Interesting you should mention the lack of popularity of MotionBuilder given it’s strengths.  Unfortunately, the application is prohibitively expensive for a package that essentially does part of what most other “Full Pipeline” tools also do, but with less elbow grease.  Ultimately, the MotionBuilder/MotionBuilder Pro pricing strategy would have helped in the long run by making MotionBuilder more accessible to individuals interested in spending more time with a specialized package for character animators.  SideFX software has a similar problem with Houdini.  The “Apprentice” version of their software is helping them somewhat, but I think a lot of people, myself included here, believes that it’s maybe a half-step behind the massively crippled “Demo/Learning Edition” offering that most companies have.  MotionBuilder wasn’t like that, particularly when the initial offering of the software was made and select people were offered it at a slashed price.  Basically it had everything the pro version had except the live motion capture and facial animation components.  Honestly, it’s going to take A LARGE corporate commitment to raising the visibility of MotionBuilder for it to be recognized in the way you and actually a lot of other people would like and AutoDesk just isn’t that committed to MotionBuilder as far as I can tell. 

My strategy:
Apple buys AutoDesk and NaturalMotion, makers of Endorphin:  Better integration of all of the products is the immediate benefit seen by custormers.  MotionBuilder including every feature including NaturalMotion technology except the live motion capture component and a large and growing library of motion capture data is offered as a major community benefit in a community like the AREA specifically for MotionBuilder character animators and character TDs.  That’s really what’s needed and think that was the direction things were finally going before all of the acquisitions, but at best I can hope that Apple buys AutoDesk if/when they decide it’s time to for them to pursue the games market. 

MB is indeed one fabulous piece of software, but I wish it would be more geared towards the character animator. it’s got very nice and fancy tools for motion capture editing, but it also lacks some very basic and essential things character animation needs, such as ghosting (paths become useless when you deal with slow movements, which a 3D animator might find him/herself in need to work with a lot of, if not most of the time) or being able to draw over the poses. also, an animator needs to be able to hide and show different parts of the body - well, of course, the puppet being segmented in rigid chunks.

i would love to get in the industry, well done, you are very lucky and i bet very skilled. at the moment im studying game design in south hampton uni in thhe uk, one of the best. the stuff we do is amazing, love working on 3d max and designing work in 2d as well as 3d. anyway i better leave you alone. im probably boring you to death, dont want you in an early grave or retired, so seee ya

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