Motion Flow uses BIP files as clips in a script. The motion-flow script joins clips together using transitions. Transitions can be unconditional, they can be chosen at random, or they can be governed by rules such as collision detection. You can control when a transition begins and ends. Getting 3D Max biped.bip motion into MB for retargeting.Help Hello. 4/ Go to File-Merge in MotionBuilder and merge in the animation from the file exported from step 1 onto the characterized character that’s set to Control Rig Out. On Merge, choose option to merge animation onto Bones. 3ds Max is software for 3D modeling, animation, rendering, and visualization. Create stunning game environments, design visualizations, and virtual reality experiences.

||||||

• Pivot Painter Tool

Overview

(Click to view video)

Pivot Painter is a MAXScript that stores model pivot and rotation information in the model's vertex data. That information can then be referenced inside of Unreal's shader system to create interactive effects.

The motion shown, in the sample video, is generated in real-time using vertex shaders. Each blade of grass rotates and bends around its root. The trees branches and leaves form a hierarchy and animate around their individual pivots points, while inheriting the parent’s motion. The sub-objects rotation is stored as well, which allows for realistic dynamic reactions to wind forces.

Creating these shaders has been made much simpler with the recent addition of the Pivot Painter material functions in the January 2012 UDK. Sample content also helps by showing how an animation, like the one featured above, can be generated. Retrieving sub-object pivot points is now simply a matter of processing a mesh in 3D Studio Max with the Pivot Painter script, importing the file and creating a material using the Pivot Painter functions. The material functions contain pivot point outputs for both two level hierarchies and single level hierarchies.

Creating motion this way has its benefits. A model processed using this technique is only 18% larger in terms of memory than a standard static mesh. Animations are far less expensive than skeletal animations because they do not need to be stored as they are calculated on the fly. Vertex shader instruction counts are generally less of a performance concern than pixel instruction counts, due to the number of vertices on a model compared to the number of pixels on the screen.

The example shaders in the link below are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what is possible. Experimenting with the information available may entice one to explore the other possible uses. Player interaction, interesting wind sources, non-foliage related motion and other effects are all possible when given access to sub-object level information.

Installation

The Pivot Painter script is available in the UE3 directory at the following location: [UE3Directory]/Engine/Extras/3dsMaxScripts/PivotPainter.ms

You can also download the Pivot Painter script directly: PivotPainter.ms (right-click, save as to download)

This video covers installing the script and creating a keyboard shortcut and menu to open the Pivot Painter tool.

(Click to view video)

Prep Tools

This video will cover the 'Prep Tools' section of the script as well as workflow tips and information about the overall process. Prep Tools contains options to detach model elements as separate objects and several tools to help create new pivot points easily.

(Click to view video)

Hierarchy Painter

This video covers the 'Hierarchy Painter' segment of the script. This portion of the tool is used to store child parent relationships like the relation between a branch and leaf for instance, as well as the model pivot and rotation information in the meshes.

(Click to view video)

Per Object Painter

This video goes over the options available under the 'Per Object Painter' script section. It also discusses some of the possible uses and some information about how the data is stored on the model.

(Click to view video)

Unreal Shader Examples

A map and package containing material and scene setup for trees and grass using the Pivot Painter tool can be found in your UE3 directory.

• [UE3Directory]/UDKGame/Content/TestPackages/UDNExamples/PivotPainterExamples.upk
• [UE3Directory]/UDKGame/Content/Maps/Examples/PivotPainter_Examples.udk

3D Studio Max Example File

The file contains a copy of the tree used in the video tutorials.

• Tree.max (right-click, save as to download)

Requirements

• 3D Studio Max - The script has been tested using 3D Studio Max versions 2010 and 2012.
• The Pivot Painter material functions (available starting with January 2012). It is possible to use the script without the functions but they make the data far easier to use.

Model and Material

This session describes supported model and material format you can create in 3ds Max then export for iClone3.

Mesh Model

The exporter can process all kind of mesh models including primitives, polygon meshes, quad meshes and triangle meshes. However, they will be all converted into triangle faces in iClone model format. It's always a good practice to convert the model into Editable Mesh or Editable Poly before exporting.

Material

iClone3 support the following material parameters and map types:

Material Type	Basic Parameters	Maps
Standard Material Multi/Sub-Object Blend Material (4 maximum)	Ambient Color Diffuse Color Specular Color Self Illumination Opacity Specular Level Glossiness 2-sided	Diffuse Color NEW Specular Level Glossiness (for Glow effect) Opacity Bump/Normal Reflection Multiple Map Channel (4 maximum)

In the image below, the corresponding settings in 3ds Max Material Editor are highlighted.

Animation

In addition to transform and UV animations supported by iClone2, the new exporter can export material animations edited in 3ds Max.
The following table shows the supported animation types.

Type	Parameter
Transform Animation	Rotation
	Translate
	Scale
NEW Material Animation (Props & Accessory only)	Ambient color
	Diffuse color
	Specular color
	Shininess
	Shininess strength
	Self Illumination
	Opacity
	Opacity falloff
	Map Amount
UVW Map Animation (Props & Accessory only)	UVW Data

The material animation sample shown below can be found in the Sample File folder.

Note: The length of the material animation is the same as animation keys set in 3ds Max. To make it longer, copy and paste material keys along the timeline as long as you need. 'Character Animation', 'Non-Human Character', 'Accessory' and 'Props' are content types which may contain animation data.
When one of them is selected, the animation export option panel is expanded. There are two option groups

Export Option

All: Export both the Model & Animation data, disabled in this Beta version.
Geometry Only: Export the model data only.
Animation Only: Export only the animation files by the clip list definition.

Animation Clip:

This is where you define the animation clips to be exported.
Name: The name typed here will be the file name of the exported prop/accessory animation file (*.iAnimn) or character motion file (*..iMotion).
Range: The “From” and “To” field defines the frame range of the specific clip.
Clip List: List all the clips will be exported.
Add: When finished defining the clip name, range and type, click this button to add the clip into Clip List.
Update: If you want to edit the definition of a clip, double click the clip in Clip List, the settings will bring back to the options above. Reedit the settings and click 'Update' button, the new settings will be updated in Clip List.
Remove: Remove the selected clip from Clip List.
Save: Save the Clip List definition as an ASCII file.
Load: Load an external Clip List definition file.

Import Animation

^NEW Animation Key Optimization

The exporter will sample the animation frame by frame without key optimization. This keeps the animation intact to the original but the price is generating oversized animation data, especially when the animation curves are mostly linear. Animation key optimization can remove the unnecessary keys and also keep the result as close to the original as possible. To optimize the exported animation data, check the Optimize option to activate Animation Key Optimization while exporting.
To modify the optimization parameters, click the Optimize button to open the Optimization Options dialog box.

Sample Rate: Set the sample interval for sampling animation keys. The more the interval frames, the less key will be sampled for difference analysis. Threshold: Set threshold value for R (Rotation), T (Translation), S (Scale) and P (other Parameters, like material animation keys) difference analysis. The larger the threshold value, the less key will be reserved. Setting the threshold 0 will remove only the keys along linear animation curves and preserve the animation result.

^NEWNon-Human Character

None-Human Characters are characters that skinned to any skeletons or bones other than iClone standard RL Bones. You may Rig the character with any bone structure constructed with 3DS Max bone system, hierarchical mesh object, even helpers like dummies. Notice: Never use mirror to make the opposite bones of a Non-Human Character. It will scramble iClone3's IK & Mirror mechanism. Once the character model is ready and exported as an iClone3 Character file (*.iAvatar), you still need an ini file to provide more character information for iClon3 to make it a None-Human Character. Here is the content of the ini file:

[Bone] RootName=RootBone // The name of the character root bone LengthBone = 0 // Define the bone axis, 0 = X, 1 = Y, 2 = Z [IKTypeMap] // Define Types of IK control RootBone=1,0 // For the root bone and fixed bones, give the value 1,0 Pelvis=1,0 Spine01=1,7 // For the other animatable bones, give the value 1,7 ... [IKConstraint] // Set rotation constrain for the bones. This setting takes effect when the 'Constrain' option in iClone3 Edit Motion Layer panel is on. Bip01=(0,0)(0,0)(0,0) // The format is: Bone Name = (X min. angle, X max. angle)(Y min. angle, Y max. angle)(Z min. angle, Z max. angle) Pelvis=(-5,5)(0,0)(-5,5) // The initial angles of the constrains are the bone angles of the skin pose of the character Spine01=(-10,10)(-60,60)(-40,40) ... [MirrorBone] // Define the opposite bones so the 'Mirror' option can take effect while editing motion layer. L Clavicle=R Clavicle L UpperArm=R UpperArm L Forearm=R Forearm L Hand=R Hand

Only the [Bone] part is must. The IK & Mirror function will be just disabled if [IKTypeMap], [IKConstraint], or [MirrorBone] definitions are not given. Name the ini file the same name as your character (e.g. if the character file is Dragon.iAvatar, the ini file shall be Dragon.ini ), and put it in the same folder of the character file. When the None-Human Character is loaded in iClone3, the ini will be parsed and embedded with the character. You can find a sample ini file (CS_Character.ini) for None-Human Character in the Sample File folder.

Convert Character Studio BIP skeleton into iClone3 None-Human Character

Since iClone3 doesn't support Character Studio Skeleton directly, to make a None-Human Character from a BIP rigged character, you have to convert the BIP skeleton into a max bones first. Before you start, please go to Autodesk FBX page to get the latest version of FBX exporter and install it. Note: Please use the version 2006.11.2 which you can find in FBX 'Plug-in and Converter Archives' pages. Here are the conversion steps: 1. Load the BIP rigged character in 3ds Max.
This monster model is downloaded from 3DRT free download Page. 2. Choose 'Export' from File menu. 3. Select Autodesk FBX file type, press 'Save' button.
4. Use the following setting. Export the FBX file containing the model and all animations.
5. Reset 3ds Max, Choose 'Import' from File menu, and select Autodesk FBX file type. 6. Use the following setting for importing the FBX file.
7. Now the BIP bones are converted into Dummy bones.
8. To export it as a Non-Human character, choose 'Export' from File menu, select Non-Human character file type. 9. Select Geometry Only in Export Option and press OK button to export the rigged model. 10. Execute Export again, this time select Animation Only edit Clip List as describe above, then press OK button to export the motion clip files. These motion flies can be imported and applied to this specific character in iClone3 with Motion Modify panel. 11. Prepare the ini file for this Non-Human character. The sample ini file (CS_Character.ini) is ready for any Character Studio BIP character with skeleton root BIP01. Just rename it the same name as the Non-Human character file and put them in the same folder. 12. Run iClone3, go to Avatar Modify, import the Non-Human character.
13. Go to Motion Modify, press Import button to import the motion clip files, or press Edit Motion Layer button to start motion editing.

^NEW Bounding Mesh

Bounding meshes are mesh surfaces which define the boundary of a model for alignment and collision detection. They are usually a simpler version to the target model, e.g. a box bounding mesh for a car model. In iClone3, bounding meshes of Props are for collision detection, and those of Terrains are for both collision detection and terrain following. To assign a bounding to a prop or a terrain model, follow the name convention below

3d Studio Max Bip Files Motion Detector

Object Name_Boundingmesh

For example, the bounding mesh model of an object name 'Terrain' should be name 'Terrain_Boundingmesh'
Terrain bounding mesh is always invisible in iClone3.
To examine Prop bounding mesh, switch the Display into Bounding mesh mode.
In this example, the bounding mesh is a simple sphere enclosing the Teapot.

Note: If you don't provide bounding meshes while creating Terrains, iClone3 will use the mesh of Terrain itself for alignment and collision detection. In the case of Prop, iClone3 will generate a bounding box for the Prop without bounding meshes assigned.

^NEW Sky

Create an iClone3 Sky is simple. Here is one of the procedures: 1. Run 3ds Max. Create a GeoSphere at the origin (0,0,0), set Radius 5000, Segments 4.

2. Add Normal Modifier to flip normals.
3. Apply a panorama sky map to diffuse map slot, set Self-illumination 100.
4. Choose 'Export' from File menu, select Sky file type and export it to the Custom Sky folder.
C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersDocumentsReallusionCustomiClone 3 CustomSky 5. Run iClone3, go to Sky Content Manager Custom tab, apply and check the Sky.
You can find a sample sky model in the Sample File folder.

3d Studio Max Bip Files Motion Download

^NEW Head Morph

3d Studio Max Bip Files Motion Sensor

Bip Files Download

To Create a custom Head Morph, do the following: 1. Load the head base max file Head_Base.max from the Sample File folder. The head base is a Editable Poly model.
2. Switch to Sub-Object editing mode. You may use any polygon modeling tool to modify the head shape. But keep the following things in mind:
(1) Don't modify the pivot of the head.
(1) Don't add or delete any vertex, just edit the shape.
(2) Keep the shape and position neck section loop as close as the base model.
3. Choose 'Export' from File menu, select Head Morph file type and export the model. 4. Run iClone3, go to Face Modify, select Head category then import the Custom morph model you just exported. Drag the Weight slider to check how it works.