In animation works with limited budget and time, the efficiency of action production is indispensable. In the introduced work ‘Solo Leveling’, the motion capture device ‘mocopi’ from Sony solves this problem. It provides a new choice for animators who perform motion capture on themselves. The animated adaptation of the super popular webtoon ‘Solo Leveling’ is based on the same-titled comic work by original author Chugong and illustrated by DUBU (REDICESTUDIO).
The production company is A-1 Pictures, which has created many popular works. The story is set in modern times, where gates connecting different dimensions and the real world appear. Awakened ones called hunters defeat monsters. This work has taken a new attempt in production by using the motion capture device’mocopi’ from SONY. With just simply wearable sensors and a smartphone, full-body motion capture can be achieved. Left: CG producer Nao Kudo; Right: CG director Toshiki Morioka (A-1 Pictures). In animation works, there are roughly three methods for producing CG animations: 1. Manual keyframing; 2. Purchasing and adjusting motion data; 3. Motion capture. Usually, a studio needs to be rented, but the production cost is high and the burden on CG directors is also great. This work uses mocopi developed by the Sony Group, providing a fourth ‘choice’ of ‘animators performing motion capture on themselves’. CG director Toshiki Morioka said, ‘mocopi is very flexible to use and can be used whenever needed. It can not only be worn for capture by oneself but also be convenient for real-time directing of actors while looking at the motion data. In the future, it may become one of the new motion capture choices in the industry.’ In addition, it can be considered for use not only in animation production but also in the production of animation scripts (Animation Guidance). Mr. Shota Minami, mocopi product manager, Product Management Department, Action Products Section, XR Business Development Department, Sony Startup Acceleration Program. According to feedback from CG producer Nao Kudo, ‘If newcomers start manual keyframing from a T-pose, the quality may be unsatisfactory, but with mocopi, the starting line can be leveled.’, which helps improve work efficiency. She said it is especially suitable for animation production of group scenes and will consider actively using mocopi in various scenes of animation works in the future. One animator with one device is expected to become a new industry standard.What is the motion capture device’mocopi’? Mr. Shota Minami, the product manager of mocopi, said that’mocopi’ is a motion capture device that can simply digitize one’s own motion data anywhere and was developed to lower the threshold for motion capture.
He said, “No studio is needed. Actions can be simply filmed in a conference room or at home.” By wearing six sensors, motion capture can be performed using a smartphone. With a single battery charge lasting for 10 hours, the battery won’t run out even with long-term use. It can be said that it is now an era where anyone can perform motion capture. Calibration is also very simple. It can be completed by taking a step forward after connecting and wearing the sensors.
In this way, calibration won’t be very tiring during each shooting. Although mocopi only has six sensors, Sony’s unique algorithm can predict and capture the movements of the entire body. In addition, Sony has also released functions such as the upper body concentration mode that concentrates sensors on the upper body and the lower body priority mode. Mocopi was originally developed mainly for the live streaming of VTubers (virtual anchors) and VR use, but it also has potential for use in the field of animation production. A-1 Pictures started testing and using it very early. This is also the first time it has been decided to be used in an actual animation work. The data format that mocopi can output is BVH. For ease of use in animation works, the development team has further developed the export of FBX data format. Plugins for various software for real-time transmission of data to DCC tools have also been developed, and the development related to animation production will continue to be improved in the future. A-1 Pictures believes that in the future, mocopi is expected to become a sketchbook at the animator’s hand and a necessity for one person to have one. SONY will also be committed to enriching functions for animation production in the future. Therefore, A1 has higher and higher expectations for this device. The sensor part of the Mocopi product worn by mocopi. One set consists of six sensors for the head, waist, two wrists, and two ankles. Shooting scene. Motion capture can be easily performed in casual clothes and can be used even in narrow places like office corridors. Application and tracking mode. In animation works, it can be applied to walking scenes and so on. Lower body priority mode. Install the sensors of the two wrists on the thighs to correctly capture the lower body mode. Lower body priority mode. Install the sensors of the two wrists on the thighs to correctly capture the lower body mode. Cooperate with various DCC tools. In order to transmit the motion data captured by mocopi to DCC tools in real time, plugins for Unity, Unreal Engine, MotionBuilder, and Maya have been provided. 2. The use of “mocopi” in animation works. The motion capture of mocopi is used in the animation of the monster “Knight” that appears in episodes 11 and 12 of “Solo Leveling”.This footage features a large number of knights. If characters were made one by one, it would take a great deal of time. Later, mocopi was used for production, greatly enhancing production efficiency. At the beginning when importing mocopi, there were also some less smooth parts. However, experience was accumulated during use. Calibration is very important. If continuous capture is carried out for a long time, there will be offsets.
Especially after a fierce performance, calibration is necessary. But mocopi can achieve calibration very simply. Moreover, in the recent version upgrade, calibration can be performed by pressing the sensor button on the wrist during use without holding a smartphone, making calibration extremely convenient. In addition, since mocopi is inertial motion capture, it is not good at actions that are too slow or too fast. A suitable action speed needs to be found first. Also, exaggerated actions unique to animations cannot be achieved during capture. Try to capture at a flat speed and then make adjustments later. As an advantage, because it can be easily filmed, repeated shootings many times will not be tiring. Moreover, it can also run and capture in a wide area and there are no requirements for clothing. Sometimes because it is too easy to use, too many shots will be taken uncontrollably, and it will be a bit of a headache when managing data (laugh). In the latest update, the file name can be changed from the mocopi mobile phone software end. For example, naming methods like ‘OK shot’ also make file management easier. In addition, when processing motion data transferred from the mocopi software in MotionBuilder, there is no need for special customization on CG software, which is more convenient. If motion capture shooting is carried out in a studio, data transmission may take about a week, but mocopi can be used immediately after shooting. In this regard, it can also be said to be a very convenient tool. It is reported that A-1 Pictures plans to further expand the use range of mocopi, such as performing database management on captured actions and trying to capture more special animations. In the future workflow of animation works, we will wait and see how mocopi will be used. The action production process based on mocopi uses the CAT settings in 3dsMax to set up characters. There is no need to make a specially adapted model and skeleton for mocopi. The CAT skeleton is customized in MotionBuilder. So far, only one customization is needed for each character. Capture actions with mocopi. At the beginning when not used to it, there will be offsets, but this can be solved by recalibration. Import BVH data into MotionBuilder.No need for new customization in MotionBuilder, facilitating easy integration into existing workflows.
Due to differences in character and captured body types, simple retargeting is necessary.
Baking the captured animation in the retargeting setup screen completes the 3D characters and BG assets below.
These are the characters and BG (Background) assets for episodes 11 and 12 made with mocopi.
Actual editing work features the knight’s entrance scene.
Although there are some dents and other issues, they are easy to modify.
Starting keyframing from a T-pose is challenging for beginners, but using captured motion eliminates the need to start keyframing from scratch.
Moreover, since the CG director can perform and capture motion themselves, they can add the exact movements they desire, and instructions to production staff can be conveyed through motion data, greatly enhancing the director’s intent in the final work.
After capturing motion, CG animation storyboarding can be added.
Compositions with motion are highly efficient in conveying intent.
Group shots can be easily created using mocopi.
