AXYZ People help

[Devin Johnston]

I purchased some of those AXYZ pre rigged people from AXYZ Design and I'm having a difficult time working them into my animations. I can attach the mocap data to the models and play the animation when I'm working with a single character, but the minute I bring one of them into an animation that I'm working on the freak out on me and the geometry of the people deforms, it's really crazy they look like monsters! Does anyone have any experience with these people and the mocap data?

[mtutaj]

If I remember correctly, it is because of the units. I'll have to look when I get back to my office.

 

Mike

[Devin Johnston]

Thanks Mike that would really help me out! The instructions that come with the AXYZ people aren't very instructive.

[thatch]

This might help you out http://www.cgarchitect.com/vb/20188-3d-people-3dmax-units-issue.html

[Devin Johnston]

Well I tried what was mentioned in that thread but it didn't make any difference, I'm trying to get an answer from AXYZ right now but that may take a while.

[skala67]

I have always gotten a response within 24 hours from Diego at AXYZ. Let us know what you find out.

 

cheers,

[Devin Johnston]

The problem I was having was the models weren't scaled properley. Also when merging these models into a scene that is already animated you have to wait to add the mocap data until after they have been merged and moved into the location you want them.

 

SCALE CHARACTERS:

 

1 Meters = 39.3700787 inches

 

1) Open a model

2) Go to Customize and select units setup.

3) Set Display unit scale and System unit setup in Feet.

4) Select character's root. For example CManXXX-Bip.

5) Go to Motion and in the Biped menu select "FIGURE MODE"

6) Inside "Structure" menu you can modify character's height.

If character is 1,788m you must enter 70,39 inches.

7) Save character.

8) You can now merge it into your scene withought problems.

 

NOTES:

With Max 6.0 you may have some problems with character's necks.

To solve this you have to:

1) Go to Display and select unhide all.

2) Select biped's neck

3) Go to Motion and in the Biped menu select "FIGURE MODE".

4) Move your neck to the correct position.

 

MOVING CHARACTERS: (See attached images)

The best way to move and rotate characters is creating a group.

 

a) Select mesh and all bones and create a group.

b) Open group and load mocap data.

c) Close group.

d) Use move and rotate tools to place the character to the desire place

[axyzdesign]

Hi everyone!

 

I will explain you in some steps how to scale models into inches

and then move them into your projects.

 

SCALE CHARACTERS:

 

1 Meters = 39.3700787 inches

 

1) Open a model

2) Go to Customize and select units setup.

3) Set Display unit scale and System unit setup in Feet.

4) Select character's root. For example CManXXX-Bip.

5) Go to Motion and in the Biped menu select "FIGURE MODE"

6) Inside "Structure" menu you can modify character's height.

If character is 1,788m you must enter 70,39 inches.

7) Save character.

8) You can now merge it into your scene withought problems.

 

NOTES:

 

With Max 6.0 you may have some problems with character's necks.

To solve this you have to:

 

1) Go to Display and select unhide all.

2) Select biped's neck

3) Go to Motion and in the Biped menu select "FIGURE MODE".

4) Move your neck to the correct position.

 

MOVING CHARACTERS:

 

The best way to move and rotate characters is creating a group.

 

a) Select mesh and all bones and create a group.

b) Open group and load mocap data.

c) Close group.

d) Use move and rotate tools to place the character to the desire place.

 

Regards,

 

Diego Gadler

aXYZ design

[Tim Woods]

i have used axyz people for loads of massive aniamtions, up to 200 people at once. The key to sucess is point cache the meshes and bin the skeleton. Makes for much easier scene construction. And you dont get massive file bloat as the point cache files are saved and can be reused.

 

hope that helps/

 

[Devin Johnston]

The key to sucess is point cache the meshes and bin the skeleton.

 

Please explain this, I have no idea what this means or how to do it.

[Tim Woods]

ok. work on them as singles. add the mocap, add the extra layers to the animation, or how ever you work really. add point cache modifier onto the mesh, select a path, record the motion. delete the biped.

Then you have a character you can instance, move, scale, re-use. Just dont remove the the point cache modifier.

 

max 9 has even more controls on point cache, so i believe. pity im running 9 coz of p;ugin re-compile issues.

 

for people i have all the axyz peeps all with multiple motions, all baked out. all i need to do is merge them in bung them in positon and away you go.

 

one limitation is having to scrub to see where they go, but if you run the point cache start time backwards, you can watch the movement without even scrubbing. perfect when you have 100's of characters.

 

be warned tho, point cache files can take up alot of space, save them somewhere that wont get moved either, otherwise if you back a project up, then you will have to -repoint all the paths, which is a pain. but can be scripted.