Export .cax from MotionBuilder/3DSMax

[Josh]

Hi all

I'm trying to export a .cax animation so I can assign it to my avatar. Sadly it's quite hard for a beginner with all those strange programs like MotionBuilder and 3DSMax. So here are some basic questions:

I'm using the Live Characters character to capture motion capturing data. What steps are exactly needed now to

1) record the motions (the motions show up in MotionBuilder correctly already, but I guess I have to press a record button or something)
2) export the saved animation and apply it to an avatar in WorldViz

I already figured out that I can change the cfg file of the avatar and add a CAFX file to it. But how do I convert my MotionBuilder animation to CAFX? (Is CAFX the same like CAX by the way?)

Thanks a lot for help
Josh

[Jeff]

To be able to use animations within Vizard they need to be exported as *.CAF, which is a Cal3D format. The CAFX files are encrypted versions of those files.

If you own the Vizard Complete Character set then you will have Max files you can use to export new animations with. The Live Characters documentation describes two ways of doing this.

If you just have the avatars included with Vizard it is not possible to export new animations for them.

[Josh]

Thanks Jeff for your always helping answers! :-)

I'm at home right now (and not in the VR lab at the university), but I'd really like to take a look at the manual... sadly it can not be downloaded separately, so maybe (if it's not too big in file size) you could upload it (rapidshare.com) for me? That would be great.

[Jeff]

The Live Characters documentation is included with the Live Characters installation

[Josh]

yeah, that's exactly what i tried to say with my post... ;-) anyway, i will take a look at it at the university, then...