Biped Motion-Capturing for 3ds max with the Kinect (1)

In this tutorial I explain to convert capture motion data from the Microsoft Kinect motion controller to 3ds max Biped.

Confirm all security messages and continue.

Connect the Kinect via USB and wait for windows driver confirmation at your taskbar.
Start Brekel (Start -> Programs -> Brekel Kinect -> Brekel Kinect). This software is a standalone software for recording motions (MoCap).

Here is an screenshot of the Brekel software:

Place your Kinect on a planar surface and horizontal to the room
The complete user have to be visible in color mode
Calibrate in T-Pose (unnecessary when the official Microsoft driver for PC is published)
Don’t move until Brekel is calibrating
The calibration was succesful when the points in 3D and Depth mode are found
Jump around!

Don’t use the Brekel standalone tool for motion recordings, instead of use the Motion Builder Plugin.
Start MotionBuilder
Press Ctrl-Shift-1 for Creation Mode
Click Devices in the Asset Browser and Drag an Brekel Kinect Device to the Viewport
Click Online in the Navigator-Window. If a skeleton is found appears green
Activate Live Mode
Active Recording
Generate an automate Model binding (Create…)
Start your motion capture pose in a neutral pose.
Press Recording in the Transport Controls and Play. This will start a recording called Take 001. Of course you can create more takes.
Stop and check your recording in the timeline

Please note: The recording FPS have to be higher than 30 fps! Brekel plugin shows the sample rate in the Navigation Mode.

Go back to the Characters in the Motion Builder Asset Browser
Add an Actor to the scene (Drag and Drop)
Search a neutral pose in your animation of your Kinect-Rig
Now move your Actor-Root to the Kinect-Skeleton-Root
Move, rotate and scale (Right Bar of the Viewport) the Actor by selection the limbs. You can use the Points in the Actor Controls Toolbar to select the Limbs (Press CTRL for multiple selection)
Use the Local and Global Reference Mode for better rotations

When all limbs are placed into the Kinects pose press CTRL-SHIFT-3 for Editing Mode
Expand als Kinect Reference Bones in the Navigation Tree (Scene) and click on Actor
Create a Marker Set by clicking the MarkerSet-Button -> Create
Drag and Drop all bones of the Kinect-Rig to the matching Actors limbs using MouseLeft and the Alt-Key
After mapping all Kinect-Bones click on the Actor-Figure and make all Objects Oriented
Click on Active
Move the Timeline, the Actor should follow the Kinect Skeleton

Exit Figure Mode and Export the Scene to the FBX (FBX-File Format according to the 3ds Max- / MotionBuilder-Version you use)
Back to Motion Builder and Merge (File –> Merge) your FBX scene with the current Scene (save before merging)
Click Merge

Switch to Editing Mode (CTRL-SHIFT-3) and click on Edit in the Character Controls –> Select Input –> Actor
Activate Actor Input

To stabilize the feet activate Feet Floor Contact in the Character Settings Tab (Navigator Window)
If the feet are under the ground plane (Z<0) move up the Kinect Reference Root Bone
You can apply Human Limits to the joints by activating under Actor –> Human Limits
You can fix your feet animation with the sliders und Feet Stabilization

Many Greetings

Vali

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