How To Add Multiple Animations To Fuse Characters

We gathered 3 of the most mutual issues Mixamo users come beyond and answer them.

Mixamo is a super fun tool to apply for 3D rigging, animating, and modeling. Designed for beginners, the programme is intuitive and flexible...or at to the lowest degree information technology can be. A lot of new users struggle at kickoff, and that tin can lead to "giving-up-itis." That'south why I put together a quick listing of tips to get you started.

In the beginning, you volition come across multiple hurdles that tin either exist resolved right within of Mixamo, or direct after in the 3D package of your selection. For this article, we will apply Cinema 4D. If y'all've picked up Mixamo and gave up due to hurdles, and so it'due south time to give it 1 more than endeavour.

In this article, we'll focus on 3 common questions:

What to practise if textures disappear when importing Mixamo models
How to blend multiple Mixamo mocap animations together
How to get the Mixamo Control Rig to work with my Mixamo character

My textures are disappearing when importing Mixamo models

Textures importing successfully into Mixamo tin depend on a number of factors, such every bit what packet you are importing from and how you ready your files in that package. Let's go over these in finer details.

MIXAMO AND ADOBE FUSE CREATED CHARACTERS

If you cull the characters from the Mixamo library—or create characters with Adobe Fuse and upload them direct from Fuse to Mixamo—the UV textures should be easily retained by Mixamo. When downloading your character, click Download and choose .FBX format.

Open Cinema 4D, and in the Objects viewport click File/Merge Objects (ctrl/command +shift+O) and then select the .FBX. You tin also minimize your Movie house 4D window and drag and drop the .FBX onto your viewport to import. An import setting panel will popup. Exist sure to have materials ready to standard and Substances checked. The character should import, and Cinema 4D volition create a textures binder with the UV textures.

BAKING MODELS

Remove all staging, lights, cameras, etc. Only your character should remain. As well, make sure your graphic symbol is pointing toward positive + in the Z axis. If your graphic symbol is made of multiple objects—nested in subdivision surfaces, symmetry objects, and sweep nurbs—you need to bake it downwardly. Just kickoff, you need to make sure that they accept plenty subdivisions so the characters can bend correctly. To bake them downwards, select all the object layers, right click, and select Connect Objects + Delete.

BAKING TEXTURES

When exporting a model in Mixamo, you may accept noticed the colors sometimes don't transfer over. The problem is basic colour channels don't translate, just epitome textures (UV-mapped textures) exercise. So the solution is to either bake your colors, or manually add together them back 1 by one in Cinema 4D.

To bake the colors there are two methods you lot can endeavor:

Method ane:

Yeah, it'south non that kind of baking, but this is why you shouldn't edit while hungry

Select the object and get to Tags/Material Tags/Broil Material.
Under Bake Material, add the name of your texture in the Filename field and choose with the (…) button where you want that texture to exist saved. We tin can go out the Format set to JPEG.
Prepare the resolution Width & Height somewhere around 1024x1024 to 2048x2048 (depends on resolution y'all require and how close your camera is zoomed in on your character)
Supersampling set to 0 (if you're using shadow, you may want to increase this number)
Pixel Border ready to 1 (adds 1px padding on your UV to avoid seams in your mesh. If you do see seams in your concluding render, increase to 2px)
Since we broiled down our model, we accept a bunch of pick tags and multiple texture tags. And so under the Options tab, be sure to tick Use Polygon Option.
If y'all have bump channels, luminance channels, etc, be sure to besides have these channels' checkboxes ticked.
If normal and crash-land maps are ticked, exist sure to also tick the Evaluate Crash-land checkbox.
Set Optical Mapping to Cubic.
Finally click Bake. At present all that is left to practice is create a New Default Material. Open up the cloth editor and apply the baked texture onto all the channels you broiled out. Be sure the material is set to Project/UVW Mapping.

Method ii:

Click the character object
Go to Objects/Bake Objects
A Bake Objects Panel will open
Tick the checkbox Unmarried Texture
Tick the checkbox Supervene upon Objects (that way it deletes the non broiled version with the baked object.
Format png/jpg (apparently png is more recognised across multiple platforms)
Set the resolution Width & Height somewhere around 1024x1024 to 2048x2048
Choose a Path Proper name to where your png/jpg will exist saved. The image volition be saved the same every bit your object character proper name, then proper noun accordingly.
Make sure the character object is selected and click Bake.
The baked version may appear blurry in the viewport. That'south okay; it renders out fine.

If you want information technology sharper in the viewport, just double-click the material to open the Cloth Editor and click Viewport. Change the default Texture Preview size to No Scaling.

Delete selection tags (triangles)
Under materials Edit/Delete Unused Materials.

HOW TO EXPORT CHARACTERS USING TEXTURE-BASED MATERIALS

Question_1_D_ExportingCharactersUsingTextureBasedMaterials.png

Export your character by going to File/Export and choose the format .FBX. An .OBJ volition work, but without the skin textile you just baked.
If you select .FBX, an FBX options panel will appear. Check the boxes under the Additional header: Textures and Materials, Embed Textures, and Substances.
FBX default version is set to vii.7 (2019). Fix information technology to version 6.1 (2010). College versions won't bring your textures across successfully.

Tips:

Make sure your character's position is prepare to X - 0, Y - 0, Z - 0 before exporting out to FBX for Mixamo. Fifty-fifty though the Megaman character I modeled was centered perfectly, he wasn't 100% symmetrical. The equalizer (MGM Mega-Buster, if we're existence technical) on his left arm was smaller than his right hand. In Mixamo'southward machine rigger console, the symmetry line is non centered, but a bit off to the left. Uncheck the Used Symmetry checkbox and now move the makers.

When modeling your graphic symbol'due south feet, be sure to model the feet pointing forward, non sideways. Unless of course y'all want your character walking similar Charlie Chaplin.

IMPORTING THE MIXAMO RIGGED Grapheme FBX BACK INTO C4D

Sometimes the textures of a Mixamo Rigged Character are a hot mess in one case imported back into C4D. If and then, delete the textures and create new ones by going to the Create/New Default Material. Iin the Material Editor, get to Colour/Texture/… and choose the original texture .PNG you baked before exporting to Mixamo.

Don't forget, if the texture even so looks fuzzy in the viewport, double-click in the material'south Material Editor/Viewport and change the Texture Preview Size from Default to No Scaling.

How to Alloy Multiple Mixamo Mocap Animations Together

For those new to Mixamo, y'all can't blend multiple animations inside the plan. Y'all can but export one animation at a fourth dimension and frame blend them in a 3D package. We will cover how you do this within of Movie theatre 4D.

Showtime, import your character. File/Merge and locate your Running.fbx
Click OK on the FBX import setting panel
Click mixamorig:Hips in your objects panel. Information technology's the layer with the green joint symbol
Click Breathing/Add Motion Clip and characterization it afterward the activity (ie Running) and then click OK. This will bake your keyframes into a Motion Clip.
Press Shift+F3 to open your Timeline (Dope Sheet)
Click View/Movement Manner
On the left at that place will exist a library with a unmarried baked animation labeled Running. Information technology's already as well on your timeline. If you can't see anything on your timeline printing View/Automatic Mode (Alt+A)
Past baking the blitheness to a Motion Clip, yous have unlocked a whole new prepare of options for editing your blitheness. Now in the motility clip'southward attribute console, yous will take the option to add loops to your animation—and even decide where to start and end your animation without fifty-fifty touching a keyframe!
If you intend to load in more than than one blitheness, you will need to outset save your running bake by right-clicking running in your left panel (earlier the motion way console) and choosing Salvage Motility Source As... Be certain to create a MotionSource binder to salve it into. It volition save out every bit running.c4dsrc
Select all your layers in the object card and group them in a null (ALT+Yard) and characterization it grapheme.
Repeat and load in the other FBX files individually, baking the animation as earlier and saving out your other animations to want to blend with running. Ie. Running.c4dsrc, Flipping.c4dsrc & Stopping.c4dsrc etc. Each fourth dimension you import .fbx files in, information technology will load in the full graphic symbol. Once you have exported out all your .c4dsrc files you lot tin can delete all the extra character layers. You only need the original rig in the aught labeled character.
Import the .c4dsrc files dorsum into your timeline by correct clicking over the name of the animation in the far left panel before the motion way panel and clicking Load Motion Source...

Accept a quick intermission! We'll be here once your brain is set up for more than

Large Side Note

I have been unable to add together a Mixamo Command Rig to Mixamo blitheness that has multiple Motion Clips with frame blending already on. For the best results, first create and add the Mixamo Control Rig, and just afterwards add the actress Movement Clips and create/parent Pivot Objects. I emailed this result to the Maxon back up squad, and they take tested and noted that this is a problem. It has been forwarded to the developer team, and so we'll hopefully have a new fix in the future.

There is a fast and dirty workaround if you have already spent ages creating and editing Motion Clips however. Select all the Motion Clips on the Motility Mode timeline. Become to Motility System/Convert Layer to Keyframe Animation and it volition bake your keyframes. And so simply delete unnecessary Pin Objects and the Motility Organisation Expression tag on your Character articulation (light-green). Now add together the Mixamo Control Rig.

Now y'all have all the broiled animations, just drag them onto the timeline in the order you would like them to breathing in.

Drag one animation over the meridian of another animation, and you will notice it blends the ending of the 1st animation into the beginning of the 2d animation. You tin alter blending interpolation to linear on the Attributes panel nether Basic on the Blending dropdown menu. Change from Easy Ease to Linear
To move each animation individually into position you need to create Pin Objects and parent it to the animations.
Printing Breathing/Pivot Object. Label it Running. Select the running motion clip on your timeline. Grouping (Alt+G) all pivot objects in a folder named Pivot Objects.
Parent each animation individually to it's pivot object by right clicking on the animation motion mode timeline. To the correct the Motility Clip will have an Attributes console. Become to the Avant-garde tab and you volition see an empty Pivot field. Drag the Pin Zip from your objects panel directly into this field.
Drag the Pin objects to motion animations. That fashion when your character goes from running into a flip, his flip starts at the finish of the run rather than the kickoff. The closer the offset and terminate points are, the less sliding. Basically line up the stickman with the other stickman by dragging the orange balls.

If your character is sliding between blends, the two issues are solved by:

Setting the interpolation to spline or linear
Creating Pivot Objectsouth and correctly placing them close every bit possible to the start of the next blitheness.

How to Get the Mixamo Control Rig to Piece of work with the Mixamo Character

There are three issues that may arise when using Mixamo with Movie theater 4D's Mixamo Command Rig (in C4D R21 and upwards.)

Have SYSTEM

When importing Mixamo rigs into Cinema 4D, information technology sometimes comes in every bit a take layer. If so, hither's what you need to do. Go to your Takes tab and you volition run across the animation is recorded as a take labeled Mixamo.com. The problem with this is that you can't then manually keyframe annihilation, considering all your coordinates are grayed out on the Attributes tab.

To fix this problem y'all need to make sure the box on the left of Mixamo.com is highlighted white. Then go to File/Electric current Accept to New Document. This will create a totally new C4D file with only the Mixamo.com take, and now all the attributes have been unlocked.

RESETTING TO A T-POSE IN Picture palace 4D

Before you add a Mixamo character rig, you lot will first need to disable the blitheness and reset the character's bind pose.

Simply press Shift+F3 to open upward your animation timeline. Click on the yellow Motion Prune icon on the dope sheet (it looks similar a film strip). The icons will turn off from yellow to grayness. The blitheness is now deactivated. Reset the grapheme to a T-pose by shift-selecting to select all the Weight Expression tags in the Objects menu and in the Attributes panel and press Reset Bind Pose. One time the rig is practical, you simply demand to click the motion clip icon in the animation dope sheet back to yellow to turn the animation back on.

SETTING UP THE RIG CORRECTLY

After sorting out your Take System and resetting your graphic symbol's T-pose, you are now fix to fix the character's rig.

On your character carte, click the character object and the character will announced in your objects manager. Once selected, become to the object tab/build tab and on the dropdown select Mixamo Control Rig.

Nether the components tab:

click Root
click Pelvis Mixamo
arm & leg Mixamo tabs will announced.
concord Command/Ctrl cardinal to get both legs to be added
click the Pelvis object again
agree Command/Ctrl key to get both arms to be added
then click Hand to get hands added to the arms.

The next step is to snap the rig you have but created to your joints.Merely click on the Arrange tab and the rig will snap to the rig. If it doesn't, assume the brace position and hum until it fixes itself. I'm simply kidding. Chances are, the consequence is the way Mixamo has labeled your joints. Each character in Mixamo has different naming conventions. There is an piece of cake fix. Nosotros need to utilize Naming Tool.

If you look at the joint (green diamond), it should be labeled mixamorig:Hips.If non, perhaps it'south labeled Hips or mixamorig:Hips_3. The fault is it either doesn't have mixamorig at the commencement, or it should have the _3 removed at the finish.

To fix this, correct-click the articulation and click Select Children. It will select all joints in the bureaucracy.

Next, go to Tools and search for the Naming Tool.

To add together mixamorig: to the front end of the naming convention type mixamorig: in the Supervene upon/Prefix field and click Replace Proper noun.

To remove _3 at the end, type _3 in the Replace/Replace box, uncheck Friction match Case and click Replace Proper noun.

Now return to your Conform tab and the rig should snap to your character.

The next thing we demand to do is adjust the knee joint joints every bit they are currently bending in the wrong direction. In recent C4D updates, there is now an annotation on the viewport with a note that knees should bend forward. Change your camera angle to correct/left side view. Make sure you are however in the Character/Object/ Adjust tab. Use your live selection tool (9) with Only Select Visible Elements checkbox unchecked on the Attributes/Options tab. Select the knee joint joints and drag belongings forrard holding downwards vii primal to only move the genu joints in the rig.

Next click on the Animate tab and click RetargetAll.

Next to go to the Weight Transfer tab. Drag the body mesh into the WeighTags field. Note - Be sure to temporarily plow the lock icon on the Attributes Console. That way you can shift and select all the meshes in one go without the panel switching. Now that the rig is practical y'all simply demand to click the motion clip icon in the animation dope canvass back to yellowish to turn the animation dorsum on. At present you lot are able to brand manual edits to the animation.

ADDING CHARACTER TO YOUR ANIMATIONS WITH MIXAMO AND C4D

MIXAMO Graphic symbol ANIMATION IN Movie theater 4D: ENHANCED WITH R21

Learn more than about how to use Mixamo

If you want to larn more about Mixamo be sure to check out these articles:

four WAY MIXAMO MAKES ANIMATION EASIER

HOW TO Apply MIXAMO FOR ILLUSTRATING STORYBOARDS

RIG AND ANIMATE 3D CHARACTERS WITH MIXAMO IN C4D

DIY Movement CAPTURE FOR 3D CHARACTER Blitheness

Some cool 3D courses and resources

For those who came to Mixamo because your C4D animation, modeling, and rigging was lacking, hither are some resource to get you lot started in the world of Cinema 4D.

Cinema 4D Basecamp

Cinema 4D Ascent

Modelling in C4D: Ultimate Guide To Stylized 3D ModelingCharacter Modelling and rigging in C4D: 3D Character Modeling & Rigging

Avant-garde Modeling in C4D - MILG11: Hard Surface Modelling Tactics For Cinema 4D

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Source: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/the-3-biggest-questions-when-using-mixamo-with-a-ton-of-great-answers

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