Importing BVH files

BC RiceBC Rice Posts: 591
edited December 1969 in Carrara Discussion

So during one of the sale days I picked up a bunch of stuff from PA'er Posermocap.

In the past I've only picked up animations from the Animate library. All of those are in GFA format and so have been pretty seamless and simple to use in Carrara.

However all of the stuff I just purchased is in BVH format. The only way I know how to import BVH is to select the Hip and import from there.

The problem is that whenever I import a BVH it typically doesn't affect the fingers or head, often times the arms and feet or legs will cross through one another, and of course there's the always bizarre figure displacement wherein the figure gets moved from being flat on the ground to suddenly being 10 feet in the air as well as it's hot point being all wonked out.

Anyone know of any other way to import BVH?

Thanks!

Comments

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,237
    edited December 1969

    simple answer
    (although I do not have those files, I use cgspeed CMU mocaps this way)
    load them in Daz studio on a figure and use the Poser format converter to create pz2 animated poses.
    studio seems to load bvh onto existing skeletons far better than Carrara.

  • ReisormocapReisormocap Posts: 146
    edited December 1969

    Which packs are you looking to use, and which figures are you applying them to? Each pack should include PZ2 files for M4 and V4 (and for Kids4 in the case of one pack) and those PZ2 files are optimized for those figures.

    My understanding is that Carrara can load in PZ2 files.

  • BC RiceBC Rice Posts: 591
    edited September 2012

    Which packs are you looking to use, and which figures are you applying them to? Each pack should include PZ2 files for M4 and V4 (and for Kids4 in the case of one pack) and those PZ2 files are optimized for those figures.

    My understanding is that Carrara can load in PZ2 files.

    Ya know when I went back and looked at the storefront for the items it mentioned having specific versions for M4 and V4 and I wondered if perhaps there was something else in the file besides the BVHs.

    Curious as to where I might find the PZ2 files after download tho. I download everything into my aniblocks folder just so I know where everything is. But the only thing showing after download are the BVH files. Maybe I'm missing something.

    I have like 5 different ones. Sci fi, Spy, etc.

    Post edited by BC Rice on
  • BC RiceBC Rice Posts: 591
    edited December 1969

    Found 'em!! Thanks! :D

  • BC RiceBC Rice Posts: 591
    edited December 1969

    :(

    So apparently carrara does NOT recognize pz2 files. That completely blows. Not sure if there's any workaround.

  • BC RiceBC Rice Posts: 591
    edited December 1969

    Im completely confused now. Just watched a couple of ancient tutorials where people are importing their PZ2 files into Carrara. I'm using Pro 7. Why wouldn't I be able to load PZ2 files when they're doing it in tutorials that are older than my software?

    Ugh.

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,237
    edited December 1969

    add your folder location to your browser and load them from there
    or
    under general, import clip or pose for your figure on the right, browse to it and load it.
    ofcourse Carrara reads pz2
    I used to load mimic files that way in C6 and still do for speakonia files in C8 because Carrara Mimic plugin does not recognize them.
    you should be able with the figure selected go to file, import too.

  • ReisormocapReisormocap Posts: 146
    edited December 1969

    Thanks for the help Wendy.

    BC Rice, I'm glad to hear that you were able to locate the PZ2 files. Hopefully, Wendy's tip should let you start applying them directly to the characters - I'd be very interested in seeing what your ultimate animation looks like.

  • BC RiceBC Rice Posts: 591
    edited December 1969

    add your folder location to your browser and load them from there
    or
    under general, import clip or pose for your figure on the right, browse to it and load it.
    ofcourse Carrara reads pz2
    I used to load mimic files that way in C6 and still do for speakonia files in C8 because Carrara Mimic plugin does not recognize them.
    you should be able with the figure selected go to file, import too.

    Wendy is the shizzy good stuff!

    I've never done the load from "General" before. I've always gone file/import with the figure selected. If I go file/import like I always do with .gfa files, PZ2 is not listed and Carrara does not see them. Bizarre!

    Glad it got worked out!!

    YAY!\

    Thanks!

  • BC RiceBC Rice Posts: 591
    edited September 2012

    Hm...encountering a new issue now, though. :\

    When I upload via General "Pose as Clip", when I try to convert to NLA so that I can store the clip and use it in combination with other things, it's no good. The clip turns out to be just a single pose.

    Also, can't do any sort of posing once I load the clip via that route. Since it doesn't create keyframes, there's no way for me to alter anything -- can't even change the character's expression. :(

    Post edited by BC Rice on
  • BC RiceBC Rice Posts: 591
    edited December 1969

    AH HA!

    Man...lol Nothing intuitive about it, right?

    Okay, so once you load up your PZ2 clip via Pose as Clip, you then have to reduce the clip's time from 18 + minutes down to the appropriate length, you then get your editable clip and then you can double click that block of animation and VOILA!

    ::phew::

    Thanks again!

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