Florian Biermann, Nikolaas Steenbergen and Benjamin Walther Franks dm.tzi.de Florian Biermann Nikolaas Steenbergen Benjamin Walther-Franks TZI Universität.

Florian Biermann, Nikolaas Steenbergen and Benjamin Walther Franksdm.tzi.de

Florian BiermannNikolaas SteenbergenBenjamin Walther-Franks

TZI Universität Bremen

BLOOPRapid Motion Capturing using Blender and Kinect

Florian Biermann, Nikolaas Steenbergen and Benjamin Walther Franksdm.tzi.de

Who Are We?

Florian Biermann and Nikolaas Steenbergen Studied Digital Media B.Sc. at the University of Bremen Just finished their theses using Blender

“Automated Camera Placement to View Three-Dimensonal Curves“ “Timing Techniques for Three Degree-of-Freedom Input Devices“

Florian Biermann, Nikolaas Steenbergen and Benjamin Walther Franksdm.tzi.de

What is Bloop?

''The Bloop is the name given to an ultra-low frequency and extremely powerful underwater sound detected by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA) in 1997.''

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloop)

Florian Biermann, Nikolaas Steenbergen and Benjamin Walther Franksdm.tzi.de

What is Bloop?

Bloop:

Blender Loop Station

Florian Biermann, Nikolaas Steenbergen and Benjamin Walther Franksdm.tzi.de

What is Bloop?

Bloop is a Python add-on for Blender 2.59 that brings speech controlled Motion-Capturing and Digital Puppetry to home users

using Microsoft Kinect.

Florian Biermann, Nikolaas Steenbergen and Benjamin Walther Franksdm.tzi.de

Motivation

Key-frame animation takes a lot of time Experimenting during production? No way! Other artists are unable to enjoy computer animation

Actors Puppeteers Simply beginners

Also, in general motion capturing equipment is very expensive Pretty much no home-user can do mo-cap Additionally, single user mo-cap is pretty cumbersome

Florian Biermann, Nikolaas Steenbergen and Benjamin Walther Franksdm.tzi.de

Motivation

''A user should be able to fully animate a 3D character with a minimum amount of time, experience and technological knowledge required and without breaking his

or her work flow by using different modes of interaction.''

Florian Biermann, Nikolaas Steenbergen and Benjamin Walther Franksdm.tzi.de

Idea

Implement a system in style of a loop station as used by musicians but with modal channels switched.

Sound Recorded Footage

Motion Control Input

Florian Biermann, Nikolaas Steenbergen and Benjamin Walther Franksdm.tzi.de

Idea

Implement a system in style of a loop station as used by musicians but with modal channels switched.

Sound Recorded Footage

Motion Control Input

Florian Biermann, Nikolaas Steenbergen and Benjamin Walther Franksdm.tzi.de

Idea

Motion

Speech commands

OSC data

Florian Biermann, Nikolaas Steenbergen and Benjamin Walther Franksdm.tzi.de

Demo

BLOOP DEMO!

Florian Biermann, Nikolaas Steenbergen and Benjamin Walther Franksdm.tzi.de

Main Features

Create new mappings via gestures Calibrate these mappings Quickly record animations Layer recordings for different mappings Record animations with more than one user acting on the same

character

Florian Biermann, Nikolaas Steenbergen and Benjamin Walther Franksdm.tzi.de

Commands

Basic set of speech commands Mapping Calibration Recording Start Next Previous

Mapping

Calibration

Recording

Florian Biermann, Nikolaas Steenbergen and Benjamin Walther Franksdm.tzi.de

Technical Aspects

OSC Client (Sender) with Microsoft Kinect SDK Microsoft Speech API Skeleton Data Bespoke OSC library (http://www.bespokesoftware.org) C#

NUI Add-on Receives OSC data pyOSC (http://docs.ryancoyner.com/python-osc) Python

Bloop Add-on Manipulates the selected 3D character Reads data from NUI Add-on Modal operator based on timer Python

Florian Biermann, Nikolaas Steenbergen and Benjamin Walther Franksdm.tzi.de

What‘s It Good For?

Intended to let novice users and other artists create 3D animations Digital Puppetry Performance animation Live performances

Animation prototyping Get a first impression of your scene

Experimenting Extend upon and play with it

It‘s fun!

Florian Biermann, Nikolaas Steenbergen and Benjamin Walther Franksdm.tzi.de

Download

Visit our project website at:

dm.tzi.de/research/hci/bloop

Available for download

Florian Biermann, Nikolaas Steenbergen and Benjamin Walther Franksdm.tzi.de

End

Thanks for listening!

Shoot us an e-mail:[email protected]

[email protected]

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