Mr.Usami's BVH Impoter Help

A Japanese Imagine user, Mr. Usami created an exciting tool "BVH Importer".

That program is can import BioVision BVH motion files to Imagine.

BVH is famous motion capture file format. Samples of human motion are in BioVision Web page.

BVH file can be created by Poser 3, LifeForms studio 3 and so on, too.

BVH Importer use Visual BASIC "SendKeys" function and make auto-control of Imagine.

His program was created by Visual Basic 6 JAPANESE version, so other country's users can't directly use his binary file.

But source files of his program are disclosed.

If you have Visual Basic 6, you can create EXE file from these source files.

Source files are in http://member.nifty.ne.jp/usami/BVH/Source.zip

But these source files include some Japanese characters, they were genarated by Visual BASIC 6 Japanese Version. When you want to creat EXE files from this source files, please correct them.

For example, in "BVH Importer.frm":


   StartUpPosition =   3  'Windows XXXXXXXX"

XXXXXXXX is Japanese character that means "Windows default", I and Mr.Usami don't know how strings are used in VB English version.

And there are no English Help file, so I tell you this program usage.

About Imagine objects you can use in BVH Importer.

Object hierarchy is similar to a BVH file.
Pose of an object is same as that of BVH file.
Joint axis alignment is same as that of BVH file.
In many BVH files, Z Axis are human eye direction. Upper is Y Axis. But in many human objects created by Imagine, those are different. You must change of axis alignment.
You must insert a axis between a most parent axis to first children's axis that are used as move and rotate of an object.

Very simple sample object file can be downloaded.

Usage

Run Imagine and go to Stage Editor.
Creat enough frames(look at "Frames:" of a BVH file"). And load objects or project file.
Run BVH Importer.
Push "Make definition file" button, then, a list box will be appeared.
You will assign human object axis to BVH joints.
1. Push "Load" button and select BVH motion file.
  Joints list will be appeared.
2. Select a BVH joint name,
3. Pick an Imagine object axis.
4. Push "Connect" button. then Imagine object axis name will be appeared.
5. If you finished assignment of joints, Push "Make" button and specify file name.
  The definition file will be created. This file includes information of joint assignment. It is plane text file. If you will use another BVH file include same hierarchy and Joint name, same definition file can be used.
  
  Joints that is not assigned with Imagine object axis are ignored.
If Imagine is in Edit Group mode, You *MUST* disable Edit Group mode of Imagine.
In Pick Group Mode, pick a object that make motion.
Select "Frame to Import:"
- All ... all frames (not recommended, it will take very long time)
- Step ... BVH importer use "step" parameter.
  For Example:
  Start = "1", Step = "10"
  
  BVH Importer will import motion data from BVH file frame number 1,11,21,31....
- Specified ... BVH importer use "spec" parameter.
  For example:
  Spec ="1,3,9,12"
  
  BVH Importer will import motion data from BVH file frame number 1,3,9 and 12.
- Start ... Start Frame to import motion data
Set other parameters.
- Scale X,Y,Z ... Position movement scaling parameter.
  For example:
  X = "10",Y="10",Z="10"
  Position movement of BVH file are multipled "10" in Image Stage Editor.
- Motion ... BVH Motion file
- Definition ... Definition file that you were created.
Push GO!

A sample Movies

Kaniko and Marin movies

Notice

BVH Importer was checked in Imagine for Windows from ver.1.3.4 to ver.1.9.5. If you use other older or newer version of Imagine, I don't know how problems will occur.

E-mail Addresses

Mr.Usami's E-mail address is usami@rr.iij4u.or.jp

My E-mail address is shinmk@na.rim.or.jp

I and he(perhaps) are not use English very well. If you send E-mail to us, please use easy English.

[Goto Usami's Web page (Japanese)] [Shimeikai's Web page - Home]