Creating Seamless Animations in AniFuzion with Automatic Motion Retargeting: A Deep Dive

In the world of animation, creativity thrives on flexibility and efficiency. But what if you could take your process to a whole new level—blending existing actions to create entirely new animations without starting from scratch? Meet Motion Mixer, the groundbreaking feature of AniFuzion, our cutting-edge animation software designed to empower animators to innovate faster and smarter.

AniFuzion is a powerful online animation maker that can assist you to create impressive animations and videos. In this guide, we’ll dive into everything you need to know about AniFuzion’s powerful motion retargeting capabilities. We’ll explore how Motion Mixer revolutionizes animation workflows, focusing on its unique relative computation algorithm and seamless motion retargeting process.

Here’s a quick overview of the features that make AniFuzion a game-changer.

• Motion Mixer: Effortlessly adapt animations from one character model to another using our proprietary relative computation algorithm. This advanced system utilizes a pre-computed compatibility map across thousands of character skeletons, ensuring every transition looks smooth and natural.
• Action Library: Access a vast collection of over 2,000 pre-made, compatible motions. Use them as-is or combine them with the Motion Mixer to create entirely new actions tailored to your needs.
  
• Character Library: Choose from a diverse library of character models, each equipped with pre-computed skeletal compatibility data, ensuring perfect motion retargeting every time.
  
• Motion Blending: Maintain fluidity between actions with our intelligent blending tool. No matter how different two actions are, Motion Blending ensures smooth and natural transitions for polished results.
• Gizmo-Based Pose Adjustments (Optional): Take control with our intuitive rigging tool to refine joint rotations and perfect your animations with ease.

How to Perform Motion Retargeting? A Step-by-Step Guide

In this section, we’ll guide you through the process of motion retargeting using Motion Mixer and other AniFuzion tools. Ready to get started? Let’s go!

Step 1: Create a character

Begin by selecting a character model from AniFuzion’s Character Library. Each character comes with pre-computed skeletal compatibility data, enabling precise and automatic motion retargeting.

Step 2: Choose an Action

Next, pick an action for your character from the Action Library, which includes thousands of pre-made, compatibility-optimized motions.

1. Select your character
2. Click on the action Standard Idle in the timeline.
3. On the left pane, browse and select a second action. For example, choose a Stand action.

Step 3: Customize the Action with Motion Mixer

Now it’s time to make the animation dynamic. For this example, we’ll have the character type or playing the piano while standing.

To do this, we are going to mix a Typing action with the Stand action, through the motion re-targeting support provided by the Motion Mixer tool.

1. Click the + button on top of the Stand action bar in the timeline. This opens the Motion Mixer pane.
2. Search for a Typing action in the library.
3. Select the upper body of the Typing action to mix it with the Stand action.
4. Preview the combined motion. If the selected Typing action is longer than the base Stand action, you can trim, speed it up, or repeat it to match the timeline length.
5. Once satisfied, click Set to Timeline to apply the changes.

AniFuzion’s proprietary algorithm now gets to work, analyzing the skeletal structures of both actions and seamlessly merging their animation data. Unlike traditional bone-to-bone mapping, AniFuzion employs a relative computation algorithm that considers joint positions and movements for more natural and robust results.

Step 4: Finish up by completing the action sequence

Finish your animation by adding more actions:

1. Click the + button on the right of an existing action in the timeline.
   
2. Choose another action to append.

AniFuzion will automatically blend the transitions between actions. You can manually adjust the blend bar to control the transition duration, ensuring a polished and seamless sequence.

Extended Reading – Tutorial: Seamless action transition with blending

AniFuzion’s Unique Approach

AniFuzion’s cutting-edge motion retargeting technology sets it apart with:

• Broad Compatibility: Effortlessly retarget motions between vastly different character models.
• Enhanced Accuracy: Avoid distortions and achieve natural movements with our sophisticated relative computation algorithm.
• Workflow Automation: Streamline character switching and motion blending with minimal manual intervention.

Something More: Pose Correction with the Pose Offset Tool

Need to tweak your character’s posture? Use the Pose Offset Tool for fine-tuned adjustments:

1. Drag the playhead in the timeline to the action you want to adjust.
2. Click Edit Pose Offset to begin refining joint rotations.

   

3. Click Finish Editing at the top right to confirm the changes.

Extended reading – Tutorial: Pose correction with Pose Offset

Try It Out with Visual Paradigm Online!

Ready to experience the power of AniFuzion and the Motion Mixer for yourself? Head over to Visual Paradigm Online, where you can explore all these features and more in an intuitive, cloud-based environment. Create stunning animations, blend actions effortlessly, and bring your characters to life—all from the convenience of your browser. Dive in today and unlock a world of creative possibilities!

Related Articles

• Tips: Rotatable 3D Characters: Adding Depth and Realism to Your Animations
• Tutorial: Add Character to Your Video
• Tutorial: Pose Correction with Pose Offset
• Tutorial: Seamless action transition with Blending