bvhacker help: The interface

This page gives an overview of the bvhacker interface

Section 1: File menu

  • Open: Opens a bvh file for editing
  • Save: Saves the current bvh file
  • Exit: Closes bvhacker
  • Help: Displays HTML help files

Section 2: Adjustments

  • Clamp buttons: Used to make zero all values in an offset or rotation data channel

Section 3: Hacks and Tweaks

  • AddAb: Add Abdomen button. This button will add an abdomen joint to a 23 bone skeleton
  • AbFix: Abdomen fix button: Merges rotation data from the chest to the abdomen. (Use after AddAb)
  • AbFx2: Experimental - removes a 'Waist' joint (if present) and adds it's offsets to the Chest and neck
  • NoOff: No offset button. Some motion editing apps add an extra offset to the hips in the HEIRARCHY section. This removes it
  • SLify: Converts bones and motion to make an SL compatible animation. (Not always 100% accurate)
  • JtNms: Joint renaming button. bvhacker will attempt to make all bone names Second Life compatible. does not affect motion data.
  • Zero: Sets zero rotation for XYZ on the currently selected joint.
  • Scl+: Scales up the bones sizes
  • Scl-: Scales down the bone sizes
  • Set T: Set T stance. Adds a new frame at the start of the animation with all joints zeroed out
  • Rem T: Remove T stance. Opposite to Set T, Rem T removes the first frame.
  • !Zero: Not Zero. New for Release 1.3. Ensures all joint rotations are large enough not to be ignored by Second Life
  • QC: Quality Check. New for Release 1.4. Makes a text file with criticisms of your animation!

Section 4: Sliders mode and adjustment

  • Radio buttons for the selection of rotation or translation adjustment mode (affects clamp buttons function too)
  • Sliders range: Sets the plus or minus range for the sliders

Section 5: View controls

  • 'Default' shows the view just in front of figure, level with the figure's hips
  • 'Floor' gives a view at floor level for easily setting the figure height in relation to the ground
  • Colour or black and white display selection
  • Show floor option
  • Display first frame (for smooth playback if the first frame is a T-pose)

Section 6: Joint properties

  • Joint Name
  • Order of motion channels for joint
  • Joint hierarchy value (starting at zero for hips)
  • Number of motion channels
  • Joint's parent
  • Joint offsets (skeletal parameters)

Section 7: Dynamic sliders

  • Dynamic sliders: Adjust motion or offset data channels depending on adjustment mode

Section 8: Edit controls

  • Set trim points: Set mark in and mark out points
  • Trim button. Trims off frames as set by trim points
  • Knit button. Blends the start and end points of the animation for smoother looping
  • Resample to 20fps. Resamples to animation to 20fps

Section 9: Transport control

  • Slider control acts as cursor for scrubbing through the animation
  • Standard play, pause, stop, step forward and step back buttons

Section 10: Animation time

  • Elapsed and total time for the animation - Current and total frame count display
  • Frame time: Number of milliseconds per frame (1/fps)
  • Animation time: Displays seconds elapsed and total number of seconds
  • Frame number: Displays current frame and total number of frames

Section 11: File properties

  • bvh file name
  • Number of joints
  • Number of motion channels
  • Figure height (sum of y values from hip to head end site plus sum of all y values from hip to feet end site)
  • Arms alignment: The axis along which the arms align themselves when all joints rotations are set to zero

Section 12: Hierarchy view

  • Displays joints in the same order as laid out in the original file
  • Used to select individual joints - Right click menu allows adding, removing or renaming of joints
  • Selected joint's parameters are displayed in section 6 and the joint is highlighted orange in the display
  • Defaults to hips selected when a file is first loaded