Using 3ds Max with Motionbuilder videos

Autodesk Motionbuilder is a powerful real-time 3d character animation program where you can quickly rig and animate characters into full-body FK/IK manipulations. In this 5-part series, you learn about the interoperability of Motionbuilder with 3ds Max, and what you need to know and do to ensure a seamless operation between the two programs. This first movie introduces some basic concepts of Motionbuilder, enough to get you an operational knowledge so you can go back and forth between the two applications:

In this movie, you learn how to set up and name a skeleton made out of 3ds Max Bones, in preparation for export to Motionbuilder. After you animate the skeleton in Motionbuilder, you import the animation back to 3ds Max for rendering purposes:

In this movie, you learn how to set up a biped skeleton, in preparation for export to Motionbuilder. After you animate the skeleton in Motionbuilder, you import the animation back to the biped skeleton in 3ds Max for rendering purposes. You can also use Biped Animation Layers for simple adjustments:

In this movie, you learn how to export a CAT skeleton, for rigging and animation in Motionbuilder. You will also learn how to create a special Motionbuilder template, as a CAT rig skeleton doesn’t follow a naming convention recognized by Motionbuilder:

Once you have characterized your CAT rig and animated it in Motionbuilder, you import the animation back to 3ds Max for rendering purposes. The process is a bit different from what you have learned earlier but easy enough once you understand the workflow as shown in this movie:

Level: Advanced
Recorded in: Motionbuilder 2011, 3ds Max 2011
Files used: http://areadownloads.autodesk.com/wdm/3dsmax/HTM-INT_mobu.zip