This is an example (and very much a WIP) of using PoserPython as a vehicle for connecting Poser to the real world. In the pictures, the Poser figure's arms are beginning positioned but moving the arms of the mannequin. This was accomplished by having the mannequin's arms connected to some small sensors (potentiometers for you tech-types) that are read by a microprocessor board. The board is connected to my main PC through a serial port and sends the info on the arm's position to a PoserPython script. The script then uses the positions of the mannequin's arms to position the Poser figure's arms. Granted, the little mannequin is pretty crude since it's just made out of some foam-core and a B/W print of a Poser figure. There are some small problems that need to worked out but nothing of any major consequence. Having the arms set up this way with motion on only one axis is referred to as having 'one degree of freedom'. My next mannequin will have three degrees of freedom. The main bend in the shoulder, front-to-back in the shoulder and bend in the forearm. It will also be made of foam-core but I hope to eventually progress to a real 3D figure that will have most of the major joints available. Feedback is encouraged. BTW, sorry for the quality of the photomontage. It seems that the hardest part of this project was figuring out a way to present it.

That's cool. How much money did you spend on the hardware interface?

Jeff - The SBC (single-board computer) I'm using is pretty old. When I bought it cost about $100 but there are equivalents available now for $20-$30. As I get deeper into this, I may have to move to something with more beef. Even at that it, probably won't cost more then $150-$200 to get a current SBC that can handle all the joints on a standard Poser figure.

Attached Link: http://www.metamotion.com/

Here you go- hook up Prop-Pack, via Python, to a body motion system and all you BVH requirements will solved... Hook it up to face sensors, and your Poser characters smile when you smile, etc...

Attached Link: http://www.metamotion.com/motion-capture-samples/facial-animation-famous-faces.htm

Get there first Bushi with a great Pro-Pack Python script, and the Poser Community will beat a path to your door...

Fox - Thanks! Mocap is definitely an area to explore. I've done a little work with it years ago but it hasn't been till PoserPython that I had a real (read affordable) vehicle to pursue it. I've saved the links and I'm certain Google is going to be burning from the searches I'll be doing. ;-)

Attached Link: http://www.famous3d.com/store/index.html

These guys have an evaluation offer for just $50. Not bad- this stuff really looks like its in the affordable range. All we need is your PP software hookup, Bushi...

Bushi Your fantastic guy this is exactly what I meant in the last thread

I find this all to be pretty amazing. Thanks for the update and insights.

• Amazing!!!
  I wonder if it could work in reverse? Turn the Poser dial and the real model arm moves. Would that model have to be in the same location... could it not be linked remotely via the internet? Imagine me here operating Poser and you there watching a manikin dance. Oh the possibilities!!! Patent it early bushi, this could be big.
  

lol im im jokin around about a barbie doll with motion capture sensors for the poser4 fem some months ago :)

Fox - Thanks again, I'll take a look. chromecafe - Ask and you shall recieve. ;-) No, really there are a couple of small problems that need ironing out. There is a little jitter in the system that causes the arms to move spontaneously +-1 degree. This makes the Poser figure look like it has had a little to much coffee. The three degree of freedom mannequin should be fairly easy to implement. The SBC I'm using has 8 input ports for this type of sensor and the script will be very easy to adapt for it. Phil - Yes, that can be done. At least the part about having the Poser figure control the mannequin. I was thinking about this while writing the script. I have another little board that's for controlling servo motors. It also uses a serial port so it would be fairly simple to modify the script to send the position info for the motors. I'll look at that when the three degree of freedom mannequin is done. Director, swfreeman - Thanks! Stay tuned, more suprises on the way. :-)

I think it is all pretty incredible. Thank you for sharing Bushi. You've really captured my imagination. I spend a lot of time working with my wooden mannequin that sits next to the computer before articulating it on screen. Getting something to work with poser via python is great. I love it when poser shows functionality typically reserved for the so-called 'high end' expensive programs. With this application I've even been able to express my ideas, produce CGI scenes that were mistaken for high end work, and things even as far as getting my own figures milled into metal sculptures. It's this kind of user dedication that will make Poser the quality program that everyone will want to use. Thanks!

Attached Link: http://www.bbay.com/anton

Bushi, You could even use this for hair. You could have stiff but flexible wires coming off a ball with your sensors attached to them. Of course a special hair model would have to be made with several posable shards of hair. Like fingers on a hand.

Director - Hey, Thanks a lot! Much of the credit goes to CL though for adding PoserPython to the available tools. I'll just keep plugging away and see if I can come up with other interesting stuff. :-) Anton - Yes, there are tons of different things you can do with Real World Controls. There are also many different types of sensors that can be adapted too. As to your hair suggestion, there is a sensor called a strain gauge that would work well. They are usually strips of plastic that have an coating that changes it's electrical character when the strip is bent. They are pretty easy to make so it would be possible to have strips that looked like the strands of hair. Hook'em up in a system like this one and when you move the strands the Poser hair would move to follow. This is a simplification, of course, but theoretically it would work.

Attached Link: http://www.didi.com/www/areas/products/monkey2/

I love it when people screw around with surplus electronics, I helped make one of those gladiator robots in college.It's pretty amazing what you can build out of supposed junk. In case you haven't heard of a Monkey before, check out the link, it's what you're ultimately building.It was designed to bridge the gap between stop motion animators and CG animation. Considering that a Monkey will set you back $10,000 you might want to think about marketing your version of this little gizmo, at least the plans for it anyway. And thank you for constantly impressing me...

Way cool Bushi! Are you still going to post the code for the multi-input python script you mentioned before? We've got a little educational animation coming up, and I love to give an example to one of my programmers to create some movement sliders (it is for a basketball game, so I'd like to have them code up a series of basket ball moves).

Alias - That's VERY cool! I can understand why they'd $10K for it though. Being able to build creatures by popping parts together and having it interface correctly with 3D software is quite an accomplishment. Thanks for sharing it. This project isn't going that far. I'd be pleased to get a mannequin built that had most of the major actor motions in place.

Digit8r - Oops sorry, I would have put this in the last message but you beat me to the post. I got a bit wrapped up in this project so haven't posted that script to my site yet. I'll try to get it done tomorrow. If you need it right away send me an e-mail and I'll get it off to you.

I came across some pretty unusual materials in my occupation. There is a material called nitinol that acts like a servo, reacts to PWM, but is thinner that a hair. It can be used as a muscle and a tendon to give lifelike movement. Also since the strands are small you can place 4 together and get self posing hairs. My old physics professor invented it to make self repairing satelite antennae years ago. Now it is sold over the internet. http://www.robotbooks.com/Muscle_Wires.htm

mheldt - Thanks for reminding me about that one. I haven't used nitinol myself but I've seen some small, walking robots that use it for 'muscles'. It would definitely be a good candidate for apps like this since the whole thing would be much lighter when constructed. Oh, and thanks for the link. It will save me from having to net-search for it.