Retargeting Animations to Characters

Axis Studio exported data can be retargeted to characters in Unreal Engine. It is recommended to retarget our exported data to the AXIS STUDIO ROBOT skeleton included in our NEURON LIVELINK plugin.

EXPORT

Open the motion capture take of your choice. In the Editing workspace, click on the export icon to open the Export Settings window. In the windows, select the following options:

  • File Type: FBX
  • Skeleton:
    • Axis Studio - if you are importing onto a PN Skeleton. 
    • Unreal - if you are importing onto the Mannequin skeleton. 
  • Motion Data - Enabled
  • Displacement- Enabled

Plugin 

For this exercise you will need assets located in our Neuron Livelink plugin. Please refer to the following page on installing and enabling assets.

Neuron Live link Installation – PERCEPTION NEURON (neuronmocap.com)

Importing Capture Data

Select the appropriate skeleton

    • PNS/PN3 if you exported with the Axis Studio or Axis Studio-Thumb Open skeleton
    • UE Mannequin if you exported with the Unreal skeleton
  • Click Import
  • mceclip1.png

IK Rig Creation

Source Skeleton

Right click on the Content Browser. Go to Animation>IK Rig and select IK Rig from the dropdown menu.

IKRigAssetFROMcontentMENU.png

  • Click the appropriate skeletonmceclip4.png
  • Create an IK solver for the feet
    • Select the last bone in each of the leg chains
    • Right click
    • Select New IK Goal
    • Choose Full Body Solver

mceclip7.png

    • Select the root bone for the solver (usually hip or pelvis)
    • Right click 
    • Select Set Root Bone on Selected Solver

mceclip8.png

  • Now you will see a new solver in the Solver Stack 

mceclip9.png

  • Create IK Chains for each section of the body
    • Shift select all the bones in a chain
    • Right click
    • Select New Retarget Chain from Selected Bonesmceclip14.png
    • For the leg chains, assign a goal
    • mceclip1.png
  • Repeat this process until you create all necessary chainsmceclip5.png
  • Select the retarget root (usually the hips or pelvis)
  • Right click
  • Select Set Retarget Root

mceclip10.png

  • Now your Source skeleton is ready

mceclip11.png

  • Repeat this process on the Target Skeleton

mceclip13.png

Create an IK Retargeter

  • In the Content Browser, right click
    • Animation
      • IK Rig
        • IK Retargeter

mceclip2.png

  • Select your source IK Rig

mceclip16.png

  • Select your Target IK Rig and its mesh

mceclip17.png

  • Click Auto-Map Chains 

mceclip18.png

  • The skeletons must either both be in a Tpose or both be in an Apose.  
  • If they are not, then create a custom retarget pose for one of the skeletons
  • mceclip3.png
  • Enable Edit Mode and then adjust the skeleton as needed
  • mceclip4.png
  • Disable Edit Mode when you are done.
  • Select an animation to test that the retargeting is working properly
    • depending on how different the target skeleton is from the source skeleton, additional tweaking may be needed

mceclip19.png

Retarget Animation Assets

  • Right click on the Animation Asset you want to retarget
    • Retarget Animation Assets
      • Duplicate and Retarget Animation Assetsmceclip20.png
  • Select your IK Retargetermceclip21.png
  • Choose if you want to change the name of asset and where you want to save it
  • Click Retargetmceclip22.png
  • You now have a retargeted animation asset

mceclip23.png