CAT provides tools for working with motion data, including importing, mapping, retargeting and editing. You can save individual animation layers and even whole layer stacks for reuse, including on other characters.
You can save and load poses and animation from any body part using quad menus. Select and then right-click an arm, leg, finger, tail, or any bone in CAT, and save pose or motion data from the context menu.
Image courtesy of Adam Walker Film
How Motion Is Scaled to Fit Your Rig
When you save motion or pose data from a CATRig, the CATUnits Ratio value is included with the file. When reloading, the CATUnits value from the saved file is compared with the CATUnits value of the rig onto which you are loading the data. The difference between the two CATUnits values is used to scale the data.
For example, if you saved an animation from CATRig A with a CATUnits setting of 2.0, and you load that animation onto CATRig B, which has a CATUnits setting of 4.0, then the data is scaled by a factor of 4.0/2.0, or 2.0. So the data will be made twice as big to fit your new rig.
This means that it is important to use CATUnits correctly. With the example rigs, we try to make sure the CATParent fits underneath the feet of your character. As long as all your rigs have CATParents which are the same relative size with respect to the CATRig, then the data will be scaled correctly.
With CAT, you can save and load poses and animation from individual body parts to entire rigs. You can save clip files from any body part; select and then right-click a rig part such as a finger or facial bone and save the animation. During loading, you can mirror, transform, and swap poses and animation.
The Clip/Pose Manager provides controls for saving and loading animation clips and poses. Use the Clip and Pose buttons to switch between the Clip Manager and the Pose Manager (the rollout name is always “Clip Manager”).
The Pose Mixer enables you to save poses and then reload them back onto your CATRig. You can blend poses Poses can be blended while being loaded.
