Automated Rig Creation
 

• Forward and Inverse Kinematic Full Body Manipulation Rig is automatically created based on the size and proportions of your character.
• "Smart" biped and quadruped character support with up to ten neck bones and phalanxes, as well as support for inverse knees and elbows.
• Templates to automate character setup.
• Character Extensions allow for augmentation of your base character, for additional elements like wings, tails, props, etc.

"Rig Re-connect" for Customizable Rigs

• Easy-to-create, custom, re-usable rigs via the rig re-connect feature.
• Custom rigs can be saved with all their setup dependencies - slider setups, auxiliary pivots, etc. - and then re-connected to another character, independent of the rigs' sizes or proportions.

Rig Visual Feedback
 

• Visual feedback on character control rigs indicates the active body part, manipulation/keying mode, and IK reach settings.
• Highlighting of keyed objects at current time, on the character control rig and extensions.
• Customize the rig’s transparency and highlighting settings.

Pose Editor
 

• Capture character independent poses and recall them onto any character in your scene.
• Paste a full body pose, a specific body part of the character, or any of the character's extensions.
• Editing tools include mirroring around a user-defined plane and the ability to match the pose based on any object in the scene.
• Supports mirroring of character extensions.

Character Contact Technology
 

• Unsurpassed contact technology for feet, toes, hands, and fingers that prevents them from penetrating through the defined floor object.
• Supports uneven contact points, following an object's orientation.
• Speeds up the creation of character/floor contact (e.g., walking) or animation in relation to other objects (e.g., character leaning on a table).

Degrees of Freedom and Rotation Orders
 

• User-defined "Degrees of Freedom" (limits) can be set for the transformation properties (TRS) of any 3D object to help you create precise, believable character poses in much less time and with less effort.
• The rotation order of any 3D objects (XYZ, XZY, YZX, etc.) can be defined. This helps to prevent gimble lock problems and improves cross-product information interchange.

Facial Animation Tools
 

• The Character Face tool allows for model independent setup of facial expression channels.
• Use blend shapes, clusters, or a combination of the two.
• Drive facial expressions with any source, including custom sliders, procedural animation, key framing, or the Voice Reality device.
• Easily re-target facial animation between any two setups.

General Workflow Tools

• Autodesk® MotionBuilder™ software provides a true non-linear environment for multiple media types.
• Real-world production options include support for all scene properties/object types, real-time camera/audio cross-fades, multiple audio tracks and volume animation, as well as multiple video tracks.

Track Types and Editing

• Tracks for any media and animation situation including: an independent camera shot track; standard animation track; character animation track; camera animation track; digital video track; digital audio track; constraint track, and command tracks.
• All tracks support fade, trim, loop, razor, cut, copy and paste, scale, mute, solo, and snap-to-time cursor editing functionality.

Shot Tracks

• Tracks for camera shots, storyboards, animatics and final edits, can be built from any tracks-based project and can include time discontinuities, time-warping, and looping of camera shots.

Animation and Camera Track Features

• Support for multi-track animation, track layer modes, variable track weighting, key support, editable clip curves, clip trajectories, multiple blending algorithms, interpolation types, multiple clip scaling and enhanced 3D animation clip matching with previous or subsequent clips.

Character Track

• Fully integrated with Autodesk MotionBuilder character technology.
• Includes all of the functionality provided by animation and camera tracks (see above).
• Other features include support for character retargeting within tracks: character, control rig IK/FK keyframing within sub-tracks (similar to animation layers); body-parts filtering, and animation clip blending/matching.

Command and Constraint Track

• Includes show/hide models and application launch functionality.
• Constraint clips blending and weighting options.

Audio Editing Features
 

• Frame-accurate playback of audio during both jog and shuttle.
• Supports MP3, AAC, WAV, and AIFF files.
• Selectable sampling rate for audio output.

Video Editing Features
 

• Supports real-time production pre-visualizing by enabling you to import and work with video within the Story Timeline.
• Supported video formats include QuickTime®, AVI, MPEG, MOV, MP2, and MP4.
• Supported image formats include TIFF, TGA, PIC, BMP, JPG, DDS, IFF, RGB RGBA, SGI®, and YUV.

3DE
3DSite
@Last Software
Agence Darwin
Alias
Apple QuickTime
Ascension Technology Corporation
Attitude Studio
Autodesk
A&G Soluzioni Digitali
Big Bear Entertainment
Di-O-Matic
EI Technology Group
Eovia
eyeon Software
Hexagram
Maxon
Midway
Motek
NaturalMotion
NewTek
Noitaminanimation
NXN
Okino
QEDsoft
Softimage
Strata
TurboSquid
VirSys, Inc.
Wings3D
 

Layout Manager

• Create, modify and recall window layouts within the application.
• Five preset window layouts for different tasks.

Keyboard Configuration

• Supported shortcut keys for Autodesk® Maya® and Autodesk 3ds Max®, Avid® XSI®, and NewTek’s LightWave® 3D software products.
• Customize select and deselect behaviors.

Cameras, Lights and General Editors

• Complete camera controls and options, including FOV, filmback options, real-time motion blur, real-time depth of field, and anti-aliasing.
• Point, Spot and Directional lights, with support for real-time volumetric effects and gobos.
• Supported editors: Function Curve Editor, Dope Sheet, Schematic View, Pose Editor, Character Controls, Scene Browser, Key Controls, Transport Controls, and Properties Editor.
• Create and manage customized property views to remove unneeded information from being displayed.

Groups and Sets

• Organize scene objects within Groups.
• Advanced scene management with Sets, with the ability to toggle the visibility of Sets over time.

3D Viewer

• Real-time scene playback within the OpenGL® 3D Viewer window.
• Built in shaders for real-time shadows, reflection, particles, bump mapping, toon shading, edge outline shading, matte, and support for CGFX Shaders (.cgfx).
• Display 3D motion trajectories on any object.
• Full scene mode.

Hardware Rendering

• OpenGL hardware rendering.
• Support for most image and video output formats including AVI, MOV, TGA, TIF, JPEG.
• Support for audio.

Save/Load Character Animation
 

• Save animation directly to an FBX® file, including all character extensions together with their animations.
• Provides multiple load methods including copy animation, retarget, and plotting of dense data onto target character.
• Load multiple files for batch processing.

Batch Tools

• Ability to import/export multiple files, supporting all major motion file types.
• Load/Save motion files directly to, or from, a character.

Multiple Animation Takes
 

• Ability to have multiple animations in one scene, using the same object or character.
• Animation takes allow for easy switching/editing of large amounts of individual animations.
• Unlimited number of takes per scene.

OpenReality SDK

• C++ Software Development Kit, supporting Microsoft® Visual C++ 7.1 compiler (for Windows®) and GCC 4.0 (Mac OS® X).
• Used for the creation of plug-ins, device drivers, custom importers/exporters, custom UI elements and custom filters, shaders, and constraints.

Python Scripting Environment

• Python based scripting interpreter.
• Allows for quick development of automation scripts.
• Ability to script scene/character setups.

• Easy transfer of assets including objects, deformations, shapes, textures, cameras, and lights through the software's native FBX® file format.
• Easy transfer of animation into, or from, any 3D authoring package supporting FBX.
• Import and export of additional industry-standard files supported through the software's native FBX file format -- including Biovision (.BVH), Acclaim (.ASF/.AMC) and Motion Analysis (.HTR) skeletal data formats and Motion Analysis (.TRC) or Vicon (.C3D) motion capture data formats.
• Direct support offered for "multiple animation takes" FBX files.
• Direct support for asset management systems such as Alienbrain® and Microsoft® Visual SourceSave® (Windows® only).
• Support for other/custom asset management systems via the OpenReality SDK.

Real-Time Input

• Supports real-time input from a keyboard, mouse or joystick.
• Supports SpaceBall® and Wacom tablets, JLCooper MCS-3800, MIDI devices, and Lantronix® serial ports.
• Select your recording/playback mode and variable sampling rates to facilitate media input.

Motion Data Cleanup, Editing, and Processing

• Powerful, built-in optical cleanup tools yield quick gap fixes for marker swapping and occlusions.
• Editing features include blending, interpolating, peak removal, smoothing, curve fitting, and more.
• A batch tool makes the processing and re-processing of multiple files quick and easy.
• Reading and writing of motion and skeletal data in popular file formats.

Get the most out of Autodesk MotionBuilder

No matter what the size of your facility, if you’re working on tight deadlines, pushing creative or technical boundaries or using multiple hardware platforms, the features and services of the Autodesk® MotionBuilder™ Platinum Membership program will help you maximize your investment in MotionBuilder.

Platinum membership is a top-tier support and maintenance program designed to deliver the features that you want: including access to the most up-to date versions of the software and extensive technical knowledge through the company’s expanded telephone and online support services.

What do I get?

All software upgrades and updates
Get Autodesk MotionBuilder upgrades here! Membership not only includes notification of all product updates, it also gives you online access to every new version of MotionBuilder that comes out during the course of your membership. In fact, Platinum Membership is the only way to upgrade from your current version of the software.

Telephone, e-mail and online support − now with expanded hours; continually improving response and resolution times

When a product-related challenge arises, you can tap into the extensive knowledge of Autodesk’s Product Support Specialists. These helpful experts are available to give easy-to-understand solutions to your technical questions. Enhancements to the escalation procedures and the case routing system will improve response and resolution times, so that your productivity roadblocks are eliminated faster.

Weekday hotline support hours (Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand)

Our extensive hotline service – accessible 19 hours per day on weekdays – means you can quickly obtain the answers you need to overcome your production challenges. On weekdays the hotline is open 3am to 10pm EST (9am to 4am CET).

Weekend licensing and installation support (Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand)

Software installation and licensing support is now only a call away, even on the weekend. Platinum Membership allows you to get assistance with these issues Saturdays and Sundays from 6am to 6pm EST (12pm to 12am CET). 

Autodesk Insider Case Management – with enhanced management functionality for "Super Users" (North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand)

Using this 24-hour, online system, you can instantly determine the status of your reported bugs, your hotline case, or the Autodesk product¹ licensing status of anyone in your facility. When it comes to hotline cases, the ability to view your Product Support Specialist’s update notes means you can continually track your case as it progresses; plus, you can add your own notes or close the case.

Also, as part of this Platinum membership offering, Platinum Membership companies can, upon request, designate "Super Users" for their organization – individuals who will be given the ability to view all of their company’s Autodesk hotline cases. This valuable feature allows large facilities to efficiently manage hotline usage. Super Users get enhanced administrative privileges that allow them to set the access level of their facility’s users within the case management system.

Ask Autodesk
For those moments when you are particularly pressed for time, Autodesk offers this fast, easy-to-use, online support service. Ask Autodesk lets you instantly access an extensive database of questions and answers, a Platinum member discussion forum – even MotionBuilder product experts². This feature, available exclusively in the Platinum Membership program, helps you find the solutions you need to get up and running again quickly.

Front-of-the-line License Relocations³
When you need to change hardware or operating system, the Platinum membership program helps you transfer your Autodesk MotionBuilder licenses quickly and at no extra charge.

Operating System Relocations (for example Windows to Mac) – The Autodesk MotionBuilder Platinum Membership program gives you the ability to move your software licenses from one type of OS to another -- fast and free of charge. Member transfers get first priority; plus, the cost of transferring licenses from one type of operating system to another is included in the membership fee.

Same Operating System Relocations – As an Autodesk MotionBuilder Platinum member with a node-lock license, you won’t have to sacrifice productivity when you upgrade/replace your current workstation. As with different operating system relocations, your transfers will get first priority and don’t require you to pay an extra fee.

Autodesk Insider Technical Solutions and Knowledgebase
Autodesk Insider Technical Solutions is a comprehensive online resource that enables you to search at any time for crucial information and e-learning materials that can help you get the most out of your pre-production and production environments: this includes Live Tech Notes and best practices documentation. A searchable knowledgebase contains over 90 articles on MotionBuilder as well as tutorials and workarounds. Technical reports, with emphasis on current trends and user tips, are added weekly. Advanced search capabilities give you fast access to the most relevant solutions in the knowledgebase – making it easier for you to find the information you want.

A subset of Japanese information is available.

New! Interactive Training Sessions
Beginning April 2006, Autodesk product specialists will host real-time, interactive training sessions exploring various MotionBuilder industry production pipelines and core workflows benefiting technical directors, technical leads and artists. The first session, Pre-Production, will be available exclusively to Platinum Membership customers. Check in regularly for additional interactive training sessions on topics such as FBX® file format, Python SDK, and Broadcast Television.

Additional Savings
MotionBuilder Platinum Members are entitled to other cost-saving benefits including: discounts on certified training and free shipping on software upgrade and update packages.

MOTIONBUILDER PLATINUM MEMBERSHIP KEY SELLING POINTS:

² Product experts available throughout the day, Monday-Friday.

³ Available for all MotionBuilder 7.5-supported platforms (Windows, Mac OS X) and license types (node-locked and floating).