in the navigator and access its properties under the resources panel.

5. [MoBu] Disable Organize Assets property to generate Opticals with underscore separators in its names.

6. [MoBu] Generate Opticals.

7. [Motive] Stream a T-Pose frame of data into MotionBuilder

8. [MoBu] Actor Panel : Select all of the streamed Opticals and Drag them onto the Actor Markers (Actor Prop Sheet > Reference). The names under the marker name sheet MUST match the Skeleton labels for auto-mapping.

9. [MoBu] Activate Actor (Actor > Activate)

   • Actor snaps to marker cloud pose

   • Actor should now be animating in Viewer

3. Auto-Create from Stream

The Optitrack MotionBuilder plugin can generate a MoBU Actor for you automatically.

1. Set the “Create Actors” property to true before bringing the Optical device online.

2. The Optitrack Mobu plugin will generate an Actor for each Marker Set in the Motive data stream, and correctly map the Motive Marker Set markers to the corresponding Mobu Actor.

Offline Workflow with Actor Binding

In order to workaround Autodesk's removal of support for FBX actor import, we recommend the following:

1. [Motive] Load a TAK file with desired assets

2. [Mobu] Use Optical Device to Create Actors over stream from TAK file.

3. [Motive] Export TAK data from Motive (FBX or C3D)

4. [Mobu] Import C3D/FBX into Mobu

5. [Mobu] Update Actor binding to imported C3D / FBX

Character Setup (MotionBuilder Actor > Character)

1. Do Actor Setup (Above)

2. Import a rigged Skeleton (File -> Merge -> Skeleton)

3. If Skeleton is not “characterized, characterize it:

4. Create MB Character (Drag onto Skeleton “hips” )

5. Map Character to Actor

   • Select Character -> Character Settings -> Input Type -> Actor Input

   • Check “Active”

6. Activate Actor (Actor -> Activate)

   • Skeleton and Actor should now be animating in Viewer

Unlabled Markers

Unlabeled markers are not commonly needed in the MotionBuilder workflow, but if needed, they can get streamed through the Optical Device plugin.

1. [Motive] Make sure streaming of unlabeled markers is enabled in Motive’s data streaming panel.

2. [MoBu] Under the properties of the Optical Device loaded in the scene, make sure Using Unlabeled Markers option is enabled and the Unlabeled Marker Limit is set to the maximum number of unlabeled makers allowed in the scene.

3. [MoBu] In Optical Devices, generate or update the optical model.

4. [MoBu] Unlabeled markers will show up as orange opticals in the scene.

Overview

Timecode for each captured frame can also be streamed into MotionBuilder using the plugin. When the timecode data is available in Motive, you can view the streamed data under the properties of the connected OptiTrack devices.

To monitor the timecode, select the connected OptiTrack I/O devices under the Navigator taband open the Properties tab of the Resources panel as the tracking data is being streamed to MotionBuilder. Among the properties, timecode values will be reported. This will be available for any type of devices (Optical device, Skeleton device, Insight VCS device) that is connected to Motive. Please note that timecode gets streamed out only if it is available in the capture. Timecode signal can be integrated to the capture data only when SMPTE timecode signal is fed into the camera system via the eSync synchronization hub.

• Timecode data is presented to MotionBuilder on each device with the following properties, which can be keyed during recording.

• Use the Timecode Key Interpolation property to set the interpolation method:

  • 0 : Constant (aka Stepping)

  • 1 : Linear

  • 2 : Cubic (MoBu default)

Timecode on Assets

In addition to timecode on each device, the Skeleton device also writes timecode onto each skeleton asset root as an animatable user property. This allows you to export that asset only, while keeping the original timecode.

The Skeleton Device Keying to Timecode

The Skeleton Device has the option of writing keys using the timecode contained in the Motive data stream. This requires:

• A timecode generator

• OptiTrack Ethernet Series only

• OptiTrack eSync connected to timecode generator and configured in Motive for timecode.

See the Timecode setup Wiki page for how to do this.

To enable keying to timecode, set the following Device properties:

• Use Motive Timecode

  • Check this property to enable timestamping keys using the timecode contained in the Motive data packet.

• Timecode Format

  • Use this property to specify the timecode format.

  • This must be correctly specified, and requires you to specify the format of the timecode generator that is connected to Motive via the OptiTrack eSync device.

MotionBuilder defines the following formats, and the numeric value to use for the property:

NTSC_DROP : 29.97 NTSC_FULL: -29.97f PAL_25: -25.0f FILM_24 : -24.0f FILM_23976: -23.976f FRAMES_30: -30.0f FRAMES_5994: -59.94f

Overview

The OptiTrack MotionBuilder Plugin is a collection of MotionBuilder devices, scripts, and samples used for working with OptiTtrack Motive data inside MotionBuilder. The device plugins allow users to stream Motive Live or .tak data into MotionBuilder. This page is designed to help you get started with the general download and setup process, and organize the three MotionBuilder plugin pages for quick reference.

For basic instructions on setting up a motion capture system, please refer to the Getting Started guide.

Included Plugins:

• OptiTrack - Skeleton

• OptiTrack - Optical

• OptiTrack - Insight VCS

Motive Data Streaming Setup (Server)

First, you'll want to follow the instructions below to set up the data streaming settings in Motive. Once this is configured, Motive will be broadcasting tracking data onto a designated network interface where client applications can receive them.

Streaming Settings

Open the Data Streaming Pane in Motive's Settings window and set the following settings:

• Enable - Turn on the Enable setting at the top of the NatNet section.

• Local Interface - Choose the desired IP network address from this dropdown to stream data over.

  • Loopback

    • This is the local computer IP address (127.0.0.1 or Localhost).

    • Used for streaming data locally on the PC you are running Motive on that does not interact with the LAN.

    • Good option for testing network issues.

  • 192.168.0.1x (typical, but may be different depending on which interface is used to establish a LAN connection)

    • This IP address is the interface of the LAN either by Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

    • This will be the same address the Client application will use to connect to Motive.

• Transmission Type

  • For streaming over a Wi-Fi network, setting the Transmission Type to Unicast is strongly advised.

• Select desired data types to stream under streaming options:

  • Rigid Bodies - Enabled (required).

  • Skeletons - Optional for Skeleton tracking.

  • Markers (Labeled, Unlabled, Asset) - Disabled for HMDs (advised).

  • Devices - Disabled.

• Skeleton Coordinates

  • Set to Local.

• Bone Naming Convention

  • When streaming Skeletons, set to FBX.

Plugins

OptiTrack - Skeleton

The OptiTrack Skeleton Device allows to you map Motive 6DOF Skeleton joint angle data directly onto a MotionBuilder character

OptiTrack - Optical

The OptiTrack Optical Plugin device allows to you to map motion capture (optical) data onto an animated character within MotionBuilder.

OptiTrack - Insight VCS

The Virtual Camera device is specifically designed for creating a Virtual Camera in MotionBuilder. You can use the Insight VCS device with standard OptiTrack applications such as Motive, or you can use the device in "Universal" mode, which works with generic MotionBuilder Optical or RigidBody objects, allowing you to use the Insight VCS device with alternative motion capture systems that support optical or Rigid Body devices in MotionBuilder.

Downloading the Plugins

After downloading the MotionBuilder plugin from the OptiTrack website, follow the steps below for a successful install.

Step 1. Installer Wizard

1. Double click the OptiTrack MotionBuilder Plugin .exe file to open the install wizard.

2. Once the install wizard is open click Next.

3. Then read through the End User License Agreement and select I accept the terms in the license agreement then click Next.

4. The next step is to select the version of the plugin that matches the version of MotionBuilder you have. Typically this should already auto-detect which version you have installed on your computer. However, if all have a red 'x', click the dropdown menu for the appropriate version and select This feature will be installed on local hard drive.. Then click Next.

5. Click Install _and then Yes'_ for the installation to begin.

Wireless Multiplayer Setup

When setting up multiplayer games on wireless clients, it is more beneficial for each client to make direct connection to both the tracking-server (Motive) and the game-server, rather than rebroadcasting the streamed tracking data through the game-server. Then, any of the game related actions that interacts with the tracking data can be processed on the game-server, and this server can send out the corresponding updates to the wireless clients. This allows the wireless clients to only receive both the tracking data or updates without having to send back any information; in other words, minimizing the number of data transfers needed. If wireless clients are sending data there will be a minimum of two transfers on the wireless network, and each transfer of data through wireless network is at risk of latency or lost packets.

Overview

The Insight VCS: Maya plugin is an Autodesk® Maya® plugin designed for live virtual camera work directly within the Maya® environment.

The Insight VCS plugin works in conjunction with Motive and the Insight VCS Controllers to provide real-time 6 DOF camera position, orientation, and virtual camera controls, including:

Insight VCS Features

Installation and Licensing

Supported Platforms

The Insight VCS Plugin for Maya works on the following platforms:

• Autodesk Maya 2011®, 32-bit for Microsoft Windows®.

• Autodesk Maya 2011®, 64-bit for Microsoft Windows®.

• Autodesk Maya 2014®, 64-bit for Microsoft Windows®.

• Autodesk Maya 2015®, 64-bit for Microsoft Windows®.

• Autodesk Maya 2016®, 64-bit for Microsoft Windows®.

• Autodesk Maya 2017®, 64-bit for Microsoft Windows®.

• Autodesk Maya 2018®, 64-bit for Microsoft Windows®.

Installation

1. [Maya] - Load plugin - Maya -> Window -> Settings/Preferences -> Plugin-In Manager -> InsightVCS -> Check

2. [Maya] - Start plugin - Maya -> Window -> InsightVCS

Licensing

The VCS:Maya plugin requires a valid Insight VCS:Maya license to run. This license is managed by your OptiTrack server application (Motive) and should be installed in the same license folder as that application.

Please refer to your order confirmation and/or Quick Start Guide for specific licensing instructions. Additional information on licensing can be found in our Licensing and Activation FAQ.

Using the Insight VCS: Maya Plugin

The following steps outline the basic process for virtual camera work using the Insight VCS plugin within Maya®:

1. Load a Maya scene

2. Create any Maya cameras that will be controlled by the Insight VCS

3. Connect to an OptiTrack data server for 6-DOF data

4. Select or create a "Controller Profile", which controls how buttons and axes on the tracking controller are used

5. Start laying down camera moves!

Connecting to Motive [Server]

Refer to the following step-by-step for bringing live mocap data in from an OptiTrack Motion Capture server application, Motive.

Connecting to the Mocap Data : Step-by-Step

[Motive]

• Create a Rigid Body from you tracking controller's markers.

• Be sure to orient your tracking controller down the -Z axis. This will be the camera's "Neutral" position.

Open the Data Streaming Pane in Motive's Settings window and set the following settings:

• Enable - Turn on the Enable setting at the top of the NatNet section.

• Local Interface - Choose the desired IP network address from this dropdown to stream data over.

  • Loopback

    • This is the local computer IP address (127.0.0.1 or Localhost).

    • Used for streaming data locally on the PC you are running Motive on that does not interact with the LAN.

    • Good option for testing network issues.

  • 192.168.0.1x (typical, but may be different depending on which interface is used to establish a LAN connection)

    • This IP address is the interface of the LAN either by Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

    • This will be the same address the Client application will use to connect to Motive.

• Transmission Type

  • For streaming over a Wi-Fi network, setting the Transmission Type to Unicast is strongly advised.

• Select desired data types to stream under streaming options:

  • Rigid Bodies - Enabled (required).

  • Skeletons - Optional for Skeleton tracking.

  • Markers (Labeled, Unlabled, Asset) - Disabled for HMDs (advised).

  • Devices - Disabled.

• Skeleton Coordinates

  • Set to Local.

• Bone Naming Convention

  • Set the appropriate bone naming convention for the client application. For example, if the character uses the FBX naming convention, this will need to be set to FBX.

[Maya]

• Open the Insight VCS Plugin panel by selecting Window -> Insight VCS from the Maya main menu.

[Insight VCS Panel]

• Set the IP address to match Motive's (i.e. 127.0.0.1 if running Motive and Maya on the same machine) using the Server Address Edit Box.

• Click the Connected Button. If a connection was made, the green indicator light on this button will change to bright green.

• Select the mocap source object from the Rigid Body Dropdown.

• Select the Maya camera to be controlled using the Maya Camera Dropdown.

• Click the Live Button to begin streaming data from the mocap Rigid Body to the Maya camera. If live data is streaming, the indicator light on this button will change to bright yellow.

You should now see your Maya camera moving within the Maya viewport:

Connection Settings

Virtual Camera connection settings are managed by the main interface tab on the Insight VCS plugin panel:

Controllers

The Insight VCS plugin supports any DirectInput compatible joystick or USB device. Controllers can then be configured to perform actions or control the camera using Controller Profiles.

Controller Profiles

Virtual Camera controls are managed by a Control-to-Event mapping system called the Controller Profile. The controller profile is configured in the Controller Tab. The Insight VCS plugin allows you to create and swap between multiple controller profiles, allowing you to create any number of custom button/axis configurations depending upon the scene, particular move types, different physical VCS controllers or HID devices, etc.

Profiles can be saved and then later swapped out using the Profile Dropdown. Profiles are saved into <VCS Maya install folder>\Profiles folder.

The VCS plugin ships with 2 default profiles:

• The 2 controller VCS Pro (<VCS Maya install folder>\Profiles\VCSProDefault.xml).

• The XBox based VCS Mini (<VCS Maya install folder>\Profiles\VCSMiniDefault.xml).

When the Insight VCS plugin is first launched, it will attempt to detect any compatible controllers. It will then attempt to match the detected controllers with an existing Controller Profile, beginning with the last used ("preferred") profile.

Profile Setup

The VCS plugin supports 2 types of controller inputs and 2 types of actions:

• Axis Inputs / Actions: Axis inputs are analog inputs and represent the range of values. This range has been scaled to [0, 1000]. Axis inputs can be assigned to Axis actions. PTZ operations (Pan, Tilt, Zoom) are good examples of typical Axis Actions.

• Button Inputs / Actions: Button inputs are the button inputs on the controller. These are “one shot” events that occur when the button is pressed. Timeline commands such as Play, Record, and Rewind are typical examples of “one shot” events.

Insight VCS Profile Grid Columns

Action Parameters

Some actions have parameters that modify the way they operate. The following tables list the axis and button actions, and how the parameter value for that action is interpreted.

VCS controller - Axis Actions

*Curve Type: See explanation below for a definition of the supported curve types.

Curve Types

When mapping a controller thumbstick axis to an animatable camera parameter (pan, zoom), you have the option of specifying how the Insight VCS plugin should interpret controller axis movement as a standard animation curve. Instead of modifying the value over time, however, the motion curve modifies the value over the controller span, from neutral/center position (0) to maximum position (Max). The following diagram describes this relationship:

The VCS plugin offers the following built-in curve options:

VCS Controller - Button Actions

Virtual Camera Settings

The Insight VCS plugin has several properties that can be used to customize its behavior. The Settings Tab can be used to set these:

VCS General Settings

Maya Camera Settings

A Maya Camera controls how you see the 3D scene. Maya's Camera object allow users the ability to model real-world cameras, including settings such as Focal length, aspect ratio, film format, etc.

Refer to the Maya documentation for more information on Camera Settings.

Other Resources

Insight VCS Support and Supplemental Documentation

Overview

This page provides instructions on how to use the OptiTrack MotionBuilder Virtual Camera Device (Insight VCS) plugin. The Virtual Camera device is specifically designed for creating a Virtual Camera in MotionBuilder. You can use the Insight VCS device with standard OptiTrack applications such as Motive, or you can use the device in "Universal" mode, which works with generic MotionBuilder Optical or RigidBody objects, allowing you to use the Insight VCS device with alternative motion capture systems that support optical or Rigid Body devices in MotionBuilder.

Before following the walkthrough below, please refer to Autodesk MotionBuilder Plugin page for initial steps for setting up motive and downloading the OptiTrack MotionBuilder plugin.

Motive Data Streaming Setup (Server)

First, you'll want to follow the instructions below to set up the data streaming settings in Motive. Once this is configured, Motive will be broadcasting tracking data onto a designated network interface where client applications can receive them.

Streaming Settings

• Enable - Turn on the Enable setting at the top of the NatNet section.

• Local Interface - Choose the desired IP network address from this dropdown to stream data over.

  • Loopback

    • This is the local computer IP address (127.0.0.1 or Localhost).

    • Used for streaming data locally on the PC you are running Motive on that does not interact with the LAN.

    • Good option for testing network issues.

  • 192.168.0.1x (typical, but may be different depending on which interface is used to establish a LAN connection)

    • This IP address is the interface of the LAN either by Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

    • This will be the same address the Client application will use to connect to Motive.

• Transmission Type

  • For streaming over a Wi-Fi network, setting the Transmission Type to Unicast is strongly advised.

• Select desired data types to stream under streaming options:

  • Rigid Bodies - Enabled (required).

  • Skeletons - Optional for Skeleton tracking.

  • Markers (Labeled, Unlabled, Asset) - Disabled for HMDs (advised).

  • Devices - Disabled.

• Skeleton Coordinates

  • Set to Local.

• Bone Naming Convention

  • When streaming Skeletons, set to FBX.

MotionBuilder Setup (Client)

To get started, drag the OptiTrack Optical plugin from the Motion Builder Asset Browser tab > Devices into the Viewer window. This will create a dropdown menu called I/O Devices in the Navigator tab. Click the + button next to I/O Devices and select OptiTrack Optical. This will populate the plugin's settings tab if it hasn't already auto-populated from the drag and drop step from earlier.

Device Settings

• Local address - IP address of the MotionBuilder computer. In situations where multiple network adapter cards are present, select the adapter that is on the same network as the Motive application.

  • 127.0.0.1

    • This is the local computer IP address (127.0.0.1 or Localhost).

    • Use this loopback address if Motive is running on the same machine as MotionBuilder.

  • 192.168.0.1x (typical, but may be different depending on which interface is used to establish a LAN connection)

    • This IP address is the interface of the LAN either by Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

    • Use this if Motive is running on a different computer, but on the same network as the MotionBuilder computer.

  • 169.xxx.x.xx

    • This address is assigned when a DHCP server could not be reached.

    • This address can be ignored for our application.

• Server Address - IP address of computer that is running Motive

  • 127.0.0.1

    • Use this IP when both Motive and MotionBuilder are running on the same computer.

• Server Type

  • Multicast (default) or Unicast

  • Must match what is selected in the Motive Streaming settings.

  • Multicast is default and recommended.

Once the above settings are input appropriately, you'll want to click the box next to Online. This indicate whether or not Motive is successfully streaming to MotionBuilder.

• Online color indicator

  • Green - Connected and streaming.

  • Yellow - Connected but not streaming.

  • Red - Not connected or streaming.

• Live

  • Indicates to MotionBuilder that data is coming from a live source (checked) or from a recorded take.

• Recording

  • Indicates to MotionBuilder that data from this device should be recorded when MotionBuilder is recording.

• Model Binding

  • Indicates the MotionBuilder Camera to be controlled by the tracking controller.

• Device Information

  • Information about the status of the connection.

• OptiTrack Connection

  • Indicates the data source is an OptiTrack server application.

• Universal Connection

  • Indicates the data source is a generic MotionBuilder RigidBody.

• Rigid Body ID

  • [OptiTrack Connection] Name of the OptiTrack server application’s Rigid Body to use for tracking.

• Rigid Body

  • [Universal Connection] Name of the MotionBuilder RigidBody to use as a position/orientation source.

Insight VCS Features

Creating a Virtual Camera Device (OptiTrack Server)

First you'll need to create the "neutral" or "zero" orientation of a Rigid Body

The “neutral” or “zero” orientation of a Rigid Body is the orientation when it is created in Motive. This will be the camera’s neutral orientation. In addition, for correct interpretation into MotionBuilder’s coordinate system, it is important you align your Rigid Body with the correct axis and coordinate system convention as follows:

• Point your tracking controller (e.g. VCS Pro) along physical volume -Z axis.

Step-By-Step

After correctly orienting your Rigid Body follow the steps below to continue with the setup:

1. [Motive] Create a Rigid Body from your tracking controller’s markers.

2. [OptiTrack Server App] Enable network streaming (make sure Rigid Body data is streaming).

3. [MotionBuilder] Drag the OptiTrack Insight VCS device from the Motion Builder Asset Browser Panel into the Viewer or Navigator window.

4. [Insight VCS Panel] Connect to an OptiTrack Server (e.g. Motive, Arena, TrackingTools) by clicking the “Online” checkbox. If the connection was successful and data is streaming from you OptiTrack server application, this box will change from Red to Green.

5. [Insight VCS Panel] Create a new MotionBuilder camera using the Model Binding dropdown.

6. [Insight VCS Panel] [Optional] If tracking more than one Rigid Body object in your OptiTrack server application, select the Rigid Body you wish to use as your tracking source using the Rigid Body ID dropdown on the CameraTracker device panel (Note: the camera tracker will automatically default to the first detected Rigid Body).

You should now see a standard MotionBuilder Camera moving within your 3D scene:

Creating a Virtual Camera Device (Universal Mode)

In Universal mode, a MotionBuilder Rigid Body is used to drive a camera position. This position/orientation information is merged with the VCS camera controls and applied to the camera's final state (position, lens settings, etc.). It is assumed the Rigid Body orientation matches the MotionBuilder default camera orientation (camera lens aimed down +X axis). For example, if streaming from Motive, create a Rigid Body in MotionBuilder from the optical data, with the camera lens aimed down +X in MotionBuilder.

Step-By-Step

1. [MotionBuilder] Create a Rigid Body or a Marker. For a Marker:

   • Create a bone (or some rigid element) from the geometry your 6DOF system streams into MotionBuilder

   • Create a MotionBuilder "Marker" element, and make this new marker a child of the bone

   • This new “Marker” marker should now have the same 6DOF value as the bone

   • . Use this “Marker” in the VCS universal dropdown to drive the 6DOF data of the VCS.

2. [Insight VCS Panel] Check the "Universal Connection" Radio.

3. [Insight VCS Panel] Check "Online".

4. [Insight VCS Panel] Create a new MotionBuilder camera binding using the Model Binding dropdown.

5. [Insight VCS Panel] Select the Rigid Body you created in step 1 using the Rigid Body dropdown in the Universal Connection group box.

Controllers

The Insight VCS plugin supports any DirectInput compatible joystick or USB device. Controllers can then be configured to perform actions or control the camera using Controller Profiles.

Controller Profiles

Virtual Camera controls are managed by a Control-to-Event mapping system called the Controller Profile. The controller profile is configured in the Controller Tab. The Insight VCS plugin allows you to create and swap between multiple controller profiles, allowing you to create any number of custom button/axis configurations depending upon the scene, particular move types, different physical VCS controllers or HID devices, etc. Profiles can be saved and then later swapped out using the Profile Dropdown. Profiles are saved into <VCS Mobu install folder>\Profiles folder.

The VCS plugin ships with 2 default profiles:

• The 2 controller VCS Pro (<VCS Mobu install folder>\Profiles\VCSProDefault.xml).

• The XBox based VCS Mini (<VCS Mobu install folder>\Profiles\VCSMiniDefault.xml).

When the Insight VCS plugin is first launched, it will attempt to detect any compatible controllers. It will then attempt to match the detected controllers with an existing Controller Profile, beginning with the last used ("preferred") profile.

Profile Setup

The VCS plugin supports 2 types of controller inputs and 2 types of actions:

Axis Inputs / Actions

• Axis inputs are analog inputs and represent the range of values. This range has been scaled to [0, 1000]. Axis inputs can be assigned to Axis actions. PTZ operations (Pan, Tilt, Zoom) are good examples of typical Axis Actions.

Button Inputs / Actions

• Button inputs are the button inputs on the controller. These are “one shot” events that occur when the button is pressed. Transport commands such as Play, Record, and Rewind are typical examples of “one shot” events.

Typical Insight VCS Controller Map

Insight VCS Inputs/Action Settings

Action Parameters

Some actions have parameters that modify the way they operate. The following tables list the axis and button actions, and how the parameter value for that action is interpreted.

VCS Controller - Axis Actions

Curve Types

When mapping a controller thumbstick axis to an animatable camera parameter (pan, zoom), you have the option of specifying how the Insight VCS plugin should interpret controller axis movement as a standard animation curve. Instead of modifying the value over time, however, the motion curve modifies the value over the controller span, from neutral/center position (0) to maximum position (Max). The following diagram describes this relationship:

Button Actions

VCS Controller - Button Actions

Run Script Usage

When using the Run Script action to map button presses to MotionBuilder scripts, be sure to note the following:

1. Scripts must be placed in the MotionBuilder scripts folder in order to be correctly located. For a typical MotionBuilder installation this folder is:

   • C:\Program Files\Autodesk\MotionBuilder 2014\bin\config\Scripts:

2. The RunScript Param is the filename of the script, including the .py extension:

Virtual Camera Device Settings

The Insight VCS plugin has several properties that can be used to customize its behavior. These properties can be accessed in the same manner as any other MotionBuilder object property, such as from the Asset Browser or from MotionBuilder's Python scripting environment.

MotionBuilder Camera Settings

A MotionBuilder Camera controls how you see the 3D scene. MotionBuilder’s Camera object allow users the ability to model realworld cameras, including settings such as Focal length, aspect ratio, film format, etc.

Refer to the MotionBuilder documentation for more information on Camera Settings.