Prepare the scene

In the following procedure, you prepare the MotionBuilder scene and open the files needed to start this tutorial.

1. From the menu bar, select File > New, then select Layout > Editing (or press Ctrl-Shift-3).

   MotionBuilder displays a new scene using the Editing layout. This layout displays all the windows you need for your work in this tutorial.

2. Click the Tutorials folder in the Asset browser.
3. Drag the mia_story asset (mia_story.fbx file) into the Viewer window (A), then select FBX Open > All Takes.

   A model named Mia appears in the Viewer window (B) and Mia is selected in the track’s Character menu.

   NoteYou may need to zoom out in the Viewer window to see Mia at the far end of the grid.
   

   A. mia_story asset B. Mia model loaded in scene

   In the Story window, there is a track with a clip called Clip_Run_Loop.

4. Choose File > Save As.

   The Save File window appears.

5. Navigate to a directory other than the default MotionBuilderTutorials directory where you want to save the file and click Save.

   The Save Options dialog box appears.

6. Click Save.

   Choosing to save the file to a directory other than the default MotionBuilderTutorials directory ensures you do not overwrite the original .fbx file.

7. In the Story window, activate the Story button (A) if it is not already turned on, then click on the Character track (B) and press A to frame the clip.
   

   Story window A. Story button selected B. Character track showing one clip

8. Play the animation (Ctrl-Spacebar). You may need to zoom out in the Viewer window to see all of the animation.