Setting Up Skeletal Mesh

Clean version of VR Mocap Studio includes two character models ready for motion capture. To use one of them, select Mannequin (Default) or Mannequin option in the Skeletal Mesh drop-down list. Default is a clean UE4 Mannequin. Second one has additional dummy bones to capture IK targets.

VR Mocap Studio allows to import custom character models from Autodesk® FBX® files. There are the requirements to the file format:

VR Mocap Studio was tested with Mixamo, Daz3D Genesis3 and Daz3D Genesis8 skeletons.

To add a new model into VR Mocap Studio, press + button at the right from Skeletal Mesh drop-down list. Select an FBX-file in a pop-up dialog window. Then input any name for the model and press Enter or button. Or press X to cancel the model creation.

Daz3D Skeletons

Daz3D Genesis skeletons have uninitialized orientation of bones which complicates capturing and editing animation. VR Mocap Studio works in special mode with these skeletons, and sometimes you can notice an offset between tracker and bone which can't be fixed by manual calibration.

To import Genesis model successfully, make sure it doesn't contain duplicated bones. By default, Daz3D exports characters with separate skeleton for each mesh. You can either remove secondary meshes (including bones) or re-skin them to the base skeleton and delete duplicated bones. After these modifications (use any third-party software like Blender), export the model back to FBX and load it to the VR Mocap Studio. The app will detect type of skeleton automatically.

Next: setting up basic skeletal bones.