Replacing hands with other markers

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The_Nomad
Posts: 57
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:55 am

Replacing hands with other markers

Post by The_Nomad »

Heya!

So I'm preparing for a fight scene shoot on Weds (after the last one was truly excellently captured - thanks, guys, 1.6 rocks).

I have a problem: One of the characters is using a small shield, a buckler. Now, that's going to completely occlude my hand markers. However, it's effectively rigid with respect to the hand.

So what I'm wondering - would it be possible to put markers on the buckler, using reflective tape, and then replace the hand on the skeleton in MSP with the buckler? And if so, how would I go about that?
VincentG
Posts: 7728
Joined: Mon Jul 17, 2006 5:00 am
Location: Corvallis, Oregon

Re: Replacing hands with other markers

Post by VincentG »

You can always add markers, 3-7, and the shield, and have the data exported as an additional rigid body
The_Nomad
Posts: 57
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:55 am

Re: Replacing hands with other markers

Post by The_Nomad »

That makes sense - won't the motion capture data be kinda screwed up by the missing hand markers, though? (the system really won't be able to see the left hand markers behind the shield at all, I'd guess).
yoshi
Posts: 174
Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2005 5:00 am
Location: silicon valley

Re: Replacing hands with other markers

Post by yoshi »

If you can build the shield with pipe or other less occluding material, it will be better. But here is how you can replace hand markers with shield markers:

1. Create a normal skeleton.
2. From main app(not from wizard) record a T pose.
3. With Assign toolbar button selected, select 3 markerset(gray spheres) of the hand and hit Delete key to delete them.
4. Attach 3 markers on the shield in asymmetric pattern.
5. Record a T pose with the shield held in hand.
6. With Rotate toolbar button selected, align the hand and forearm to the correct position.
7. With Assign toolbar button selected, select the hand and then while pressing Ctrl key select markers on shield.

You should now have a skeleton with shield markers as hand markers.
JustinDenton
Posts: 23
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:16 pm
Location: Venice, CA

Re: Replacing hands with other markers

Post by JustinDenton »

We just did a shoot with something similar to this. If your actor is going to hold the shield the entire time, I would just take one of the hand marker rigid bodies and put it on the outside of the shield right where your actors hand is. If your shield is not going to get hit, just velcro it on, if it is going to get hit you could do a combination of a hot glue gun and gaffers tape to help keep it secure.

If your character needs to take or throw the shield off at any point then you will need to have the shield as an extra rigid body. If this is the case, I'd follow Yoshi's advice and build it out of some type of piping. We keep extra PVC around here all the time and you can make darn near anything out of it.
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