Locator Locomotion

From Blue Mars Developer Guidebook

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The Max animation skeleton is created using the build in Character Studio biped rig. It features a blended IK and FK arm, and can import mocap animation from .fbx and .bvh sources.

The skeleton has a bone called “Locator_Locomotion” on it. This bone should usually stay keyed at [0,0,0] unless the animation will give the avatar locomotion (ie, a walk cycle).

To key the Locator_Locomotion for a walk cycle, follow these steps:

1) First, key Locator_Locomotion at [0,0,0].

2) Then, in the motion rollout panel, expand “Key Info”, and then “Prop”. Set the Position Space to “Body” but keep Rotation Space at “World”.

3) Drag the time slider to the last frame of the animation.

4) Locator_Locomotion will follow the character to the last frame. Go to the Move Transform settings and zero out X and Z, but leave the value of Y as it is. Then set a keyframe. Once the keyframe is set, set Position Space and Rotation Space to World, and then do the same at the first keyframe (at frame 0).

5) That's it! Now just export the animation and test it out in the Character Editor. Enable “Animation Driven Motion” in the settings and the avatar will move with locomotion.

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