Archive notice: This article was originally published on August 3, 2009. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
At SIGGRAPH 2009, Autodesk announced the release of a new version of its 3D software for real-time character animation—Autodesk MotionBuilder 2010. The latest version offers a faster performance package, productivity-enhancing animation workflows and more comprehensive real-time physics capabilities. MotionBuilder 2010 will also ship as part of the Autodesk Entertainment Creation Suites and Autodesk Real-Time Animation Suites. Artists benefit from improved interoperability with the Autodesk Maya and Autodesk 3ds Max software solutions.
MotionBuilder was used in the production of various entertainment projects including “Beowulf,” “Gears of War 2,” “Shaun White Snowboarding” and “Resistance 2.”
“Autodesk MotionBuilder is an ideal tool for extensive game animation pipelines, directorial-level virtual cinematography and real-time character simulations,” explains Stig Gruman, Vice President of the Autodesk Digital Entertainment Group. “The expanded functions and improved accessibility of version 2010 will help completely transform the creative decision-making process as a growing number of creative visionaries choose to introduce this technology in virtual cinematography and previsualisation.”
“Since my first contact with the software in 2003, I have not been this excited about the release of a new version of MotionBuilder,” explains CJ Markham, Lead Animator at Rockstar Games London. “The physics tools and solutions are simply incredible, and the entire software appears to run much faster than older versions. Thanks to compatibility with my 64-bit processor and the ability to make full use of my 12 gigabytes of RAM, graphically displaying long scenes with several characters becomes truly child’s play.”
New feature highlights of Autodesk MotionBuilder 2010
Faster performance
• The overall improved core engine, including internal memory optimisation, delivers superior performance when handling long scenes.
• The nonlinear editing functions of the Story tool are now faster than ever and enable faster handling of a wide variety of data for cutscenes and motion-editing scenes.
Productivity-enhancing animation workflows
• Improved pose controls make it possible to capture specific poses and use them for other objects, allowing animations to be reused quickly.
• Support for custom keying groups enables substantially more efficient work with specially made rigs, props, and camera and lighting settings, and even allows users to define their own method for key settings.
• The Actor tool was developed in the Python programming language, saving users time when automatically configuring and transferring motion-capture data to a specific character.
Expanded physics capabilities and character simulation options
• Multiple simulated objects can now also be connected to one another through nodes for simulation purposes. This means users can add props to their characters while the secondary animation is handled automatically by the physics engine.
• A completely new pose-to-pose workflow allows animators to adapt their ragdoll simulations precisely to custom poses or perform them in Ahnlehnung to these.
Expanded interoperability
• MotionBuilder 2010 has been linked with the Autodesk HumanIK middleware solution. Pose and character controls and the character definition list can now also be used in conjunction with the HumanIK plugin.
• MotionBuilder’s character templates have been updated and now offer improved support for 3ds Max Biped.
• Autodesk Softimage 2010 now includes MotionBuilder’s template rig, simplifying data exchange between the two applications.
• Support for Qt graphical user interface elements integrated into MotionBuilder gives developers the opportunity to rely on the industry standard for user interface toolkits and help develop plugins for the Open Reality SDK (Software Development Kit).
Autodesk Digital Entertainment Creation Suites
Compared with the purchase price of all the individual products, Autodesk’s new Entertainment Creation Suites and Real-Time Animation Suites give artists and production companies significantly more affordable access to a broad selection of powerful creative tools. With Autodesk FBX 2010 data exchange technology, these suites guarantee a closed, efficient pipeline. Together, the products included in these software suites give artists the opportunity to make full use of their creativity while optimising their productivity.
Prices and availability
Autodesk expects MotionBuilder 2010 and the new Digital Entertainment Creation Suites to become available on the market in August 2009. The 32-bit version of MotionBuilder 2010 will support Windows XP Professional (SP2 or later). The 64-bit version of MotionBuilder 2010 will support Windows XP Professional x64 Edition and Windows Vista Business x64 Edition. Pricing information is available from Autodesk resellers: http://www.autodesk.de/partner
Experience Autodesk MotionBuilder 2010 live
Starting in August, several Autodesk resellers will hold “Open House” days. Interested parties can learn about the new functions of Autodesk solutions free of charge. More information at http://www.autodesk.de/openhouse.