Motion Capture

What is Motion Capture?

Motion capture records how a real person moves and uses that data to animate a digital character, so the character inherits the natural timing and physicality of a live performance.

At a glance

Also known as
MocapPerformance captureMotion tracking
Used for
Character animationGame developmentVFXVirtual productionSports analysis
Common tools
ViconOptiTrackRokokoXsensMove.aiBlender
Related terms
Skeletal animationMotion trackingGame art pipelineRetargetingKeyframe

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How it compares

How it compares

Motion CaptureKeyframe Animation

Motion capture records real human movement and transfers it to a digital character, producing naturalistic results quickly but requiring post-processing and retargeting. Keyframe animation is constructed entirely by an animator, offering complete creative control over timing and exaggeration but demanding significantly more time per second of finished animation.

Think of it like…

Motion capture is like taking a mould of a sculptor's hands as they work: the digital character inherits the shape and energy of real physical movement, rather than having that movement imagined and constructed from scratch.

Pro tip

When using AI-powered markerless mocap tools from standard video, shoot with a clear background, consistent lighting, and the subject fully in frame throughout: the cleaner the source footage, the more accurate and usable the captured skeletal data will be.

Types and variations

  • Optical motion capture uses reflective or active markers tracked by infrared cameras and remains the industry standard for high-accuracy studio production.
  • Inertial motion capture uses sensor-equipped suits to record movement using accelerometers and gyroscopes, offering greater portability without requiring a controlled camera environment.
  • Markerless motion capture uses computer vision, often powered by AI, to extract skeletal data from regular video footage without any specialist equipment.
  • Facial capture is a specialised application that records the subtle deformations of the face for driving blend shape or bone-based facial animation systems.
  • Full performance capture combines body and facial data simultaneously to capture complete character performances, as used in major film and game productions.

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Common use cases

  • Motion capture is central to character animation in AAA game development, providing the volume and quality of movement data that modern titles require.
  • In film and television, it captures performances for digital characters and creatures in VFX-heavy productions.
  • Virtual production workflows use real-time mocap to drive digital actors and camera movements on LED volume stages.
  • Sports broadcasting uses motion tracking for tactical analysis and data visualisation.
  • For AI filmmakers and content creators, AI-powered markerless mocap tools are making it possible to generate character animation from standard video without professional equipment.

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FAQs

What is the difference between motion capture and performance capture?
Performance capture is a broader term that includes facial expression data alongside full body movement, allowing the entire performance of an actor ( including subtle emotional nuances ) to drive a digital character. Motion capture more commonly refers to body movement only, though the terms are often used interchangeably in industry contexts.
What is retargeting in the context of motion capture?
Retargeting is the process of adapting motion capture data recorded on a performer of one body proportion to drive a digital character with different proportions. Since a tall athletic performer and a short cartoon character have very different limb lengths and joint positions, retargeting tools adjust the raw capture data so it reads correctly on the target character.
Can motion capture be done without a professional studio?
Yes. Inertial mocap suits such as those made by Rokoko or Xsens can be used in any open space without camera rigs. AI-powered markerless solutions like Move.ai can extract skeletal animation from standard video footage shot on a smartphone, making motion capture accessible to individual creators and small teams.
How does AI improve motion capture workflows?
AI contributes to motion capture at several stages: markerless capture uses computer vision to eliminate the need for suits and markers, AI retargeting tools automate and improve the adaptation of data to new characters, and AI cleanup tools reduce the manual effort of correcting noise, occlusion, and artefacts in raw capture data.
What is an animation retarget and why is it needed?
A retarget adapts animation data from one character skeleton to another. It is needed because motion capture data is recorded on a specific performer's proportions, and the digital character receiving that data may have a very different body structure. Without retargeting, the animation will look distorted or incorrect on the receiving character.
Is motion capture used in AI video generation?
Motion capture data is used to train AI models on human movement, contributing to the quality of AI-generated character animation. AI tools are also emerging that generate mocap-quality skeletal animation from text descriptions or video references, effectively replicating what motion capture achieves without requiring a live capture session.
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