License requirement

The functionality described requires a MANUS Bodypack or a MANUS license key with the Motionbuilder feature enabled.

Constraining Models to Characters

This article describes some possible setups to make use of the MANUS plugin.

Before getting started, make sure you have installed the MotionBuilder MANUS plugin. For installation instructions, refer to the Installing plugin section of the Getting started article.

Parent constrain MANUS models into your skeleton's hierarchy

This section describes setting up hand models, controlled by MANUS data, into your characterized skeleton, to control other characters.

For this example, we made use of the Punch Skeleton and the Aragor Character from MotionBuilder's Tutorials assets. Here you can make use of your own skeleton and character. If want to use the same example assets, navigate to the Tutorials folder in the Asset Browser panel and drag in the Aragor and Punch assets into your (empty) scene. Make sure to include the 'Punch' Animation, when merging in the Punch asset. No animations are needed from the Aragor asset.

First make sure MANUS Core is running.

Then follow these steps (also see pictures below):

1. Navigate to the Devices folder in the Asset Browser panel.
2. Drag and drop the Manus plug-in device into your scene.
3. If not already selected, navigate to the Devices folder in the Navigator panel and select the MANUS plug-in device.
4. If you want to connect to a remote MANUS Core, enter the correct hostname or ip address in the Settings panel.
5. Set Skeleton Mode to Hands in the Settings panel and press Yes in the pop-up box.
6. Open the Model binding drop-down and choose Create ....

7. Navigate to the Constraints folder in the Asset Browser panel.
8. Drag and drop a Parent/Child constraint into your scene.
9. Navigate to the Constraints folder in the Navigator panel.
10. Rename the Parent/Child constraint (to Parent/Child Left Hand) and select it.

11. Navigate to the Scene folder in the Navigator panel.
12. Find the Manus:C1_LeftHandRoot object and drag and drop it into the Constrained object (Child) field in the Constraint Settings panel.
13. Find the LeftHand object of your skeleton (in this example case Skeleton_v75:LeftHand) and drag and drop it into the Source (Parent) 1 field in the Constraint Settings panel.

14. Toggle on the Active checkbox in the Constraint Settings panel.

15. Redo steps 7 to 14 for the right hand.

16. Navigate back to the Devices folder in the Navigator panel and select the MANUS plug-in device.

17. Select to the Characterization tab.
18. Open the Map to character drop-down and select your skeleton's character (in this example case Punchguy).
19. Open the Hands of model drop-down and select Manus:C1_Root.
20. Press the Map hands to character Button.

Delayed Character Controls UI

When mapping Manus hand to a character as described above, the UI in the Character Controls panel is not always updated. If you want to make sure the hand are mapped correctly, check out the characters Character Definition via the Characters folder in the Navigator panel. If use of the Character Controls panel is needed, You can save the scene and (re)open it again. Now the Character Controls panel should be refreshed with the MANUS models.

21. Navigate to the Characters folder in the Navigator panel and select your animation character's character (in this example case Aragor).
22. Go to the Character Settings tab.
23. Change Input Type to Character.
24. Change Input Source to your skeleton's character (in this example case Punchguy).
25. Toggle on the Active checkbox.

26. Navigate back to the Devices folder in the Navigator panel and select the MANUS plug-in device.
27. Toggle on the Online and Live checkboxes and see the character hands move!

Rotation constrain your skeleton's hand joints to MANUS hand joints

This section describes setting up your skeleton's hand to follow a MANUS hand model.

For this example, we made use of the mia_blue Skeleton from MotionBuilder's Tutorials assets. Here you can make use of your own skeleton. If want to use the same example assets, navigate to the Tutorials folder in the Asset Browser panel and drag in the mia_blue asset into your (empty) scene. No animations are needed.

First make sure MANUS Core is running.

Then follow these steps (also see pictures below): 1. Navigate to the Devices folder in the Asset Browser panel. 2. Drag and drop the MANUS plug-in device into your scene. 3. If not already selected, navigate to the Devices folder in the Navigator panel and select the MANUS plug-in device. 4. If you want to connect to a remote Manus Core, enter the correct hostname or ip address in the Settings panel. 5. Set Skeleton Mode to Hands in the Settings panel and press Yes in the pop-up box. 6. Open the Model binding drop-down and choose Create ....

7. Select to the Constraining tab.
8. Navigate to the Scene folder in the Navigator panel.
9. Find the 'left hand' object of your character containing all the base finger objects.

10. Enter the name of the 'left hand' object (including namespace) into the Constrain model field.

11. Open the To hand drop-down and select Manus:C1_LeftHandRoot.

12. Check if all the finger 'bases' are correctly auto-selected. In Mia's case, correct the index, middle and ring bases to the correct ones.

Finger Base: None

If one of the MANUS fingers does not have to constrain another finger, set it to None.

13. Press Apply Constraint

14. Repeat steps 8 to 13 for the right hand.

15. Navigate back to the Devices folder in the Navigator panel and select the Manus plug-in device.

16. Toggle on the Online and Live checkboxes and see the character hands move!

Rotation Offset

Since the Rotation Constraints set are absolute, there could be a difference in the 'null' rotations of the hand joints. To correct this: 1. Navigate to the Scene folder in the Navigator panel and find the joint object you want to edit. 2. Select its the contraint child. 3. Go to the Properties panel and uncheck the the Lock toggle. 4. Edit the Rotation (this can also be done using the scene gizmo's) 3. Check the Lock again (3).

In the mia_blue example case the carpus joints needed a ±90 degrees offset around the x axis, the thumbs a ~45 degrees offset around the x axis and some custom offsets around the x axis for the rest of the fingers.