You can create a 3D character animation from ordinary video without a motion-capture suit. DeepMotion Animate 3D tracks human movement from uploaded footage, retargets it to a humanoid character, and exports formats that work with common 3D tools.
The original video shows the basic workflow. The written steps below reflect the current Animate 3D tools, including hand and face tracking, multi-person capture, custom characters, motion smoothing, foot locking, physics controls, and the Rotoscope Pose Editor.
What You Need
- A clear video of a human performance.
- A DeepMotion Animate 3D account.
- A default, Ready Player Me, Avaturn, FBX, GLB, or VRM character.
- A compatible 3D application or video editor for finishing.
- Permission to use the performer, character, footage, music, and assets.
Step 1: Record Better Motion-Capture Video
Place the camera on a stable surface and keep it perpendicular to the performer. DeepMotion recommends keeping the subject clearly visible and avoiding camera movement, zooms, abrupt cuts, heavy occlusion, and cropped feet when full-body tracking is required. Good lighting and contrast between the subject and background improve detection.
For hand tracking, keep hands large enough in the frame and avoid covering them with objects or the body. Use a clear face or half-body view when facial tracking matters.
Step 2: Upload the Performance
Create an Animate 3D job and upload the source clip. Trim unused footage before processing so credits are not spent on setup or empty frames. Plan limits control maximum clip length, resolution, frame rate, file size, priority, and the number of people that can be tracked.
Step 3: Choose a Character
Use a default character, create an avatar, or upload a supported humanoid model. DeepMotion automatically retargets the captured motion. Verify the character rig and proportions before generating a long clip because unusual skeletons or extreme body proportions can create sliding or distorted poses.
Step 4: Configure Tracking
- Enable body, face, or hand tracking only when needed.
- Use foot locking to reduce sliding.
- Test motion smoothing when the result looks jittery.
- Use physics settings carefully for ground contact and natural movement.
- Select the correct people in multi-person footage.
- Generate a short test before processing the complete scene.
Step 5: Refine and Export
Use the Rotoscope Pose Editor to correct important frames by tracing the character over the reference video. Review feet, hands, turns, jumps, ground contact, and frames with occlusion. Export in FBX, BVH, GLB, MP4, or another format supported by the selected plan and target software.
Step 6: Build the Finished Scene
Import the animation into your 3D tool, add the environment, camera, lights, materials, and any secondary animation. Render the scene, then finish pacing, music, titles, and sound design in a video editor. Filmora is one option for assembling rendered shots and audio without returning to the 3D timeline.
Animation QA Checklist
- Feet do not slide or sink through the floor.
- Hands and fingers do not jump between poses.
- Limbs stay on the correct side during turns.
- The root motion matches the performance.
- Face and hand data fit the character rig.
- Fast movements do not contain missing frames.
- Camera cuts hide unavoidable tracking errors.
- Commercial use is allowed by the selected plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does DeepMotion require a mocap suit?
No. Animate 3D uses ordinary video and markerless tracking.
Which formats can Animate 3D export?
Current plans support formats including FBX, BVH, GLB, and MP4. Additional formats can depend on the plan.
Can it track multiple people?
Yes. Current plans support multi-person tracking, with the maximum number determined by the plan.