i use modo. Fbx formated Mocap files have keyframes on each frame. i guess Motion Builder can clean those keyframes and generate curves with minimum keyframe using an error value.

can ipisoft studio generate reduced keyframes?

can fbx files contain curves instead of keyframe on each frame(baked) ?

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iPi doesn't do key reduction on its own.

You could manually use takes to reduce keys somewhat in iPi, (but not best approach), if you wanted to blend the takes in MoBu or other 3D editors.

It isn't good practice to use auto-key reduction in 3D editors, and depends on the editing program, what curve/graph editors it displays and options it has.

If you are talking about using a form of pose to pose reduction in Motion Builder, you can do that also by choosing key pose frames (by adding a separate Character Animation Track in Story Mode first), so you can reset keys and plot to skeleton as a reduced key animation. (You would need to play with tween frames to get better transitions this way).

Down and dirty video tutorial on this option:
http://vimeo.com/82895521

unfortunately i don't have Motion Builder and haven't use it.. i have just Modo and Blender. Blender has a script to reduce keyframes. when i reduce and save it as fbx to import to Modo i get keyframes at all frames again. i am not sure if this is because fbx architecture, blender export or modo import.

yes i want to edit it like i make my own animations as pose to pose. maybe deleting keyframes between poses will help but i think it will not be a final solution.

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As I know it, if you export a file of any extension into another program, it may export the keys as a full timeline, (as all coordinance in space are recalculated as a frame key in a new file), but are really only used as tween keys, unless like in some programs you can select on import to use fill timeline, or keyframe reduction, but reduction gives aweful results, so I think would work similar in other high-end editors also that have those options on export/import.

I don't know what you want to use the animations for, but if its a game engine, Unity, UDK, etc... pose to pose, or short blended animation meathod works well, and then using add animation window and blending short animations if several are used in an animation call, or on a controller/key select or on a collision object to react as something else happens in scene.

Really, all depends on how much and the quality of the animation needed/required for what you are attempting.

Sorry, I can not be of more help with Modo, looks very good though.

I haven't used Blender in a while, but I have it, version 2.45 and 2.70, just not real familiar with its file export parameters that can be set and what version you are using.

You can reduce/adjust keyframes in many ways, but its probably better to reduce every bone-key on that keytime or you could get adverse results, unless it is just a bone click or smoothing a head movement, something very simple that doesn't affect many other bones. But, you can remove just the rotation and not the translation in a graph editor and much more as you probably know.

Just depends on how accomplished you are with your editor and what you are trying to achieve, trial and error usually wins out though.

Good Luck!

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i will use it in Unity.i have mocaps with iPi and can find some free mocap from internet.assume that i have a mocap walk animation for human. i want to edit it to looks like a troll walk. when i make a walk animation from scratch i can edit it in ease. in some cases it look making animation from scratch will be faster. maybe i can get poses from mocap.

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Yes, of course you can get walk cycles/many mocap actions free and paid on the net and edit them to your liking, but keyframing a walk cycle to look natural, is not that

easy, but if you're good and want to, go for it.

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Have you looked into Ikinema Webanimate? This is an online tool that has many features similar to the capabilities of Motion Builder. Basically, you upload your mocap and character, edit the motion through your browser and, when you're satisfied with the results, you pay a small fee and download the edited files.

I haven't used this service myself yet but I know a few users in these forums have used it with Mocap Studio with success.

Since you're also a Modo user, you may be interested to hear that Modo's rigging system is directly based on the Ikinema system. I don't know if this insures compatibility but I thought it was worth mentioning.

Good luck and hope this helps.

G.

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