The other day I posted a request for a houdini FBX plugin for motionbuilder and I get this response.
“Actually - I believe it would be upto SideFX (Houdini) to incorporate FBX into the software. If enough people posted interest I would be happy to work it out with the powers that be.”
Please write to SideFX and Alias and let's see if we can't get a plugin for this made. Thank you.

I can't believe that not one person is going to reply to this. Totally ticks me off.

Houdini can import bvh files.

Now I wasn’t the one dealing with the bvh files so I can’t answer more of your questions.

$ mcbiovision
Usage:
mcbiovision
[-o -w -f -i ]
infile

This program converts a BioVision motion file to
a Houdini script & channel file(s). Run the script
to create the geometry and channels.

-e Parms are stuffed with expressions (chop, default).
-b Parms are left blank.
-d Parms are left blank and override channels created.

-c Only create the channel file(s).

-v Reverse joint rotation order.

-o Create character using object joints.
-w Create character using object joints + wire polys.
-j Set the object creation script (eg “opadd geo %s”).
-f Create character using Forward Kinematics (default).
-i Create character using Inverse Kinematics:
-n Specifies bone length channel type (FK,IK only).
0 = none, 1 = always, 2 = auto).
-t Dual bone chains with twist affectors (IK only).
-l Specifies a file containing a list of bone chains (IK only).
Each line of the file must be of the form:
<IK Chain Root Joint> <IK Chain End Affector>


Then… from houdini:
$ cmdread myfile.cmd

$ cmdread $HOME/whatever/myfile.cmd

PS. a better way to see why there was no response would be ask if it is because it doesn’t exist or people don’t know or what.

Harlequin,

First up, are you a under sidefx customer support? If so, and you're after direct answers to questions, please post them to support@sidefx.com. If you are not, then please realise that in your posts you are making requests of people to spare some time and explain things to you. A bit of patients and you might find understanding. You probably recieved not one person replying because your tone of emails makes you sound, as we say in oz, like a bleeding whinger.

Moving on… Houdini doesn't have a great many plug-ins. The reason we love it is because buying a plug-in is generally un-necessary when you have an open-architecture and a huge number of small, useful tools. Sidefx don't waste their time providing plug-ins in response to every RFE, instead theyprovide general tools that answer those same issues.

Having said that, I'm sure that if enough supported customers requested a motion builder plug-in we'd end up with the best in the buisness. But it seems that as a use of resources it's low on the priorities.

I'd suggest looking at mcbiovision as Robk suggested, although going through the .bvh route requires shifiting to raw channels. From my small experience with this utility I suggest using the -o flag as what you get in houdini is more similar to what you have in motionbuilder… ie. you have joints instead of bones.

If you don't use the -o flag you'll need to run your .bvh through my little perl hack to keep the end joints of the chains from disappearing. Apparently biovision supplied sidefx with example files that included redundent joints; that no longer seems to be the standard. I run this script even though I do use the -o flag as it still shows me a better rep of the heirachy.

http://www.sidefx.com/exchange/info.php?fileid=203&versionid=203 [sidefx.com]

Goodluck with this. In developing a pipeline, I'm a firm believer in building things up from small tools, rather than buying into a plug-in. You end up with a much more flexible solution. If that's not your caper, Max has plug-in's for everything and maybe that's where your heart lies.

r.

harlequin
I can't believe that not one person is going to reply to this. Totally ticks me off.

If you rephrase your post in the form of some kind of question in the English language then perhaps you'll get some response.

And as Rangi says, please state your audience. This is a community forum and not necessarily an official support forum. This is a voice for Apprentice users. If you wish to post to the official support forum then you may be interested in the forum named “Support” visible to customers, and not “General Discussion”.

Side Effects definitely has the best support in the business - lets not make their job harder.

Gee, Harlequin, I'm with you. I think that there should be a MotionBuilder plugin too. I just wish that in order to get some responses to your post you didn't have to get short with the community.
It is a shame that the only reason that people responded was to critisize you for expressing your feeling that nobody cared. On the other hand, lurkers are people too and you shouldn't expect too much from them so lighten up.

harlequin, are we all your slaves that we should kneel at every of your whimper? who are we that every of your desires should be satisfied, lest the world trembled?

TheUsualAlex
harlequin, are we all your slaves that we should kneel at every of your whimper? who are we that every of your desires should be satisfied, lest the world trembled?

No, but if you are going to lurk and ignore someone then do just that. But, don't be suprised or shocked when they take offense to being ignored.

Alex - at first I thought this guy was a troll, now I realize he's just a rude person seemingly going out of their way to disrupt things. Guess he figures he'll hide behind the anonymity of the forum(such as it is) to avoid never getting hired at any companies represented here. Ah, this is when I miss the mailing list the most - a simple filter. Now I'm just noticing the name, and hitting “next”. I'd recommend the same.

Cheers,

J.C.

Ah you see! Now you've ruined it. :wink: I always read a Coldrick post.

Everyone likes puppies!

@John, thanks, I'll do that.
@Jim, lol, I went to default Thai today.

TheUsualAlex
@Jim, lol, I went to default Thai today.

I haven't been to Default Thai in a while….it appears that John and Mario eat nothing but hot-dogs from the corner hot-dog lady.

*curse them and their lack of variety!*

:cry:

Wolfwood
I haven't been default thai in a while….it appears that John and Mario eat nothing but hot-dogs from the corner hot-dog lady.
:cry:

That's because we've done default thai for too long. We're now moving down in the food chain…. mmmm….. street meat! 8)

harlequin
Gee, Harlequin, I'm with you. I think that there should be a MotionBuilder plugin too.

What about the crazy idea that we aren't with you… there already being a workflow from motion builder, explained rite here. There is a small staff at Side Effects, with only so many man hours, to create the software we all know and love, So it is in our interest to push for the features that mean the most to us, and it looks like a motion builder plugin isnt one of them.

harlequin
I just wish that in order to get some responses to your post you didn't have to get short with the community.

and people respond so well to that.

harlequin
lurkers are people too and you shouldn't expect too much from them so lighten upup.

I believe now most people don't expect too much from yourself now, was that what you were getting at?