Motion capture has revolutionized live animation like no other technology before it. Powerful as it is, mocap is also a very profitable market for animation agencies to get into. As with any rapidly growing market, small-time manufacturers have begun to flock this one as well. Unfortunately, few of these provide any real value for your money. Unless you’re a huge enterprise and have a lot of cash to squander on different mocap systems, I suggest you follow these guidelines and make the best possible choice.
Requirements and specifications
Space: When it comes to space, specifications can be deceptive because the amount of space required for camera setup may not exactly correspond with the amount of space usable for capture. So, don’t fall for “attractively†minimal requirements; you could be severely limiting your live animation.
Cameras: Almost every mocap system on the market comes with a different number of cameras. For example, the highly sophisticated systems can provide support for up to 10 cameras per PC. Of course, how many cameras you need will vary according to your requirements but a good number is an indicator of quality.
Data cleanup: No matter which motion capture system you use, you will be left with some amount of visual noise to clean up. So find out how much cleanup is required of the raw mocap data. There are a few companies that promise ‘zero cleanup’.
Manufacturing: Verify with the seller if they manufacture the hardware and hardcode the
mocap software themselves. If not, will the proprietors of the system provide direct support should any issues arise? What about the warranty? Get these questions answered before proceeding any further.
First-hand experience matters
If you’ve ever heard a mocap salesman or been to a seller’s website, you may have heard them make outrageous claims about their technology. Whether or not they’re valid, you can only find out by having first-hand experience with their system before making a purchase.
Companies like Animazoo, for example, are known for their no marker motion capture systems. Their technology is centered on software that looks at models as a normal human brain would. Chances are, you can’t afford to buy from Organic Motion and are going for a cheaper alternative with similar “no marker†capability. In this case, it’s a good idea to make sure that the “markerlessness†is actually worth your money. Markers are indeed costly and a pain to set up but many “no marker†systems are of poor quality and produce unusable data. One of the best no marker systems is from Animazoo.
Another form of misleading advertising is when you see a very attractive “live demonstration†video that is actually produced by a different mocap system from the one on sale. You can check this by asking for a customized demo; ex: make the character walk forward and backward, left and right, jump etc. If the salesperson can’t handle your request, steer clear.
Conclusion
The first thing to note about the motion capture market is that there are a lot of subpar systems floating around. If you can afford a high-priced system, by all means, go ahead. But if you can’t, and are going to buy from a lower-priced, lesser-known company, keep the above caveats in mind and you should be making a very calculated choice.