The world’s first motion pack that synchronizes human and accessory movements with a single click
Monkey Chow Animation Studios and Motion Capture Orlando, in partnership with Reallusion, presents the groundbreaking “Skateboard – Flatground Skate Tricks” motion pack. Captured at Motion Capture Orlando’s advanced motion-capture studio, this pack showcases professional skateboarding moves. It is the first-ever motion series to be fully integrated with Reallusion’s innovative Smart Accessory animation system, which automatically syncs the skateboard with its animations, eliminating the need for manual matching. Now, adding realistic flatground tricks to character animations is easier than ever!
You can watch this exciting collaboration unfold in the video below!
Master the Streets with “Skateboard” Motion Pack
This motion pack features 26 flatground skateboarding motion capture animations, in the new Motion+ (Motion Plus) format. Ranging from basic moves like Push, Tic Tac, and Ollie, to advanced tricks such as Spin, Flip, and Shove-It. These animations enable the creation of complete and realistic skateboarding scenarios on the street.
Once the skateboarding motion is applied to an iClone character, items with matching tags will automatically attach themselves. The animated accessory design also allows users to easily combine Motion+ animation clips. For example, users can apply, combine, rotate, blend, and trim both human and accessory motions as a single animation, without needing to micro-edit two separate objects.
Behind the Scenes
Monkey Chow Animation Studios is known for having developed a series of Hollywood-style action motion packs that are wildly popular. These include titles like Run for Your Life, Bank Heist, and Riot on ActorCore, the premier online 3D content store featuring Reallusion certified content.
Their latest and most innovative release of “Skateboard” stands out as a groundbreaking project inspired by VFX and mocap artist Nelson Escobar, who recognized the potential of capturing skateboard tricks using modern mo-cap technology. All animations feature American skater and influencer Brian Ortiz, brought to life through high-end optical systems.
A Cutting-Edge Approach to Advanced Motion Capture
Despite the limited cameras needed to cover a skate park, many tricks could be executed on any flat surface, known as Flat Deck Tricks. Armed with his camera, Nelson documented Brian’s splendid array of flat deck tricks. Together, they compiled an impressive list of tricks, which Brian then performed in the studio.
Tracking static props like a gun is easy. Getting the skateboard ready was another issue. It’s not like we can link the board to his foot and start shooting. The board is like another character that has its own motions that are often separated from Brian’s motions. But for this to work, we had to record both the top of the board and its relationship to the movement of the axils or trucks.
Jeff Scheetz, Monkey Chow Productions and Motion Capture Orlando
To address this, the experienced technical professionals of Motion Capture Orlando utilized Vicon Shogun to reverse-engineer a skeleton, or rig, for the computer model of the skateboard.
iClone Smart Accessory System
Synchronizing human motion with accessory animation brings a new level of visual fidelity and data handling. The innovative design workflow for animated accessories unlocks a new frontier of assets with the construction of the Smart Accessory system in iClone. Adapting this workflow, Motion Capture Orlando was able to convert human and object mocap data into a synchronous Motion+ sequence, and simplify further clip connection or animation editing.
Motion+ Syncing with Dynamic Accessories
Having 3D characters hold objects like cell phones or spears is straightforward, but more complex actions—like rolling a suitcase or flipping a skateboard—require coordinated motions and extensive editing to appear realistic. The introduction of iClone Motion+ format has vastly simplified this process.
Using Motion+ comes with distinct advantages:
- Full integration of facial performances and metadata for attached accessories, enabling advanced animations such as cycling or skateboarding.
- Automatic attachment of accessories, randomization of models and materials, and precise alignment of motion and accessories with flexible editing options.
- Regardless of body type, Smart Accessories can adapt to various body shapes and sizes, properly aligning to their intended positions while retaining structural integrity, whether stiff or form-fitting.
- Motion+ combines prop and character motion into a single editable file, making it easier to manage complex tasks like pulling a suitcase, pushing a cart, or operating a wheelchair.
Get the Best in Skateboard Animations
Unlock access to 26 dynamic skateboard motions, perfect for standalone use or for blending with other motions using iClone’s robust editing tools. These royalty-free animations are available in FBX and BVH format, ensuring smooth integration with real-time game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine, along with popular 3D software such as 3ds Max, Maya, Blender, and more. Explore “Skateboard – Flatground Skate Tricks” in the Reallusion Content Store and ActorCore.
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The original article is also featured on befores and afters.
