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By 3dtester - 6 Years Ago
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Hi folks,
does anyone have experiences with a mocap setup using one of these Steam VR compatible headset and controllers?
Which tool(s) do you use? How much work is it to get the motions into iClone?
Thanks in advance,
3DTester
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By Kelleytoons - 6 Years Ago
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I have a thread here somewhere about the Vive -- do a forum search (using my name and Vive) and you ought to be able to find it.
Essentially I returned it and went with the PN suit. All optical capture systems have limitations and the less expensive have greater ones. In the case of the Vive feet slippage is a big problem -- if just upper body then I could recommend it (that or unless you can control your room VERY closely and use the 4 or more optical capture points. You can't do it in a house or normal room, as there are way too many bounce points to make it work properly. Perhaps an empty garage with cloth on the walls and some sort of tarp on the floor).
I'd go with a PN suit.
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By 3dtester - 6 Years Ago
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Thanks, your explanation sounds reasonable.
I do not have an empty room for doing mocap.
Besides that, it can't be used together with Live Face.
Only problem: the PN 2.0 and the Motion Live profile sum up to $ 2318 + taxes.
That is a huge investment for a hobby animator...
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By Keith_MPS - 6 Years Ago
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You can buy trackers to attach to your feet, as well, but it gets pricey: http://amazon.com/VIVE-Virtual-Reality-System-Tracker-pc/dp/B0748ZY323/
I, personally, haven't done any mocap with Vive tracking.
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By Kelleytoons - 6 Years Ago
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3dtester (1/11/2020)
Only problem: the PN 2.0 and the Motion Live profile sum up to $ 2318 + taxes.
That is a huge investment for a hobby animator...
Yeah. It's all relative, though -- my first quality 3D animation program cost me $3K for the software alone (this was a DOS program, the precursor to Autodesk Max, called 3D Studio). And that was, um, perhaps 20+ years ago (so 3K then is about equivalent to $10K more more now). Things have gotten a lot cheaper in a lot of things, even mocap (which back then was ridiculously overpriced and under working).
I'm guessing your young so in a decade or two things will be a lot more reasonable (and I won't be around -- so enjoy yourself!).
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By 3dtester - 6 Years Ago
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Kelleytoons (1/11/2020)
3dtester (1/11/2020)
Only problem: the PN 2.0 and the Motion Live profile sum up to $ 2318 + taxes.
That is a huge investment for a hobby animator...Yeah. It's all relative, though -- my first quality 3D animation program cost me $3K for the software alone (this was a DOS program, the precursor to Autodesk Max, called 3D Studio). And that was, um, perhaps 20+ years ago (so 3K then is about equivalent to $10K more more now). Things have gotten a lot cheaper in a lot of things, even mocap (which back then was ridiculously overpriced and under working). I'm guessing your young so in a decade or two things will be a lot more reasonable (and I won't be around -- so enjoy yourself!).
I may be a bit younger than you, but as you mentioned, things got more powerful and affordable in the meantime.
Spending $3k for a hobby is not something i am not used to, as i have had several hobbies (and no family).
That said, i always count on your opinion since i know you.
And i sincerely hope you will still be around in more than 1 or 2 decades, my friend!!
Thanks.
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By Kelleytoons - 6 Years Ago
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Thanks for the kind words -- I'm going to try and be around (just thinking now about getting my knee replaced and they say it will last around 20 years or so and I'm thinking -- yep, that's about right, don't need it to last much longer).
How much MOCAP I do is another question entirely (even now it's harder to get the motions I want -- one of my videos I had a viewer comment that the motions for the old people looked SO real and I was truly LOL as that's just... well, me).
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By rjj1234 - 6 Years Ago
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Hmmm. Sounds like a compliment both to your excellent mocap casting agent and the subtlety of the P.N. system!
Would you mind sharing which P.N. system you used?
Thanks!
/rj
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By diomkal - 6 Years Ago
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Hi,
I used VIVE with IKINEMA-Orion. And it was really very interesting in terms of price. Unfortunately, however, he no longer offers it. There is no more support.
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By Kelleytoons - 6 Years Ago
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rjj1234 (1/13/2020)
Hmmm. Sounds like a compliment both to your excellent mocap casting agent and the subtlety of the P.N. system!
Would you mind sharing which P.N. system you used?
Thanks!
/rj
I'm just using the PN 2.0 -- not the original version (which they no longer sell, I believe) but the lowest end version of what's currently offered. I actually have two suits, although with my wife's broken arm last year we have yet to do dual captures (I had hoped this weekend but time fell through -- perhaps sometime this week we'll see).
Although it comes with the gloves and fingers I don't use that setup anymore. It was just too difficult to work with with the gloves on, so I went with the fingerless gloves. You still get the hand movements, but not the fingers. I usually add these in either manually or with my Leap motion but it's not hard to do that way and I SO much prefer having the fingerless gloves so I can manipulate things (including the keyboard) so much easier. I have the case which supposedly keeps any magnetism from wonking it up, and I have to say that after a year the first suit still works perfectly (I can also put the thing on in less than five minutes now, without even hurrying -- the first time I put it on it took like an hour <g>. I highly recommend having someone help you with it the first couple of times until you get a feel for how it all goes together).
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By 3dtester - 6 Years Ago
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diomkal (1/13/2020)
Hi,
I used VIVE with IKINEMA-Orion. And it was really very interesting in terms of price. Unfortunately, however, he no longer offers it. There is no more support.
Yes, i read about the IKINEMA solution and that it has been discontinued.
Could you kindly tell me a little bit about how your workflow looked?
How much work was it to get the motions into iClone actually?
Thanks.
There is a free UE4-based mocap 'game' i read about somewhere here in the forums.
Anyone who already tried it?
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By 3dtester - 6 Years Ago
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Kelleytoons (1/13/2020)
rjj1234 (1/13/2020)
Hmmm. Sounds like a compliment both to your excellent mocap casting agent and the subtlety of the P.N. system!
Would you mind sharing which P.N. system you used?
Thanks!
/rj
I'm just using the PN 2.0 -- not the original version (which they no longer sell, I believe) but the lowest end version of what's currently offered. I actually have two suits, although with my wife's broken arm last year we have yet to do dual captures (I had hoped this weekend but time fell through -- perhaps sometime this week we'll see). Although it comes with the gloves and fingers I don't use that setup anymore. It was just too difficult to work with with the gloves on, so I went with the fingerless gloves. You still get the hand movements, but not the fingers. I usually add these in either manually or with my Leap motion but it's not hard to do that way and I SO much prefer having the fingerless gloves so I can manipulate things (including the keyboard) so much easier. I have the case which supposedly keeps any magnetism from wonking it up, and I have to say that after a year the first suit still works perfectly (I can also put the thing on in less than five minutes now, without even hurrying -- the first time I put it on it took like an hour <g>. I highly recommend having someone help you with it the first couple of times until you get a feel for how it all goes together).
That's very helpful indeed. I already see myself having trouble putting the suit on :laugh:
Are the fingerless gloves included in the standard kit?
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By Kelleytoons - 6 Years Ago
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Yes, they give you both sets of gloves, but in my case (at least) the fingerless set was way too small (they gave me a large glove for the finger glove and a medium for the fingerless). So for around $5 I just bought some from Amazon -- almost any would work but these ended up being nearly identical to what was supplied, including having the "roughness" needed to just stick the velcro straps on they supplied. I felt like this was a whole lot easier than trying to get them to supply the right size (although I think they would have -- support has been absolutely fantastic from them) in that I can easily replace them any time I want (the gloves are very light weight, if you can imagine as these are just cotton fabric -- plus my wife can wear the smaller size if need be).
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By rjj1234 - 6 Years Ago
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Thanks, Mike! Have to second 3dtester on his post in response to your reply. That is super helpful feedback on the PN 2 system -
AND the Leap Motion hand solution.
Much appreciated! :-)
/Robert
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By rjj1234 - 6 Years Ago
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Thanks, Mike! Have to second 3dtester on his post in response to your reply. That is super helpful feedback on the PN 2 system -
AND the Leap Motion hand solution.
Much appreciated! :-)
/Robert
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By Kelleytoons - 6 Years Ago
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Thank you, I appreciate the kind words.
Honestly, after using the PN for over a year now I have to say I'm sorry I waited. It's clearly the best mocap solution for the money -- I spent (wasted) a ton MORE money on other solutions (including using just about every possible Kinect solution out there -- and spending as much or more on those solutions). And the other thing I find is that you might not think you need a lot of mocap but it comes in handy even in very many casual animations -- there's almost nothing I do nowadays that I don't do some capture for. It makes life SO much easier than trying to edit motions provided by others.
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