HELP: Mixamo

[cdxbow]

Has anyone here tried mixamo to make models?

I set up a free account a while a ago, but haven't had time to explore it. It has a Blender plugin of some sort. I'd be very interested if anyone has had a go. I got $50 of credit by doing a questionaire (promo code MIXSURVEY13)

[LuckyStrike-Rx]

Seems the rig you get Is pretty clean for cube engine. the editor is really easy to use (15 sec to rig you character) and the result is pretty good. Editor only work for humanoid shape. The rig doesn't have constraint when you recover it in blender (.dae) or I missed it. I don't really know for the plugin, but it seems to be just a dae importer. Not really needed.

Here's my 2 min anim for our good old grunt, uh, drone.. using the free zombie run cycle.
THEY'RE COMING TO GET YOU BARBARA!

[Dratz-_C]

LuckyStrike_Rx,
Not to hijack the thread but one quick question. Do you have a blend file for the grunt? I was hoping to make a lod version of it. Thanks.
Cheers

[LuckyStrike-Rx]

Nope. md5 import only. all I got. The sculpt was shit anyway (not that the low poly is better)


I might use this rig for the drone actually. but I guess this model have to be redo anyway

[cdxbow]

The zombie walk animation cycle looks pretty good. It's a shame the editor can't do anything other than human biped, but it does a pretty good job with effects like aging. Boobs get saggy, posture changes. Is this the future of modelling?

[LuckyStrike-Rx]

I didn't had opportunity to try the character editor since it was somehow broken.
It seems similar to the character editor you can find in some RPG. But the level of detail and customisations aren't really impressive. May be a gain of time/money (I don't really know other model banks). autoskin/rigging seems to be the most interesting thing. though It really worth it only if I want to use their movement library.

[wowie]

Mind if I steal that and make it my forum avatar?

[cdxbow]

It's worth it already. Wowie has an avatar.

I've only strung together some stock animations for the standard female, and I have to say I am very impressed with the quality of the animation and in particular the way they merge the animations smoothly from very different postures (don't ask). If this is preserved in the exports then it is very impressive. For my use, I'm with LuckyStrike-Rx, mostly interested in the animation library and the easy rigging, but I haven't tried custom meshes or animations. The only downer is the price, it is pretty expensive when you start to add a few animations. My 50 credits is not going to go far.

[Julius]

What about licensing issues? Is it even legally possible to used in combination with a CC-By-SA mesh?

[arand]

What about licensing issues? Is it even legally possible to used in combination with a CC-By-SA mesh?

IANAL, TINLA:
I think that it would be license-wise ~possible~, given that you consider model + animation a "collection" rather than an "adaptation"[1] (I would guess that is the case).

However, I think the license that Mixamo provides for their animation data[2] is NOT open-source friendly, and hence I don't think it's a good idea to include them in RE.

[1]
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode

(...)
You may not offer or impose any terms on the Work that restrict the terms of this License or the ability of the recipient of the Work to exercise the rights granted to that recipient under the terms of the License.
(...)
This Section 4(a) applies to the Work as incorporated in a Collection, but this does not require the Collection apart from the Work itself to be made subject to the terms of this License
(...)

[2]
http://www.mixamo.com/home/legal
(emphasis and line breaks added)

(...)
2.4 License to Animation Data; Distribution of Embedded Animation Data.
User may download the Animation Data for the sole purpose of embedding the selected Animation Data in an animated application prepared by User as a result of using the Services.
User may make modifications to the Animation Data solely as a part of preparing the Embedded Animation Data.
User agrees that the standalone Animation Data may not be resold, published, or distributed to third parties.
Provided User has purchased a particular Animation Data clip, User may reproduce and distribute such Animation Data clip only as Embedded Animation Data embedded in User’s creative animated work to customers without any obligation to pay royalties to Mixamo, and provided User is in compliance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
User agrees that (a) all copies of the Animation Data contain the Mixamo proprietary notices, and (b) it will distribute its applications and products for which Embedded Animation Data has been embedded pursuant to a commercially reasonable end-user license agreement containing terms and conditions commensurate with industry norms.
User’s license to use and distribute Animated Data is limited to Embedded Animated Data.
Redistribution, or republication or commercialization of Animated Data that is not Embedded Animated Data is prohibited.
For example, approved distribution or use of Animated Data as Embedded Animated Data includes, but is not limited to: (i) as rendered moving images; resold as part of a feature film or broadcast or otherwise used in demonstration or marketing materials, and (ii) as part of a game if the Embedded Animated Data is contained inside a proprietary format and displays inside the game during play.
Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing, Users that have obtained access to the Website pursuant to the terms of a standard education license, as opposed to an education+ license, between Mixamo and an educational institution (each a “Standard Educational License”) with which such user is affiliated (each a “Standard Educational User”) agree that such Standard Educational License access is granted for educational purposes only and not for commercial purposes.
Accordingly, Standard Educational Users shall not directly or indirectly license or distribute on a commercial basis any creative animated works containing Embedded Animation Data downloaded by such Standard Educational User pursuant to an Standard Educational License
(...)

[Julius]

Ahh ok, thanks for checking that in detail. Not really surprising however.
But who needs that propitiatory s*** anyways, if you have Blender3D?

[LuckyStrike-Rx]

Thank you arand. It seemed really optimized for Unity anyway.
Wowie, use this-one plz

[wowie]

Haha, nice. Thank you!

[cdxbow]

I have tried using the free zombie model from mixamo with a few zombie and non zombie animations. The model below has followed this path mixamo --->fbx into Max -----milkshape format---->misfit. There are a few normals in one of the legs that need to be fixed and in the milkshape export there are problems with the arm position. I think most of these issues are a side effect of using animation from differently rigged skeletons. In the video below you will see
1. still pose
2. walk
3. backflip and (what were punches) flailing around
4. limp gait
5. gangnam style dance - note the arm rotation problem.

youtu.be/CqM0XBNisso

You can see are a lot of bones around the mouth. Zombies need to bite! Here is the misfit file with hi res skin and bump map.

ZMaster.zip

(3.9 MiB) Downloaded 342 times

I have also downloaded them in 'collada for blender' format. I would like someone who uses blender them give them a try.

zombie_collada_blender.zip

(15.47 MiB) Downloaded 326 times

I haven't tried rigging any of our own characters yet.

[Julius]

Uhmm, you are aware of the licensing issues with Mixamo and open-source games? For sure you can't mix it with Red Eclipse's CC-by-SA stuff.

[cdxbow]

No intention of using it for MekArcade, just a test of the workflow. It was a promising start but went downhill from there:
- the autorig doesn't work very well
- some models, even there stock ones, the animations don't import well into Max (mine is old, so it may be due to importers)
- expensive - each animation you buy can only be used for a particular character. Makes a base character about the same price as a model commisioned from an artist or bought from a commercial library.
- licensing issues as you point out
Still inerested to know if any one has tried the 'bvh for blender'.

[cdxbow]

The Mixamo people have provided very good service. I got a follow up email asking if there were problems, which I told them about, and very shortly they got back with a suggested fix (untried as yet). I haven't spent any money with them, so I am just a free loader. If I were to do a project that could be consistent with their licensing I would certainly consider it.