Fragmotion Overview Tutorial, 3D Modeling and Animation Program

[Nahton]

I have posted a tutorial on a 3D animation program called Fragmotion. I have been using it as my primary tool for creating Moviestorm skeletal animations since they released the skeletons. It took me a while to get up to speed using it so I thought I'd share some of the things I learned. It's a bit long (30 Minutes) and I was having some screen capture software issues. It was painful for me but might provide a chuckle or two. (FYI - I finally found one that worked). It's rough around the edges and I thought about redoing it and making myself sound more coherent but I think it's understandable and I'd rather just get it uploaded sooner rather than later so others can benefit from it. I really intended to do this a loooong time ago.

If you don't want to learn Fragmotion you can always watch it and play a drinking game. Take a shot every time I say "Actually" and "You know". Make sure have someone available on standby to identify the body the next day.

Fragmotion cost $50 to buy but it can be used on a trial basis. It is available at Fragmosoft.com


Enjoy!



Frafmotion Overview

[Reacher]

Very nice FragMo overview.

I tend to use it in the 4 corners layout, but seeing how you used the axis constraints with the 3d view is interesting, will have to try it.

Looking forward to more.

-- Reacher

[corthew]

Thanks! Next time I try FragMo I'll have a better idea what to do.

[Nahton]

Very nice FragMo overview.

I tend to use it in the 4 corners layout, but seeing how you used the axis constraints with the 3d view is interesting, will have to try it.

Looking forward to more.

-- Reacher

Thanks Reacher. Actually I did a segment on the window views that was lost due to my problems with Cam Studios. I meant to redo it and state that my preference is to work in the 3D view in order to manipulate the puppet.

It should be noted that there are some situations where the 4 window view is the preferred viewing method. This is particularly true when you move the puppets feet off the 0.0.0 axis (for animations where you need to bend the knees primarily) and need to get them back to "trips zero".

[corthew]

It should be noted that there are some situations where the 4 window view is the preferred viewing method. This is particularly true when you move the puppets feet off the 0.0.0 axis (for animations where you need to bend the knees primarily) and need to get them back to "trips zero".

This is something I need to know. "Trips zero"?

What part of the foot defines how far off the floor the puppet is?

I've been trying to make a walk cycle and I'm fairly certain the majority of problems I've experience boil down to its Z position but finding the right Z position has proven difficult with the male and impossible for the female.

[Nahton]

Thanks! Next time I try FragMo I'll have a better idea what to do.

Good Luck Corthew.

I thought you, in particular might find it useful as I knew you had recently tinkered with it.

[corthew]

Hey Nahton,

I had left a second message above. I'm curious about ??"trips zero"??

[Nahton]

Hey Nahton,

I had left a second message above. I'm curious about ??"trips zero"??

I knew trying to be clever with my self generated slang might cause confusion

I was referring to the 0.0.0 coordinates. If you toggle to the right or left view you can tell when the puppet is on the x/y axes which is the floor level.

You can click on the yellow figures along the the top of the toolbar under the "Help - SkeleTools" menu section. (See gif attachment)

Since you are doing a walk cycle I'm not sure you want to remain at 0.0.0 as I believe you are using verbs to allow the puppet to end in a different location.

Attached File(s)

 FragMo_Window_Views.gif ( 1.65K ) Number of downloads: 5

 

[primaveranz]

If all I ever get out of this is "trips zero" I'll be quite happy

[Nahton]

If all I ever get out of this is "trips zero" I'll be quite happy

I know what you mean. I've contemplated many ideas for a non-user name related studio name and I'm thinking I may have accidently stumbled upon one

Trips Zero Productions?

[corthew]

I was referring to the 0.0.0 coordinates. If you toggle to the right or left view you can tell when the puppet is on the x/y axes which is the floor level.

I want the puppet to always have one foot down but because of the way a foot pivots when walking I'm not sure what exactly, down is.

I would have assumed it was going by a bone somehow but if the bone remains stationary on the Z Axis parts of the foot naturally go below the floor. Could it be going by the actual mesh?

[Nahton]

I want the puppet to always have one foot down but because of the way a foot pivots when walking I'm not sure what exactly, down is.

I would have assumed it was going by a bone somehow but if the bone remains stationary on the Z Axis parts of the foot naturally go below the floor. Could it be going by the actual mesh?

I'm not sure on that question. I've only brought fairly stationary poses into Moviestorm where I have moved the puppet off the z plane ro and back down in order to bend the knees. I can tell you I aligned those to have the mesh touch the Z plane.

[corthew]

I'm not sure on that question. I've only brought fairly stationary poses into Moviestorm where I have moved the puppet off the z plane ro and back down in order to bend the knees. I can tell you I aligned those to have the mesh touch the Z plane.

The walk engine seems to be a bit pickier than most other animation types and the female seems to be pickier than the male. Who'd have guessed.

[urbanlamb]

rofl well I just started working on a tailer for my up and coming masterpiece (i have a lot of theoretical ones i am working on you know..) and I have need of an animation for using a keyboard so I guess even though I have not gotten round to finishing the chicken I guess I will be taking a peak at this since its a puppet animation .

Hopefully its easier to see what is going on then in the other bits of software I tried ..

[urbanlamb]

The walk engine seems to be a bit pickier than most other animation types and the female seems to be pickier than the male. Who'd have guessed.

I find it odd that the skeletons are so different in moviestorm i mean they have those um "bazooms" but they dont bounce or anything I would have figured they could use the identical skeleton and get away with it, but what do I know.. maybe its the hips.. I have to take a peak one day and try to figure out why they had a need to create two totally seperate avatars instead of simply um making a genderless one and morphing from there..

....ugh this conversation is going into strange places that brings me to think I need to remove my hands from the keyboard and walk away for a bit now..

[quasimodder]

Quasi to find this interest of modding. My am being think to try the animate.

Peas and lofe.

[urbanlamb]

well i have .. *cough* long ago now done my stupid animated chicken and am staring at this thread with the link and tutorial to fragmotion and I think I am ready to learn how to attempt an import ... and seperate the animations I guess...

I am trying to make myself learn another piece of software and I am a bit saturated at the moment so its not easy to pump anymore in .. so maybe posting here will make me more motivated ...

[urbanlamb]

lol epic fail

no way to import skeleton from blender 2.62


so *throws in towel*

I can't see well enough to animate in those bits of software my only hope was to animated in blender and find a way to get the animations and skeleton out intact.

Oh well

[Reacher]

lol epic fail

no way to import skeleton from blender 2.62


so *throws in towel*

I can't see well enough to animate in those bits of software my only hope was to animated in blender and find a way to get the animations and skeleton out intact.

Oh well

Blender => export as FBX, should import into fragmotion.

-- Reacher

[Nahton]

I was playing around with the Moviestorm fbx skeletons and when I open them in FragMo they are not aligned with the mesh which makes it hard to animate them IMO.

I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this with other 3D modeling/animation programs.