My process varies slightly for each shot but generally it is as follows.
- Set project, bring mockup scene to the project and import the rig.
- Open human IK panel and create character definition
- Connect appropriate parts in the human IK definition panel to the skeleton of the rig. I.E left upper arm to left upper arm, neck to neck, spine 1 to spine 1 etc. It’s a tedious process.
- There is two ways of doing this either double clicking on the part of the body in the definition panel then click on the correlating part in the skeleton or double click on the part in the ik definition panel then in the appropriate name in the outline. The latter is my process as it is quicker.
- Do this for all the joints and body parts, maya mirrors the action meaning if you do it on the left upper arm as long as naming convention is right it will repeat the process automatically on right upper arm.
- Click and drag the motion capture data into maya
- repeat step 3 to 5 with the motion capture data skeleton. When done character 1 should be rig and character 2 should be motion capture data in the human ik panel. Choose character 1 and source character 2 (mocap data).
8. Edit the motion capture data to correct length for this shot it was 72 frames so I set my timeline and edited the mocap data to 72 frames.
Create animation layer select the character the animation is attached to and add selection in animation layer.
9. Go over the footage in the blank timeline in the animation layer and set your keys where appropriate, use the animation editor to adjust and polish the animation.
10. I used locator and parent constraints to plant the feet and keep them from moving and I also used a locator to animate the can.
11. Lastly I use the time editor to relocate if necessary adjust and fine tune the timing of the movement in the graph editor by adjusting timing and spacing of key frames.