Puppeteering Principles for Body Puppet Panel

When you use the Preset mode on the Body Puppet panel, there are number of sliders that control how each body part performs during previewing or recording. The mapping methods are shown in the illustrations below. By adjusting these sliders, the presets can be mix-used for either male or female characters.

Offset Sliders

These sliders are mainly affecting the position or offset of each joint. They are useful for defining the basic appearance of a character with different slider status combinations. Furthermore, the motion templates can then be applied to male or female characters by simply adjusting the body part offsets.

A. Head, chest and shoulder offsets

B. Elbow positions

C. Pelvis height

D. Leg adjustments

E. Hands height

E. Hands front and rear

Youth to Elderly

Basic idle motion

Lean Forward

Shoulders Down

Slouch More

Lower Hips

Elbow Out

Actor Changed

Man to Woman

Male depressed motion

Elbow In

Hands Back

Narrow Stance

Toes In

Actor Changed

Woman to Man

Female idle motion

Shoulders Down

Upright More

Wide Stance

Toes Out

Actor Changed

Motion Elasticity Sliders - Body Parts

These sliders define the stiffness or looseness of each joint in the body, which can affect body motions and personalities of characters.

A. Neck elasticity - affects head sway

B. Shoulders elasticity - affects arms sway

B. Elbows elasticity - affects forearms sways

C. Pelvis horizontal translation

C. Pelvis rotation

D. Step Distance

Happy to Depressed

Strut walk motion

Stiff Arms

Stiff Elbow

Static Hips

Short Stride

Elbow In

Slouch

Motion Elasticity Sliders - Entire Body

These sliders can define the stiffness or looseness of entire body motions.

A. Entire body wiggles

B. Entire body elasticity

Sways Less

Sways More

Calm

Energetic