Today we tried the vicon optical solution mocap. It’s very interesting
Vicon’s motion capture solution can precisely track and record the movements of humans and objects, providing highly accurate data for animation, analysis, and research. The system uses 16 ultra-sensitive cameras arranged in a circular setup on the ceiling to capture the movement of 54 reflective markers attached to the clothing (excluding the fingers). This high-precision capture system ensures that every subtle movement is accurately recorded, providing a solid foundation for animation production and motion research. It can capture complex motion details and significantly improve the efficiency and quality of animation production, allowing animators to focus more on creative expression and storytelling. The application of this technology makes animation production more convenient and efficient.
Motion Capture by Kai
Funny motion-capture, lying on the ground being dragged along.
Today, we visited the Tate Modern, where many fascinating artworks exist. We used an app called “Luma,” which can scan objects with the camera, analyze the data, and create models. I checked an exceptional artwork made of mirrors. The result from using “Luma” was quite interesting because the mirrors reflected light, causing the scan to produce many spiky structures on the mirrors, which were actually the reflections of light. This phenomenon made the scan look exceptionally unique and captivating, providing us with an unusual perspective to view the artwork.
Using exaggerated movements can significantly enhance the fun and appeal of animation. Exaggerated actions and expressions capture the audience’s attention and make the characters more lively and interesting, adding to the entertainment value of the animation. Moreover, this kind of exaggeration helps convey the characters’ emotions and the storyline more effectively, making it easier for the audience to understand and engage with the content.
And again, it’s essential to allow some fixed time for both actions and camera movements to ensure clarity in actions and scenes. This pause helps the audience observe details better and makes it easier for them to understand the plot development and the characters’ emotional changes. By incorporating appropriate pauses and holds, viewers have ample time to absorb each crucial moment, thereby enhancing the overall viewing experience.
In our weekly assignments, besides giving suggestions and making changes to poses, an important aspect is the feedback on “pose holding.” Holding a pose for a few seconds can help the audience remember the action better and understand the animation’s content. This enhances the animation’s effect and makes the story more coherent and engaging. By holding poses appropriately, viewers have more time to see and remember each important action, which greatly helps improve the overall quality of the animation.
The background of the plot of my story is mainly Chinese culture, including Chinese food and Chinese architecture. So I searched for Chinese food and Chinese architecture as my References.
To enhance the comedic effect of my story, I specifically looked for exaggerated expressions and actions, aiming to add humorous elements to increase the story’s fun and appeal. This setup not only allows the audience to experience the richness of Chinese culture but also brings joy through humorous portrayals.
Today, I was introduced to the gear used to create motion capture – the Perception Neuron – which performs motion capture via 18 body sensors and 10 finger sensors. Its capture is powerful and probably the only drawback is the long preparation time it takes to link perfectly to 28 sensors.
Shihong is wearing a sensor as a model.
Linking the realistic model with the model in the software.
The lack of sensors linked to the lower body resulted in a misaligned model for motion capture.
The error occurred because the right hand sensor was not linked. But the left hand one links on nicely and captures the movement well.
And how to transfer the motion animation that just captured to Metahuman in UE5.
After meeting and discussing with three members of the group, we decided to make this project on the theme of “Whale Fall”.
Idea：
The ocean is one of the largest ecosystems on Earth. The oceans are extremely rich in biodiversity. As the largest animal on Earth, whales store 22% of the Earth’s carbon. Whales eat krill and photosynthetic plankton at about 8,000 pounds per day; The excrement of whales after digesting their food contributes to the reproduction of krill and plankton, as well as increasing photosynthesis and depleting atmospheric carbon stores; Even if a whale dies, the carbon contained in the carcass is transferred to the deep sea as it decays, replenishing the biocarbon pump.
The current goal is to create an ocean scene that players can interact with using a VR device in order to introduce players to 52Hz whale stories and whale falls and the important role whale falls play in the ocean.
Story：
The story follows the growth of whales as a timeline, and as time changes, the climate of the ocean also changes. The player takes on the role of a spectator fish, following the whale in the third person. Calves swim in the middle of the sea and grow in size with each predation.
When the whale breathes at the surface of the water, the player follows to the surface to see the scene beyond the surface of the sea, and shows the material exchange process of the whale’s ventilation through some carbon symbols.
Whales defecate. The player can see phytoplankton blooming after the whales defecate, and the photosynthesis of planktonic algae can be shown through some carbon symbols.
Whales defecate. Whales can use symbols to represent the process of feeding in shallow waters and transporting carbon dioxide in deep waters.
As the whale grows, we can join the changes in the coral. As time goes on, coral bleaching becomes more and more severe, fewer organisms are nurtured, and symbiotic algae can no longer absorb light for corals.
Whale falls. The whale dies eventually, and after the whale falls, many marine animals inhabit here, forming a whale fall circle.
