Documentation

Requirements

Requirements for running MocapX Maya plugin and MocapX Application (iOS) are:

MocapX Maya plugin

Windows – Maya 2016, 2016.5, 2017, 2018.1 – 2019.1 or 2019.2, 2020 *(iTunes for Windows installed)

MacOS – Maya 2016, 2016.5, 2017, 2018.1 – 2019.1 or 2019.2, 2020

*minimum Service Pack 1 for Maya 2016

Application (iOS)

A device running iOS 14 and newer

Facial tracking is supported on these devices:

iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation)
iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation)
iPad Pro 11-inch

Keypad feature is available for:

iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.
iPhone SE.
iPad Pro (9.7, 10.5 or 12.9) – both first-gen and 2nd-gen.
iPad (2017)
iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.
iPhone X
iPhone XR
iPhone XS and Max
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11
iPad 2017 and higher

Installation

Windows

1.Unzip the Maya plugin to a folder called Mocapx on your hard drive

2. Add the path to the location of Mocapx folder in your Maya.env

For example when your folder is located in C:\Mocapx

Open Maya.env and add this line:

MAYA_MODULE_PATH=C:\Mocapx

Maya.env file can be found

drive:\Users\username\Documents\maya\version

MacOS

1.Unzip the Maya plugin to a folder called Mocapx on your hard drive

2. Add the path to the location of Mocapx folder in your Maya.env

For example when your folder is located in C:\Mocapx

Open Maya.env and add a line:

MAYA_MODULE_PATH=C:\Mocapx

Maya.env file can be found

/Users/username/Library/Preferences/Autodesk/maya/version

Shelf and icons

Shelf

MocapX offers a shelf menu with the most important functions available. Here is a list of all:

PoseLib Editor

Attribute collection

Create PoseLib

Create Pose

Create Realtime device

Create Clip Reader

Live (Realtime device)

Pause (Realtime device)

Bake tool

Demo rig

Help

Realtime device

Realtime device is a node that communicates with the MocapX iOS application.

All important functions are available through the Attribute editor.

Realtime playback controls give user the ability to connect to the iOS application either with Wifi or USB.

In order to successfully connect the iOS app to Maya, you need to fill right the IP address and the port from the application (located in the top section of the app).

Wifi – IP address and port

USB – only port has to be filled in

Record controls

To record a clip, specify a file path (default path is set to the current Maya project) and how many seconds of already passed action you want to save and hit Save Clip button.

MocapX creates a clip and stores all animation data within that clip.

Clip reader

Clip reader is used for reading a clip of MocapX data from the local drive.

Attribute collection

The attribute collection is a node that stores rest values for PoseLib.

PoseLib editor

PoseLib

The PoseLib editor allows user to create, preview, and edit Poses. The purpose of working with a MocapX is to create a pose (definition of neutral face and face with expression) similar to a blendshape, but created from the rig controllers. Each pose is defined as a relaxed (zero pose) and an extreme pose. For example, jaw open or eye blink. The transition between these states is represented by 0 and 1. Mocap data is then driving these poses and transfers the expression back to the rig.

MocapX (Adaptor)

Adaptor

The MocapX node (Adaptor) is used to quickly switch the data source from the realtime device to the clip reader. So the user can perform an action, record it and then quickly load a clip and preview it. Then you can switch back to live and record more clips.

Description of poses (facial expressions)

eyeBlink_L

eyeBlink_R

eyeLookDown_L

eyeLookDown_R

eyeLookIn_L

eyeLookIn_R

eyeLookOut_L

eyeLookOut_R

eyeLookUp_L

eyeLookUp_R

eyeSquint_L

eyeSquint_R

eyeWide_L

eyeWide_R

jawForward

jawLeft

jawRigh

jawOpen

mouthClose (closing lips once the jawOpen is set to 1)

Example video here

mouthFunnel

mouthPucker

mouthLeft

mouthRight

mouthSmile_L

mouthSmile_R

mouthFrown_L

mouthFrown_R

mouthDimple_L

mouthDimple_R

mouthStretch_L

mouthStretch_R

mouthRollLower

mouthRollUpper

mouthShrugLower

mouthShrugUpper

mouthPress_L

mouthPress_R

mouthLowerDown_L

mouthLowerDown_R

mouthUpperUp_L

mouthUpperUp_R

browDown_L

browDown_R

browInnerUp

browOuterUp_L

browOuterUp_R

cheekPuff

cheekSquint_L

cheekSquint_R

noseSneer_L

noseSneer_R

tongueOut (tongue out once the JawOpen is set to 1)

These two images above showcase the combination of jawOpen set to 1 and tongueOut set to 1

FAQ

Most frequently asked questions and answers

Which mobile devices are compatible with the MocapX app?

MocapX runs on every iPhone and tablet with iOS 14. Please note that facial tracking is only supported on devices with FaceID. Click here for a full list of hardware features.

What are the differences between facial tracking of iPhone X and newer models?

Apple’s True depth camera, which is responsible for facial mocap, is exactly the same in all the models with Face ID technology.

Can I use the plug-in for commercial use?

Yes, of course. The MocapX app and plug-in were created for animators to speed up the animation process. You can use the MocapX plug-in for any commercial and non-comercial projects. If you do anything interesting in MocapX, let us know and we will be happy to share.

Do I need a special computer?

Please note that more complicated rigs may decrease real-time performance depending on your computer’s processing power and graphics card. However, MocapX data is captured and saved at a full 60 fps.

How does MocapX track facial expressions?

Facial tracking in the MocapX app uses Apple’s Face ID technology to capture facial expressions and transfer the data directly to Maya. This is a paid feature in the application and is only available for devices with Face ID capability. Click here for a full list of hardware features.

What version of Maya do I need and which operating system should I be using?

We support all Maya versions from 2017 to 2020. The operating systems we recommend are Windows 10 with iTunes installed and MacOS HighSierra or later.

Does the MocapX plugin work with any Maya rig?

Generally speaking, yes! You can connect MocapX data directly to your rig controller or use PoseLib to drive multiple controllers on your rig. We provide demos as well as a tutorials and other useful information.

What are sliders and joysticks?

Sliders and joysticks are available in the free version of the MocapX app and allow you to control objects and attributes in real time in Maya. You can record live action sequences and save them as animation clips for later use – for example, you can animate a car or plane just by rotating your iPhone.

Do you support Android devices?

The Android version of MocapX is in the works and is coming soon.

Please be aware that for the Android version, you will have to use a device with similar technology to Apple’s Face ID technology (Infrared camera + laser dot projector).

Any plans for supporting real-time mocap in Unity and UE4?

We support only Maya real-time facial motion capture with our Maya plug-in and PoseLib editor. The Unity plug-in for live mocap will come in 2Q 2020 and Unreal connection in late 2020.

What is the difference between buying additional minutes and PRO version?

With PRO version you can both stream to Maya in real-time and record a clip locally for later use in Maya (the clip length is limited only by available storage on your device). The basic version includes 30 seconds of free local recording and you can buy additional minutes up to 45 minutes. With basic version you are not able to stream facial expression to Maya directly. However you can test the connection with your pc and Maya using keypads and sliders.

Where in the app do I find the history of purchases?

History of purchases can be found only in your AppStore account.

Are minutes transferable to different device?

Currently no. Your purchase is tied to Apple ID and to device where the purchase was done.