Design4real VR AR Agency

Motion Capture for beginners

apple vision pro gaming

Affordable systems, software and first steps

Motion capture for beginners often sounds like Hollywood productions and big game studios. But thanks to modern technology, affordable hardware and easily accessible software, mocap is no longer the preserve of professionals. In this article, you will find out which affordable systems are suitable for creative amateurs, how much money you should budget and which software solutions are easy to learn. Read on if you want to start your first projects in the field of character animation, storytelling or virtual reality.

Why motion capture is also worthwhile for beginners

Motion capture, often referred to as "mocap", is the digital capture of the movements of real people, which are then transferred to 3D models. The result: realistic-looking animations that can take your creative projects to a new level. Although this technology has its origins in expensive film and game productions, the barriers to entry have now fallen significantly.

Motion capture for beginners means today:

  • Inexpensive hardware: Cameras, sensors or even your smartphone may be sufficient to get you started.
  • Simple software: Many programs come with user-friendly interfaces and tutorials.
  • A wide range of possibilities: Films, indie games, VR projects or animation art - Mocap brings your ideas to life.

Creative people in particular who enjoy experimenting will benefit from these developments. So if you have always toyed with the idea of bringing digital characters to life, now is a good time to take the first steps.


 

Alternative: AI-supported solutions

Modern beginners often use AI-supported motion capture solutions such as Radical or MoveAI instead. These only require a video camera or smartphone. The recorded videos can be uploaded to the AI, which generates motion data from them.

Advantages of AI-supported solutions:

  • No additional equipment required apart from camera/smartphone
  • Fast results
  • Low-cost or free entry options

Restrictions:

  • No real-time results: In contrast to suits such as Perception Neuron and Rokoko, where the results are immediately visible in real time, the data for AI-supported solutions must first be uploaded to the cloud and processed. This results in a delay before the movement data is available.
 
 

Inertial systems: Perception Neuron and Rokoko

Inertial motion capture systems such as Perception Neuron and Rokoko offer an advanced alternative to the Kinect solution and are ideal for more ambitious projects. Both systems use sensors (IMUs) that are worn directly on the body and capture movements precisely in real time. Nevertheless, the two approaches differ in a number of key respects:

 

Perception Neuron:

This system is characterized by greater flexibility, as it can be equipped with a higher number of sensors (depending on the kit). This makes it particularly suitable for complex motion sequences. However, it requires more complex set-up and calibration. From personal experience, it can be said that setting up the individual sensors is quite time-consuming and it can be difficult to place them correctly on your own. This is not a suit that you can simply slip into, but the sensors have to be attached individually, which also means that the position of each sensor has to be checked precisely. On the positive side, Perception Neuron's software often offers more natural walking cycles than comparable solutions. However, Perception Neuron's customer support was described as weak, especially when dealing with warranty or replacement cases, which often take a long time.

 

Rococo:

In comparison, Rokoko relies on a simpler setup with user-friendly software (Rokoko Studio), which was specially developed for creatives without in-depth technical knowledge. The Rokoko suit is quick and easy to put on, as you simply slip into it and are quickly ready to work. Rokoko is a European company and impresses with its fast and accommodating user support, especially in the event of defective sensors or other problems. The infrastructure around the devices and the software seems much more mature. A small disadvantage of Rokoko is that the Walkcycles sometimes appear somewhat unnatural during movements such as walking. Nevertheless, Rokoko offers a very good overall package for the price and makes it much easier to get started with motion capture technology.

 

Advantages of inertial systems:

  • No external cameras required
  • More freedom of movement, even outdoors
  • Better results with dynamic or acrobatic movements

Disadvantages:

  • Sensors must be calibrated regularly and positioned correctly, otherwise so-called "drift" can occur after around 15 minutes of recording. This means that the recorded movements become increasingly inaccurate as the sensors lose their exact position relative to each other. To avoid this, recalibration is necessary, which can interrupt the workflow and cost time.
  • Magnetic or electrical sources of interference can affect tracking, although this problem is increasingly receding into the background. Nevertheless, strong electromagnetic fields, such as those that occur near large metal objects, can significantly impair the accuracy of the recordings.

Post-processing "Cleaning" there's always 

Post-processing necessary: Regardless of which system is used, post-processing of the capture data is required. Even expensive systems often deliver raw motion capture data that cannot be directly used professionally. One of the reasons for this is that the person in the suit usually has different proportions (e.g. body height or limb length) than the 3D character to which the movements are transferred. A common problem, for example, is the collision of hands with the stomach of a fatter 3D character when the person doing the capturing is slimmer. This process, also known as "cleaning", requires the animations to be adjusted manually to fix such problems. Currently, AI cannot help with this, and cleaning is usually done in editors such as Blender, iClone or Motion Builder.
If you want it cheap, you can do the cleaning in Blender or Unreal.
 
 
clarence dadson

Let us advise you.

Are you interested in developing a virtual reality or 360° application? You may still have questions about budget and implementation. Feel free to contact me.

I am looking forward to you

Clarence Dadson CEO Design4real