Thanks, good to know. I think I probably will do one of these crowd funding things because as much as I'd like to work on this some more (it's pretty fun) I have to convince someone else it's something enough people would want before I can do that. Not enough time in the day for all the stuff I'd like to do thats for sure!
-----Original Message----- From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Alan Fregtman Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2012 7:42 AM To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com Subject: Re: Any interest in a Kinect for Windows and/or XBox controller capture driver? May I suggest http://indiegogo.com/ over kickstarter? Kickstarter is pretty much US-only. Indiegogo is the same deal, works in USD, but it accepts most/all countries, such as Canada (where I'm at.) On Mon, Jul 23, 2012 at 12:08 PM, Ed Manning <etmth...@gmail.com> wrote: > One for me, please! > > > On Mon, Jul 23, 2012 at 12:04 PM, Eric Cosky <e...@cosky.com> wrote: >> >> Hi, thanks for the responses. >> >> >> >> Heres a very short & rough capture of Softimage being fed Kinect >> data through the driver: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc66W0c5vHA I >> didnt make any effort to get a clean capture or anything, just >> turned it on and moved around a bit. That start/end show me leaning >> down to hit the keyboard. You see the driver window with some of the >> driver inputs mapped to a custom parameter set, and the custom >> parameter set controls updating in real time while I move around. >> What isnt shown is the companion app which shows the video stream >> and skeleton as provided by the Kinect SDK. If it turns out that I >> get time add features Id like to add support for face tracking; the >> Kinect API makes this look pretty doable. Another thing I could see >> adding is a simple plug-in API to allow people (probably just me) to >> make DLLs that would process the skeleton data prior to sending it to >> Softimage. While I dont personally have the need, the system could >> be extended to send data to Softimage running on another PC or even >> multiple skeleton streams from multiple Kinects. There really are a lot of interesting ways this tool could evolve if there were enough people to support the effort. >> >> >> >> Regarding the Xbox controller, as a gamer/gamedev I find the xbox >> controller an ideal input device for two hand control of all kinds of >> things. The main thing I like about this setup is that the driver >> channel names map to the controller, no generalized joystick labels >> that I have to remember what is what (== what axis is the left >> trigger?) and it uses positional data so there is no need to set up a >> proxy to accumulate data like with the Mojoke driver. Another nice >> feature is that it supports 4 controllers for collaborative control >> of a rig. The xbox controllers are fairly inexpensive and I use a >> Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows which allows me to >> repurpose by xbox controllers if/when I need more inputs. Here is a >> short video of a character (please forgive the crude >> model) being manipulated by a single controller: >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpJ7mAvLC4w. There are a few bones in >> the neck/jaw hooked up to the parameter set which is being controlled >> by the two thumb sticks and triggers. >> >> >> >> With Softimage there is of course any number of ways to process data, >> and I am still learning what kind of setup is the best workflow for >> me but at the moment I think the easiest way to go is to use the >> load preset command for the driver (the folder icon in the toolbar) >> to point the targets at different custom parameter sets, which are >> then referenced by expressions on deformers in the model being >> animated. This has allowed me to switch what I am recording motion >> for within a scene pretty easily. An alternative is a synoptic with scripts to load specific presets. >> >> >> >> As an aside, I did a rough experiment with making custom ICE nodes to >> read device data (essentially ICE input devices) and I might have >> been doing something wrong but I found that it was less responsive >> than drivers & expressions. I also didnt care for the need to run >> the scene to see the inputs change; I think perhaps this is because >> the drivers use a push model whereas ICE uses a pull model for how >> data is propagated. Also, the need for quite a few nodes to just do >> a simple make the right trigger rotate something led me away from >> using ICE nodes as the source of input data. If necessary or useful I >> can always make ICE trees get data from the custom parameter set data targeted by the driver. >> >> >> >> Currently the companion software is written in .NET for Windows. Its >> not a terribly complicated app, but it does use the Kinect SDK and >> XAML which means it would take a complete rewrite to get something on >> Linux. The driver itself is fairly portable but does use a few Win32 >> APIs to communicate with the companion app. While I have adequate >> Linux dev experience, I dont currently have a Linux rig to develop >> on. Im open to the idea of a Linux version but as I mentioned in the >> first email I have to be very careful about how I spend my time on >> projects right now and it would be a much larger investment for me to get a rig built and rewrite everything. >> >> >> >> I have considered a Kickstarter, and I might still do that but I just >> wanted to test the waters a bit to see what people might think before >> I took the next step (whatever that may be). If you think you would >> be interested, please let me know. >> >> >> >> Thanks for your feedback, >> >> >> >> Eric Cosky >> >> >> >> >> >> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com >> [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of javier >> gonzalez >> Sent: Monday, July 23, 2012 7:38 AM >> >> >> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com >> Subject: Re: Any interest in a Kinect for Windows and/or XBox >> controller capture driver? >> >> >> >> Make a video or something just to show the posibilities. Good luck. >> >> 2012/7/23 Williams, Wayne <wayne.willi...@xaviant.com> >> >> Set up a kickstarter possibly? >> >> >> >> From: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com >> [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of >> activemotionpictu...@yahoo.com >> Sent: Sunday, July 22, 2012 9:40 PM >> To: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com >> Subject: Re: Any interest in a Kinect for Windows and/or XBox >> controller capture driver? >> >> >> >> Yes please. Oh so much, this will be so helpful to drive things like >> puppeteering!! A dream come true! >> >> Conectado por DROID en Verizon Wireless >> >> >> >> -----Mensaje original----- >> >> De: Halim Negadi <hneg...@gmail.com> >> Para: softimage@listproc.autodesk.com >> Enviado: dom, jul 22, 2012 18:41:25 GMT+00:00 >> Asunto: Re: Any interest in a Kinect for Windows and/or XBox >> controller capture driver? >> >> Highly interested as well ! >> >> On Sun, Jul 22, 2012 at 6:28 PM, Gmail <arma...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> I'm also interested. >> >> >> >> >> On Jul 22, 2012, at 10:21 AM, michael johansson <mich...@lowend.se> wrote: >> >> > I would be interested. >> > >> > /michael Johanson >> > >> > 2012/7/22 Muhamad Faizol Abd. Halim <faizol....@gmail.com>: >> >> I'm interested in what you're offering at that price point, but it >> >> would much more helpful if we can have more information about it >> >> (like a blog or something detailing the tools you're promoting, >> >> some how tos etc). >> >> >> >> Having said that, there's an article on phoronix.com about using >> >> kinect devices with Qt toolkit on Linux (Maemo); >> >> http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTEyODY >> >> >> >> The Qt Air Cursor is LGPL licensed and built atop the OpenNI >> >> library and OpenCV. Code for Qt Air Cursor can be found here; >> >> https://github.com/nemein/Qt_AirCursor >> >> >> >> I imagine that if you can develop that using Qt toolkit, it would >> >> be cross platform and can be maintained using just a single >> >> source, if done properly. >> >> >> >> Cheers, >> >> Faizol >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On Sun, Jul 22, 2012 at 5:10 AM, Eric Cosky <e...@cosky.com> wrote: >> >>> >> >>> Hi, >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> #1, I recently wrote an application that captures bone data from >> >>> a Kinect for Windows devices (Important: this is not the XBox >> >>> Kinect) and sends it to a device driver running in Softimage. It >> >>> is a functional solution for getting the raw skeletal motion data >> >>> into Softimage using the device driver interface. I know there is >> >>> already an ICE-based Kinect solution out there, but this takes a >> >>> different approach by using a device driver which I find a little >> >>> more to my liking. I can observe values in a custom parameter set >> >>> and pull the values from there to do whatever I need with them >> >>> such as binding in ICE or more basic expressions. Plus I dont >> >>> have to run the simulation to see what is going on, you just >> >>> activate the driver and it works even while Softimage is sitting >> >>> in pause mode. >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> #2, I also wrote a driver that is designed to work with >> >>> Xbox-style controllers. The input data is provided as positional >> >>> data and all driver item names are mapped to Xbox controller >> >>> names. >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> Im wondering if there would be any interest in a bundle of these >> >>> two drivers & the support application for something around $50. I >> >>> am really under the gun to get my next game out (Im a solo indie >> >>> game dev) and I just cant spend any more time on it unless I >> >>> have some hope it can pay for the time it would take me to make a >> >>> proper release out of it. >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> I dont want to assume anyone has any interest at all, and wont >> >>> be surprised if there isnt. I wrote these for my own needs and >> >>> find them useful so I am happy with that. However, if these sound >> >>> like tools you would like, please let me know. If enough people >> >>> want access to them then I can wrap up a few loose ends, do some >> >>> more testing and do the various things Id have to do. If a lot >> >>> of people expressed interest I would be keen to add support for >> >>> Kinect face tracking data as well as a plug-in mechanism to allow >> >>> people to easily filter the skeleton data with a .NET DLL prior >> >>> to handing the data to Softimage. Its all doable but I can only >> >>> take the time if it makes business sense which I can only hope >> >>> everyone understands. >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> Here are some screenshots: http://imgur.com/a/7ayDJ >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> Thanks >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> Eric Cosky >> >>> >> >>> >> >> >> >> >> > >> > >> > >> > -- >> > Michael Johansson >> > Artist/Senior Lecturer/Researcher >> > Kristianstad University >> > Digital Design >> > 29188 Kristianstad >> > Email michael.johans...@hkr.se >> > >> > Infobloom >> > Grönegatan 4a >> > 222 24 Lund >> > Email: mich...@lowend.se >> > >> > www.lowend.se >> > www.abadyl.com >> > >> >> >> >> > >
