Hello !
I was playing around with my kinect yesterday and tried to figure out how to use it for game animations. Found some good entry points on the web (like Reuben, AutodeskBlog) but I could not really get those infos to work in my favour.
So I jumped into a trail and error (and crash) session trying to get this going. Easily.
So it might not be very efficient or nice or smart nor beautiful but it worked for me. I then decided to share this and maybe someone can make use of it.
First things first. The list of inevitable requirements :
- Working Brekel Setup (brekel’s homepage)
- MotionBuilder
- 3D Max
- resistance to system faults
Step 1
Startup 3dMax.
Create biped. Use the structure and renaming convention from Reuben’s Tutorial 1.
Just do the structure stuff with the spines and so on.
These are my structure settings
Save it. NO need to export to MB !
Step 2
Startup MotionBuilder.
Drag the Brekel Kinect Device from the Asset Browser („Devices“) into your empty scene.
Startup Brekel Kinect Tool.
In here calibrate your kinect.
Back into MB click your created Berkel Kinect Device and thick the boxes
Online
Live
Record
Click the rollout under Model Binding and „create“

If Brekel is still up and running (and calibrated) you should be able to see your yello sceleton move.
Now stand in T-Pose and simultaneously click the Button (5) like in the last picture above. (Cordless mice 4tw).
Before you start capturing motion I would suggest to get comfortable with Berkel’s/Kinects capabilities of capturing. E.g. Speed of movement, overlapping limbs etc.
Although i had alot of crashes and calibration hang-ups while capturing. Just stay on target and don‘t get frustrated.
Step 3 – Start Capturing
To get MB capture your data you have to click those buttons :
When MB asks you what to do with the existing Take hit „OVERWRITE“
As soon as you hit the „play“ button MB starts capturing.
Do you moves. Play with it. Alot of crashes can occur in this time.
HINT: always do pauses between your motions. this will help you later on with cleaning up your motion in 3d max.
Step 4 – Get the whole stuff over to 3d Max
Once your done capturing turn it off -> hit the „play“ button again.
We now want to export our capture data in a usable format for 3d max.
In MB hit:
File -> Motion File Export
Choose BioVision .BVH as output and save it to your desired location.
[HINT: For backup purposes i would suggest to save the scene in MB as a fbx. ]
Step 5 – 3D Max Import madness
Startup 3D Max again.
Load the biped you created from Step 1.
Select the „Hips“ (the original „Bip001″)
Go to the „Motion“ tab
Be sure to turn off „Figure Mode“.
Further down the „Motion“ tab you will find a tab called „Motion Capture“
Hit „Load Motion Capture File“ choose .bvh as datatype. Browse to the location you just saved the .BVH in MB and hit „open“.
A dialog will pop up. Just leave the default settings.
Now in my case, the whole Biped got really messed up.
To fix this I went under the „Biped“ tab and saved a .bip of the scene (the bip of the biped ?).
Then i reloaded the Biped from step 1 and loaded the just saved .bip from the „Biped“ tab („Load File“)
1) „Save File“ -> blabla.bip
1-2) Reload your the max file with the structured/renamed biped from Step 1.
2) „Load File“ -> blabla.bip
You now should have a animated biped in 3d max for further cleanup.
HINT: Step 1. After structruing/renaming your biped you are free to rig and skin a mesh to it. I haven‘t done this yet but i guess this workflow should work with a skinned mesh as well.




