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| Presenting Autodesk MotionBuilder 2009 |
Posted: Aug 19, 2008
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Last week at the Autodesk User Group Event in Los Angeles, we were pleased to announced MotionBuilder 2009, the next major release, to a crowd of over 3000 Autodesk users. It
has been a long time coming and the team has been going crazy keeping a lid on this one, but we were finally able to start talking about this exciting release. And I have to say
that it is one of the most exciting releases that we have done in years.
First off, the way we approached the development of this release was completely different than with past releases. We added the Technical Director to our list of personas (users that we design the software for), which meant taking into account tasks like scripting and custom tool development. We also built as much of the new functionality and tools in this release on the Open Reality SDK, forcing us to open a huge number of doors for you to leverage in the development of your own tools. It was a true âeat your own dog foodâ type of approach.
The big themes of this release in terms of workflows and functionality are:
- Python scripting and Python UI
o New Python Editor!
o Create UI via Python scripts
o Start-up Python scripts folder
o Samples, samples and more samples
- Real-time dynamics engine
o Rigid Body simulation
o Rag Doll simulation
o Works with the character control-rig
- Enhanced shading and lighting
o CG shader for hardware normal mapping
o CG shader for per-pixel lighting and light attenuation
o Sample code to write your own shaders
This release we also implemented the Autodesk Customer Involvement Program, a new tool that is being added to all Autodesk products. The CIP tool is an anonymous, opt-in program, that allows you to help us out by providing us valuable information about your hardware, operating system, etc. (More info and privacy policy here). How does this information help the product? We spend hundreds of hours developing and testing the software on as many operating systems, CPUs, graphics cards and drivers as possible, but at the end of the day we canât test every configuration. The data collected via CIP tells us the most common configurations and we can focus on testing those primarily. By participating, you help ensure that we are developing and testing for your setup, so I encourage you to opt-into the program.
The release will be available in early fall this year and we look forward to getting your feedback on this big release!
Cheers,
Curtis Garton
First off, the way we approached the development of this release was completely different than with past releases. We added the Technical Director to our list of personas (users that we design the software for), which meant taking into account tasks like scripting and custom tool development. We also built as much of the new functionality and tools in this release on the Open Reality SDK, forcing us to open a huge number of doors for you to leverage in the development of your own tools. It was a true âeat your own dog foodâ type of approach.
The big themes of this release in terms of workflows and functionality are:
- Python scripting and Python UI
o New Python Editor!
o Create UI via Python scripts
o Start-up Python scripts folder
o Samples, samples and more samples
- Real-time dynamics engine
o Rigid Body simulation
o Rag Doll simulation
o Works with the character control-rig
- Enhanced shading and lighting
o CG shader for hardware normal mapping
o CG shader for per-pixel lighting and light attenuation
o Sample code to write your own shaders
This release we also implemented the Autodesk Customer Involvement Program, a new tool that is being added to all Autodesk products. The CIP tool is an anonymous, opt-in program, that allows you to help us out by providing us valuable information about your hardware, operating system, etc. (More info and privacy policy here). How does this information help the product? We spend hundreds of hours developing and testing the software on as many operating systems, CPUs, graphics cards and drivers as possible, but at the end of the day we canât test every configuration. The data collected via CIP tells us the most common configurations and we can focus on testing those primarily. By participating, you help ensure that we are developing and testing for your setup, so I encourage you to opt-into the program.
The release will be available in early fall this year and we look forward to getting your feedback on this big release!
Cheers,
Curtis Garton
Release Notes for MotionBuilder 2009 |
Physics
Animators now have the ability to create rigid and rag doll simulations inside MotionBuilder.
Rigid-body Dynamics
Animators can now setup a real-time, rigid-body simulation using the 3D objects within their scene. Support for real-time collisions, in particular, may be used to prevent interpenetration of characters, objects and other scene elements, an invaluable tool for those looking to efficiently edit 3D animations involving characters interacting with objects.
Rag Doll SolverThe addition of a new Rag Doll solver enables animators to simulate complex interactions between a character and its environment that would be time consuming and difficult to animate using traditional keyframing or motion capture techniques, such as a character falling and hitting the ground. This simulation is applied to the characterâs control-rig and can be mixed with existing animation data (for example mocap data of a character wildly waving his arms) or poses for increased realism (for example a character waving its arms as it falls).
Hardware Shaders
MotionBuilder 2009 provides support for advanced computer graphics (CG) shaders, improving the quality of the real-time display in the viewport.
Light Attenuation Shader*
Real-time display of light fall-off on point and spotlights, via support for the new CG Light Attenuation shader, makes it easier for animators to add new levels of subtlety and realism to their scenes.
Normal Mapping Shader*
Real-time display of normal maps (created in Autodesk® Maya®, Autodesk® Mudbox⢠or Autodesk® 3ds Max® software) can greatly enhance the look and feel of a scene.
Updated CgFX Support
MotionBuilder now supports version 2.0 of the CgFX library, enabling animators to take advantage of the latest CgFX shader technology.
Data Management
File Size Optimizations
MotionBuilder FBX files have been optimized, resulting in an up to 30% reduction in size. These smaller files can be loaded faster, particularly over networks.
Change Media File in Story Window
Animators can now update an .fbx file that a current MotionBuilder session is referencing by right-clicking the track in the Story Window and choosing Change Media File from the contextual menu, as opposed to having to delete it and re-create it.
Reading Point Cache
Animators can now have multiple point cache files in their MotionBuilder scene.
CgFX Shader Semantic Parameters
When an animator or TD uses semantic parameters such as âcamerapositionâ in their CgFX shader, MotionBuilder no longer creates a new property in the CgFX user interface that overrides the actual property.
File I/O
Default Save to ASCII Option
Animators can now set the default Save function to save their files as FBX ASCII, as opposed to FBX binary.
FBX SDK
The integration of the most recent version of the FBX software development kit (SDK) into MotionBuilder strengthens file compatibility with such software packages as Autodesk 3ds Max and Autodesk Maya.
Loading and Merging Characters via Python
Python scripting can now be used to load/merge characters into scenes.
Scripting
Improved support for Python scripting enables TDs and developers to embed MotionBuilder deeper into their pipeline through the development of custom tools and automation scripts.
Python Console Redesign
The addition of an intelligent, fully integrated Python editor enables animators to develop, test and refine their scripts within MotionBuilder. Support is provided for single and multi-line entry, tabbed workspaces, line numbering, color coding, history, hotkey support, drag and drop support, color coded error messages, and searching.
Characterizing, Creating and Setting New Control Rigs
Python can now be used to characterize, create control-rigs, and set new control-rigs as Character inputs.
Access to Rendering Codecs
MotionBuilder users can now select a rendering output codec programmatically, in order to create rendering scripts and plug-ins that can make use of any video codec that is installed on their system.
FCurve % Function in the Relation Constraint
Access to this function means MotionBuilder users can now get and set keys, enabling them to script setups similar to a Maya software Set Driven Key.
Mapping Character Skeletons to Character Templates
Animators can now use Python scripting to map charactersâ skeletons to new Character templates.
Loading and Merging Characters into Scenes
Python scripting can now be used to load and merge characters into scenes.
Setting Constant Input for a Relationâs Box
Python script writers can now set a constant input for a relationâs box; the SetCandidate and WriteData for boxes is now exposed to Python.
FBCharacterPose Exposed to Python Scripting
The FBCharacterPose is now properly exposed to Python scripting with the addition of the FBCharacterPoseOptions and FBCharacterPoseFlags.
Updated Python Support
The MotionBuilder 2009 Python libraries have been upgraded to version 2.5.1, the same version used in Autodesk Maya 2009.
Open Reality SDK
Customizable Plug-in Paths
MotionBuilder users can now customize the path in which they wish to install their Open Reality plug-ins.
Autodesk HumanIK Integration
The Autodesk® HumanIK® middleware library has been integrated within MotionBuilder 2009 as a plug-in built on the Open Reality® SDK. This enables developers using the Autodesk HumanIK middleware library to use the same library within MotionBuilder, for a one-to-one relationship with the library that they are using within their game engine.
Interface for Accessing Animation Layers
Developers can now write plug-ins that have access to the animation layers within MotionBuilder. This includes the ability, via the plug-in, to add and remove keys to the currently selected layer.
Character âReset Propertiesâ Function
Access to the character âReset Propertiesâ function means Open Reality plug-ins can now be created that allow animators to reset a characterâs properties from within the plug-in.
FCurve Exposure
The FBModelPath3D class now has a method to set each point, and the left and right tangents simultaneously, exposing the FCurve class to the Open Reality SDK. Additionally, it is now possible to get the FCurve from an FCurve % box.
Duplicating a KBoxFCurveRelativeNumber or a KBoxFCurveNumberAnimators can now continue working in MotionBuilder after duplicating a KBoxFCurveRelativeNumber or a KBoxFCurveNumber.
General Workflow
Improved Pivot Offset Workflow
Animators can now offset an objectâs pivot interactively within the viewport as opposed to having to set the values manually.
FCurve Scaling Around Arbitrary Points
Animators are now able to scale a selection of keys in the FCurve editor around any point that they click within the FCurve editor.
Foreground Camera Plate Support
Foreground elements can now be set to appear in front of a 3D scene, similar to the way the background plane is drawn behind the 3D scene.
Navigation Wheel
SteeringWheels⢠navigation technology is a simple to use, camera interface common to several of Autodeskâs 3D products. It supports zooming, panning and traversing.
ViewCube Navigation
This on-screen, cube-shaped widget, available in a number of Autodesk 3D products, provides animators feedback about their current viewing angle in relation to the model world. With a click and drag motion users can also directly click on a face or rotate the ViewCube⢠navigation technology in order to change their view.
3ds Max Biped Template
The addition of a new character template allows 3ds Max users to quickly set up their Biped characters within MotionBuilder. The 3ds Max Biped Template, which has been added to the Characters folder in the Asset browser, is identical to the MotionBuilder standard Character constraint; however, the naming of skeleton parts is in the format required for 3ds Max Bipeds.
Miscellaneous Features
Animatable Particles âQuantityâ Attribute
MotionBuilder 2009 enables animators to dynamically adjust the number of particles being generated by a particle emitter.
Custom Camera Film Formats
This new feature lets animators use the Viewer to set up shots faster and more accurately. Changing the Film Format setting for a custom camera (Camera Settings, Advanced pane) no longer affects the framing in the Viewer window as the new Film Format settings (focal length, optical center, etc.) adjust to match the display of the current camera view. Those who would like setting changes to be reflected in the Viewer window can manually adjust the settings in the Advanced pane.
Customer Involvement Program (CIP) Integration
The Autodesk Customer Involvement Program gives our customers an opportunity to help Autodesk understand how they use Autodesk products, so Autodesk in turn can work to improve the product in accordance with their needs. It tells Autodesk how MotionBuilder customers use the product on its own, as well as in conjunction with other Autodesk products. CIP collects the following types of information from its anonymous participants:
⢠Operating system name and version
⢠System configuration information, such as processor, memory, and graphics card
⢠Name and version of Autodesk products
⢠The IP address (this information will not be used to identify specific customers)
Support for Windows Vista Business 64-bit and Windows XP 64-bit
This latest release of MotionBuilder extends support to the 64-bit Intel® and AMD-based Windows platform including Windows Vista Business 64-bit. Those who choose to use the software on a 64-bit platform will benefit from significant performance improvements, as it allows users to address considerably more memory (up to 128GB for Windows XP 64, for example). This enables animators to handle larger and more complex scenes, and will improve performance in cases where swapping would previously occur.
Animators now have the ability to create rigid and rag doll simulations inside MotionBuilder.
Rigid-body Dynamics
Animators can now setup a real-time, rigid-body simulation using the 3D objects within their scene. Support for real-time collisions, in particular, may be used to prevent interpenetration of characters, objects and other scene elements, an invaluable tool for those looking to efficiently edit 3D animations involving characters interacting with objects.
Rag Doll SolverThe addition of a new Rag Doll solver enables animators to simulate complex interactions between a character and its environment that would be time consuming and difficult to animate using traditional keyframing or motion capture techniques, such as a character falling and hitting the ground. This simulation is applied to the characterâs control-rig and can be mixed with existing animation data (for example mocap data of a character wildly waving his arms) or poses for increased realism (for example a character waving its arms as it falls).
Hardware Shaders
MotionBuilder 2009 provides support for advanced computer graphics (CG) shaders, improving the quality of the real-time display in the viewport.
Light Attenuation Shader*
Real-time display of light fall-off on point and spotlights, via support for the new CG Light Attenuation shader, makes it easier for animators to add new levels of subtlety and realism to their scenes.
Normal Mapping Shader*
Real-time display of normal maps (created in Autodesk® Maya®, Autodesk® Mudbox⢠or Autodesk® 3ds Max® software) can greatly enhance the look and feel of a scene.
Updated CgFX Support
MotionBuilder now supports version 2.0 of the CgFX library, enabling animators to take advantage of the latest CgFX shader technology.
Data Management
File Size Optimizations
MotionBuilder FBX files have been optimized, resulting in an up to 30% reduction in size. These smaller files can be loaded faster, particularly over networks.
Change Media File in Story Window
Animators can now update an .fbx file that a current MotionBuilder session is referencing by right-clicking the track in the Story Window and choosing Change Media File from the contextual menu, as opposed to having to delete it and re-create it.
Reading Point Cache
Animators can now have multiple point cache files in their MotionBuilder scene.
CgFX Shader Semantic Parameters
When an animator or TD uses semantic parameters such as âcamerapositionâ in their CgFX shader, MotionBuilder no longer creates a new property in the CgFX user interface that overrides the actual property.
File I/O
Default Save to ASCII Option
Animators can now set the default Save function to save their files as FBX ASCII, as opposed to FBX binary.
FBX SDK
The integration of the most recent version of the FBX software development kit (SDK) into MotionBuilder strengthens file compatibility with such software packages as Autodesk 3ds Max and Autodesk Maya.
Loading and Merging Characters via Python
Python scripting can now be used to load/merge characters into scenes.
Scripting
Improved support for Python scripting enables TDs and developers to embed MotionBuilder deeper into their pipeline through the development of custom tools and automation scripts.
Python Console Redesign
The addition of an intelligent, fully integrated Python editor enables animators to develop, test and refine their scripts within MotionBuilder. Support is provided for single and multi-line entry, tabbed workspaces, line numbering, color coding, history, hotkey support, drag and drop support, color coded error messages, and searching.
Characterizing, Creating and Setting New Control Rigs
Python can now be used to characterize, create control-rigs, and set new control-rigs as Character inputs.
Access to Rendering Codecs
MotionBuilder users can now select a rendering output codec programmatically, in order to create rendering scripts and plug-ins that can make use of any video codec that is installed on their system.
FCurve % Function in the Relation Constraint
Access to this function means MotionBuilder users can now get and set keys, enabling them to script setups similar to a Maya software Set Driven Key.
Mapping Character Skeletons to Character Templates
Animators can now use Python scripting to map charactersâ skeletons to new Character templates.
Loading and Merging Characters into Scenes
Python scripting can now be used to load and merge characters into scenes.
Setting Constant Input for a Relationâs Box
Python script writers can now set a constant input for a relationâs box; the SetCandidate and WriteData for boxes is now exposed to Python.
FBCharacterPose Exposed to Python Scripting
The FBCharacterPose is now properly exposed to Python scripting with the addition of the FBCharacterPoseOptions and FBCharacterPoseFlags.
Updated Python Support
The MotionBuilder 2009 Python libraries have been upgraded to version 2.5.1, the same version used in Autodesk Maya 2009.
Open Reality SDK
Customizable Plug-in Paths
MotionBuilder users can now customize the path in which they wish to install their Open Reality plug-ins.
Autodesk HumanIK Integration
The Autodesk® HumanIK® middleware library has been integrated within MotionBuilder 2009 as a plug-in built on the Open Reality® SDK. This enables developers using the Autodesk HumanIK middleware library to use the same library within MotionBuilder, for a one-to-one relationship with the library that they are using within their game engine.
Interface for Accessing Animation Layers
Developers can now write plug-ins that have access to the animation layers within MotionBuilder. This includes the ability, via the plug-in, to add and remove keys to the currently selected layer.
Character âReset Propertiesâ Function
Access to the character âReset Propertiesâ function means Open Reality plug-ins can now be created that allow animators to reset a characterâs properties from within the plug-in.
FCurve Exposure
The FBModelPath3D class now has a method to set each point, and the left and right tangents simultaneously, exposing the FCurve class to the Open Reality SDK. Additionally, it is now possible to get the FCurve from an FCurve % box.
Duplicating a KBoxFCurveRelativeNumber or a KBoxFCurveNumberAnimators can now continue working in MotionBuilder after duplicating a KBoxFCurveRelativeNumber or a KBoxFCurveNumber.
General Workflow
Improved Pivot Offset Workflow
Animators can now offset an objectâs pivot interactively within the viewport as opposed to having to set the values manually.
FCurve Scaling Around Arbitrary Points
Animators are now able to scale a selection of keys in the FCurve editor around any point that they click within the FCurve editor.
Foreground Camera Plate Support
Foreground elements can now be set to appear in front of a 3D scene, similar to the way the background plane is drawn behind the 3D scene.
Navigation Wheel
SteeringWheels⢠navigation technology is a simple to use, camera interface common to several of Autodeskâs 3D products. It supports zooming, panning and traversing.
ViewCube Navigation
This on-screen, cube-shaped widget, available in a number of Autodesk 3D products, provides animators feedback about their current viewing angle in relation to the model world. With a click and drag motion users can also directly click on a face or rotate the ViewCube⢠navigation technology in order to change their view.
3ds Max Biped Template
The addition of a new character template allows 3ds Max users to quickly set up their Biped characters within MotionBuilder. The 3ds Max Biped Template, which has been added to the Characters folder in the Asset browser, is identical to the MotionBuilder standard Character constraint; however, the naming of skeleton parts is in the format required for 3ds Max Bipeds.
Miscellaneous Features
Animatable Particles âQuantityâ Attribute
MotionBuilder 2009 enables animators to dynamically adjust the number of particles being generated by a particle emitter.
Custom Camera Film Formats
This new feature lets animators use the Viewer to set up shots faster and more accurately. Changing the Film Format setting for a custom camera (Camera Settings, Advanced pane) no longer affects the framing in the Viewer window as the new Film Format settings (focal length, optical center, etc.) adjust to match the display of the current camera view. Those who would like setting changes to be reflected in the Viewer window can manually adjust the settings in the Advanced pane.
Customer Involvement Program (CIP) Integration
The Autodesk Customer Involvement Program gives our customers an opportunity to help Autodesk understand how they use Autodesk products, so Autodesk in turn can work to improve the product in accordance with their needs. It tells Autodesk how MotionBuilder customers use the product on its own, as well as in conjunction with other Autodesk products. CIP collects the following types of information from its anonymous participants:
⢠Operating system name and version
⢠System configuration information, such as processor, memory, and graphics card
⢠Name and version of Autodesk products
⢠The IP address (this information will not be used to identify specific customers)
Support for Windows Vista Business 64-bit and Windows XP 64-bit
This latest release of MotionBuilder extends support to the 64-bit Intel® and AMD-based Windows platform including Windows Vista Business 64-bit. Those who choose to use the software on a 64-bit platform will benefit from significant performance improvements, as it allows users to address considerably more memory (up to 128GB for Windows XP 64, for example). This enables animators to handle larger and more complex scenes, and will improve performance in cases where swapping would previously occur.
