Adding Motion Capture with DeepMotion

In the previous chapter, we were introduced to the motion capture library of Mixamo and how to make the Mixamo animations work inside Unreal.

In this chapter, we are going to build on that knowledge and create our very own animation using another third-party online tool called DeepMotion, which includes a tool called Animate 3D that analyzes video of human performances and, in return, creates a motion capture file. We will learn how to use a video camera effectively to record a performance, then use DeepMotion’s Animate 3D feature to create your very own bespoke motion capture file, and then use it to animate your MetaHuman character in Unreal.

As much as stock motion libraries such as Mixamo are great, you will need to have your own bespoke animation to give you creative freedom. Even if a solution such as DeepMotion’s Animate 3D may not be as good as the results that you would get from expensive motion capture suits, it will...