Tab sections
 
 
 

The lower section provides several tabs that allow you to work with devices and manage motion capture data.

Attachment tab

The Attachment tab lets you create attachments. See Create attachments.

There are two types of attachments: attribute attachments and command attachments. An attribute attachment is a connection between an attribute and a device axis. A command attachment is a command that is issued when a button is pressed.

Device

Specifies the server name for the current motion capture device. See Server.

Axis

Specifies the motion capture data type for the current device. See Axis.

Clutch

Lists all available clutches for the current axis. The selected clutch acts as a connection between a specified button and the axis.

Node

Lists all available nodes for the current object. This list is unavailable when in selection mode.

Attribute

Lists all keyable target attributes for the selected node. This attribute attaches to the device specified by the current server.

Selection

Turns selection mode on or off. Select Selection if you want to make the connection only for the currently selected object. This is useful when you are interactively manipulating objects with an input device, but not for basic motion capture work.

Object

Turns object mode on or off. Select Object for most motion capture purposes. When you connect the device to a target attribute, that connection always takes effect.

Mapping tab

The Mapping tab provides settings for modifying attribute attachments as described in Edit attachments.

Device

Specifies the server name for the current motion capture device. See Server.

Axis

Specifies the motion capture data type for the current device. See Axis.

Scale

Sets the increment at which the motion capture data is scaled.

Offset

Sets the offset of the motion capture data.

Absolute

Turns the Absolute motion capture data mapping type on or off. With absolute mapping, motion is scaled and offset with respect to the origin. If you move a device a foot away from the origin, the target attribute also changes its value to be one foot away from the origin. Absolute mapping is useful for motion capture.

Relative

Turns the Relative motion capture data mapping type on or off. With relative mapping, motion is adjusted relative to the last device position without regard to the origin. If you move a device one foot to the right, the target attribute moves one foot to the right. Relative mapping is useful for desktop input devices that always return to some resting position.

World

Turns World space device mapping on or off. We recommend world mode for motion capture work.

View

Turns View mode device mapping on or off. If on, the device coordinates are translated into the space of the active camera.

Filters tab

The Filters tab lets you define filters and resamplers that you can use when previewing motion data or converting it to animation curves. See Create a filter or resampler.

Active Filters

Lists all the active filters for the current motion capture data. See Filters and Resamplers.

Inactive Filters

Lists all the inactive filters for the current motion capture data.

Active Resamplers

Lists all the active resamplers for the current motion capture data. See Filters and Resamplers.

Inactive Resamplers

Lists al the inactive resamplers for the current motion capture data.

Resamplers

With resamplers, you can resample data to a specific frequency with a given kernel. You can also use resamplers to change the temporal values of your data.

simplify

Resamples groups of nearly colinear samples into two linear samples.

closest

Resamples samples at a fixed output rate using the closest sample.

linear Interpolation

Resamples based on a linear interpolation between two closest samples.

box

Resamples based on a moving average of the samples.

tent

Resamples based on a weighted moving average from the following formula:

gaussianSqrt

Resamples based on a weighted moving average from the following formula:

GaussianHalf

Resamples based on a weighted moving average from the following formula:

Options tab

The Options tab has various options for writing and reading takes. See Number takes, View takes, and Record motion data.

Write Take Options

Set one of the following options:

Linear Units

The take data is saved to disk in the specified 2 dimensional units.

Angular Units

The take data is saved to disk in the specified 3 dimensional units.

Precision

Sets the precision level of the units used to write the current take.

Time Stamps

If on, the take data is stamped with the current time when it is saved to disk.

Numbered Takes

If on, the take data is assigned a number when it is saved to disk.

Auto Increment

If on, the takes that are saved to disk are automatically incremented.

Starting Take

Specifies from what take to saved the motion capture data.

Read Take Options

Set one of the following options:

Linear Units

The take data is saved to disk in the specified 2 dimensional units.

Angular Units

The take data is saved to disk in the specified 3 dimensional units.

Time Stamps

If on, the take data is stamped with the current time when it is saved to disk.

Use Frequency

Sets the frames per second at which the data is written.

Controls tab

The Controls tab provides the settings for rehearsing, recording, and reviewing your motion capture sequences. These procedures are described in Motion capture process.

Rehearse

If on, sets the motion capture session to Rehearse mode. In rehearse mode you can view the motion in real time before you record.

Recording Duration

Sets the length of time for your motion capture recording session. This field uses the same units as those specified in your user maya environment preferences.

Record

If on, sets the motion capture session to Record mode. In record mode, all the record-enabled devices begin recording data, using the current time as a start time for the recording.

Review

If on, you can preview, apply, or close the motion capture session. If you click Apply Data, Maya applies the motion data you have recorded to the target attributes and your preview data is applied to all devices and axes that have Apply Take enabled (as indicated by Enable Apply Take).

Enable Monitor

If on, sets the target attributes to receive live data from the current device when it is recorded.

Enable Record

If on, data is recorded for the device when Apply Takes is clicked.

Enable Apply Take

If on, data is not applied to the target attributes of the device when Apply Takes is clicked.

Play While Recording

The preview take plays while it records.

Save Attachment

Saves the device, axes, and attachments that are selected in the Device outliner.

Save Virtual Device

Saves the real device selected in the Device outliner as a virtual device.

Read/Write Take Controls

Set one of the following options:

Take

Specifies the name of the current take.

Number

Specifies the number of the current take.

Write Take on Review

Saves the current take to disk upon review.