my mistake. In that case, it’s brilliant.
So I’ve written up a little script that reads in any bvh file (including the ones exported by the zing thingy) and builds a rig for it and loads the animation. There’s no interface yet and I haven’t given it the ability to map the motion onto an existing max rig, but it’s a start. If people are still interested, I can post it here. Or wait a few weeks till I find the time to make it a little more robust.
A quick question about that Zign thing (without looking at the BVH file): Does this indeed produce 3D (!) mocap data from a single camera?
Thanks!
– MartinB
Yes, it calculates the 3D movements, but you must keep in mind that it gets less accurate when the face turns away from the camera a lot. For example, it’s hard to see the width of the mouth viewed from the side.
Hi Luuk,
hi everybody
i wrote a script recently, which reads bvh files. I did a few tests and its running fine.
Currently the script assigns the motion to pointhelpers , so the next step is to create the bones and assining the motion to them.
Would be nice if some of you could do some tests also and give me some feedback on how to improve the script.
Greetings from Vienna
Markus
[ http://www.sb-vs.com ]( http://www.sb-vs.com)
Edit: here is a screenshot, showing the structure of Luuks BVH file …
/*
-------------------------------------------------------------
-- This script reads the contend of BVH files and
-- applies the motion data on pointhelpers
-- Spheres are used to display joints, lines are
-- drawn between the different joints
-- Layers are used to sperate pointhelpers from
-- lines and spheres
-- 31.12.2007 Markus Bliem
-------------------------------------------------------------
*/
PH =#()
NoLe=#()
PHLa=#()
Noof=#()
NoCh=#()
PaNo=#()
DeNo01=#()
DeNo02=#()
PHSi=1
PHBaMa=#()
FiHei=170
ToNo=0
BoNo=0
Srad = 0.2
LDi= 0.2
-------------------------------------------------------------
--Function Create New Layer
-------------------------------------------------------------
fn NewLa LaNa =
(
NL = true
LaCo = layermanager.count
for i = 0 to (LaCo-1) do
(
La = Layermanager.getlayer i
print La.name
if La.name == LaNa then NL = false
)
if NL == true do
(
La = Layermanager.newLayerfromName LaNa
La = Layermanager.getlayer LaCo
)
)
-------------------------------------------------------------
--Open File
-------------------------------------------------------------
FiNa = getopenfilename caption "Select File"
BVF = openfile FiNa
skiptostring BVF "MOTION"
fpe = filepos BVF
seek BVF 0
fpo = filepos BVF
Level = 1
NoNum = 0
NoDo01 = 0
NoDo02 = 0
LhNo=0
RhNo=0
ChTo=0
---------------------------------------------------------------
-- Draw PointHelper
---------------------------------------------------------------
NewLa "BVH_PointHelper"
while fpo < fpe do
(
rli = readline BVF
fpo = filepos BVF
tes = filterstring rli " , " splitEmptyTokens:false
chk = tes[1]
if chk =="ROOT" do
(
col =[0,50,150]
NoNum = NoNum+1
NoNa= "BVPH_" + tes[2]
PH[NoNum] = point name:NoNa size:PHSi wirecolor:col cross:true box:true
NoLe[NoNum] = Level
PHLa[NoNum] ="C"
PaNo[Nonum]=0
DeNo01[NoNum] = Nodo01
DeNo02[NoNum] = Nodo02
)
if chk =="JOINT" do
(
col =[0,50,150]
NoNum = NoNum+1
NoNa= "BVPH_" + tes[2]
colte = findstring NoNa "Left"
if colte != undefined then col=[200,0,0]
colte = findstring NoNa "Right"
if colte != undefined then col=[0,200,0]
PH[NoNum] = point name:NoNa size:PHSi wirecolor:col cross:true box:true
NoLe[NoNum] = Level
PHLa[NoNum] ="C"
if (findstring PH[NoNum].name "Left")!= undefined then PHLa[NoNum] = "L"
if (findstring PH[NoNum].name "Right")!= undefined then PHLa[NoNum] = "R"
if (findstring PH[NoNum].name "Finger")!= undefined then PHLa[NoNum] = "F"
if (findstring PH[NoNum].name "RightHand")!= undefined then RhNo=NoNum
if (findstring PH[NoNum].name "LeftHand")!= undefined then LhNo=NoNum
if (findstring PH[NoNum].name "Chest")!= undefined then ChTo=NoNum
)
if chk =="End" do
(
col =[255,225,5]
NoNum = NoNum+1
naad =""
chna = PH[NoNum-1].name
if (findstring chna "Left") != undefined then naad ="Left"
if (findstring chna "Right") != undefined then naad ="Right"
EsNa = filterstring chna "_"
naad = EsNa[2] + "_EndSite"
NoNa= "BVPH_" + naad
PH[NoNum] = point name:NoNa size:PHSi wirecolor:col cross:true box:true
NoLe[NoNum] = Level
PHLa[NoNum] ="C"
NoCh[NoNum] = 0
if (findstring PH[NoNum].name "Left")!= undefined then PHLa[NoNum] = "L"
if (findstring PH[NoNum].name "Right")!= undefined then PHLa[NoNum] = "R"
)
---------------------------------------------------------------
-- transform PointHelper
---------------------------------------------------------------
if chk =="OFFSET" do
(
Xpos=tes[2] as float
Ypos=tes[3] as float
Zpos=tes[4] as float
Noof[NoNum]=[Xpos,Ypos,Zpos]
PaNo[noNum] = NoNum-1
)
if chk =="CHANNELS" do
(
NoCh[NoNum]=tes[2] as integer
)
if chk == "{" do
(
Level = Level+1
NoDo02 = 0
DeNo01[NoNum+1] = 0
DeNo02[NoNum+1] = Nodo02
)
if chk == "}" do
(
Level = Level-1
NoDo01 = Nodo01 +1
NoDo02 = Nodo02 +1
DeNo01[NoNum+1] = Nodo01
DeNo02[NoNum+1] = Nodo02
)
)
for i = 1 to Nonum do
(
print ChTo
if DeNo01[i] != 0 do
(
De= DeNo01[i] +1
PaNo[i] = i - De
if PHLa[i] =="F" do
(
if (findstring PH[i].name "Left") != undefined then PaNo[i] = LhNo
if (findstring PH[i].name "Right") != undefined then PaNo[i] = RhNo
)
if (findstring PH[i].name "Collar") != undefined then PaNo[i] = ChTo
if (findstring PH[i].name "Neck") != undefined then PaNo[i] = ChTo
)
)
for i = 1 to NoNum do
(
LaSe =Layermanager.getLayerFromName "BVH_PointHelper"
LaSe.addnode PH[i]
if i > 1 then PH[i].parent = PH[PaNo[i]]
)
for i = 1 to NoNum do
(
PH[i].position = Noof[i]
if i > 1 do
(
PH[i].position = Noof[i] +PH[PaNo[i]].position
)
)
for i = 1 to NoNum do
(
format"% % % % % % % % % % % %
" "Node:" i "Level:" NoLe[i] "Label" PHLa[i] "Name:" "Parent node:" PaNo[i] "Channels:" NoCh[i] PH[i].name
)
---------------------------------------------------------------
-- draw joint spheres
---------------------------------------------------------------
NewLa "BVH_DisplayGeo"
for i = 1 to NoNum do
(
na01=PH[i].name
na02=filterstring na01 "_"
NaSp = "BVSp_" + na02[2]
sp=sphere radius:Srad name:NaSp
sp.position = PH[i].position
sp.wirecolor = PH[i].wirecolor
sp.parent = PH[i]
PH[i].size = Srad*4
LaSe =Layermanager.getLayerFromName "BVH_DisplayGeo"
LaSe.addnode sp
)
---------------------------------------------------------------
-- draw bone lines
---------------------------------------------------------------
for i = 2 to NoNum do
(
st= PaNo[i]
BS = PH[st].position
BE = PH[i].position
na01=PH[i].name
na02=filterstring na01 "_"
NaLi = "BVLi_" + na02[2]
Li = SplineShape pos:BS
addNewSpline Li
addKnot Li 1 #corner #line BS
addKnot Li 1 #corner #line BE
Li.wirecolor = PH[i].wirecolor
Li.thickness = LDi
Li.render_displayRenderMesh = true
Li.sides = 6
Li.parent=PH[st]
Li.name=NaLi
LaSe =Layermanager.getLayerFromName "BVH_DisplayGeo"
LaSe.addnode Li
)
Ro= rotateXmatrix 90
PH[1].transform = PH[1].transform * Ro
---------------------------------------------------------------
-- Read Transformation
---------------------------------------------------------------
seek BVF 0
skiptostring BVF "Frames:"
Rlin = readline BVF
tes = filterstring Rlin " , " splitEmptyTokens:false
FraCou = tes[1] as integer
Rlin = readline BVF
tes = filterstring Rlin " , " splitEmptyTokens:false
FraTim = tes[3] as float
FraSec = floor (1 / FraTim) as integer
FraRan = FraCou/FraSec
frameRate = FraSec
animationRange = interval 1 FraCou
slidertime = 1
for i = 1 to NoNum do
(
PHBaMa[i] = PH[i].transform
)
Pos00= PH[1].position
with animate on
(
for i = 1 to FraCou do
(
slidertime = i
Rlin = readline BVF
DaLin = filterstring Rlin " , " splitEmptyTokens:false
Xpos =DaLin[1] as float
YPos =DaLin[2] as float
ZPos =DaLin[3] as float
Pos01 = [Xpos,Ypos,Zpos] + Pos00
ZRot=DaLin[4] as float
XRot=DaLin[5] as float
YRot=DaLin[6] as float
ZRMa=rotateZMatrix ZRot
XRMa=rotateXMatrix XRot
YRMa=rotateYMatrix YRot
RMa=YRMa*XRMa*ZRMa
PH[1].transform = RMa * PHBaMa[1]
PH[1].position = pos01 * PHBaMa[1]
DaIn=7
for j = 2 to NoNum do
(
No = PaNo[j]
Ma0 = matrix3 [1,0,0] [0,1,0] [0,0,1] [0,0,0]
Ma0.row4 = Noof[j]
PH[j].transform = Ma0 * PH[No].transform
if NoCh[j] != 0 do
(
NoZRot = DaLin[DaIn] as float
NoXRot = DaLin[DaIn+1] as float
NoYRot = DaLin[DaIn+2] as float
DaIn = DaIn+3
ZRNoMa=rotateZMatrix NoZRot
XRNoMa=rotateXMatrix NoXRot
YRNoMa=rotateYMatrix NoYRot
RNoMa=YRNoMa*XRNoMa*ZRNoMa
RoMa=PH[j].transform
PH[j].transform = RNoMa*RoMa
)
)
)
slidertime = 1
LaSe =Layermanager.getLayerFromName "BVH_PointHelper"
LaSe.ishidden = true
)
That is great markus, thank you very much!
Has anyone gotten some good results using scripts in the mean time? I would like to hear if it’s working or not for everyone.
Thanks.
STINGRAY_AUT ,
Works almost…
Run script, point demo_3.BVH, I see creation of pointhelpers “Spheres” “joints” “lines” “joints”
Is Demo.BVH 137 frames? i start max with 300 frames, but after i run your script, just before it errors, I see that there is only 137 frames. guess script read BVH and resets frames?
Are we working on the same BVH? Demo_03.BVH “77.2 KB (79,109 bytes)” “Monday, December 17, 2007, 6:52:28 PM”
Error i get is ” MAXscript File in exception ” – Type error: Call needs Function or class, got undefined.
Seems like it almost finishes, then error???
please reply ASAP…
Thank for your time and effort
Good stuff. I should be in a need for more mocap soon and will be updating my TRC import tool to handle it.
Are we working on the same BVH? Demo_03.BVH “77.2 KB (79,109 bytes)” “Monday, December 17, 2007, 6:52:28 PM”
i got a different bvh file – ExampleBVH_1.bvh, 339kb 30.10.2007– so if you could supply me your demo file i will take a look at it …
Markus
[ http://www.sb-vs.com ]( http://www.sb-vs.com/)