Saving and Loading Poses and Animation
CAT2 has powerful tools for motion data importing, mapping, retargeting and editing. Once created individual animation layers, and even whole layer stacks can be saved for reuse, including on other characters.
Quickly save and load poses and animation from any body part using new quad menus. Right click on a arm, leg, finger, tail, or any bone in CAT, and save out pose or motion data in one click.
Image courtesy of Adam Walker Film
How motion is scaled to fit your rig
When motion, or pose data is saved from a CATRig, the CATUnits value is saved also. When re-loading, the CATUnits value from the saved file is compared with the CATUnits value of the rig you are loading the data on to. The difference between the 2 CATUnits values is used to scale the data.
For example : If you saved an animation from CATRig A with a CATUnits setting of 2.0, and you load that animation onto CATRig B, with a CATUnits setting of 4.0, then the data will be scaled by a factor of 4.0/2.0, or 2.0. So the data will be made twice as big to fit your new rig.
This means that it is important to use CATUnits correctly. With the example rigs, we try to make sure the CATParent fits underneath the feet of your character. As long as all your rigs have CATParents which are the same relative size with respect to the CATRig, then the data will be scaled correctly.
Tip: When building rigs of different sizes, it is easier to build one rig, and then resize it using CATUnits before adjusting preportions. This way, you are more likely to get correctly scaled CATUnits values when transferring animation between your rigs.
