Maya and Avatar Animation

Attention Maya Animators - Free SL Rig
http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=87870&page=4&pp=15

Free BVH Exporter 1.2 for Maya
http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=42181&highlight=maya+avatar+animations

Create a custom MEL shelf in Maya
http://3dtrue.com/maya/4.html

note...
You can download the SL model and default bvh animations from the resource matrix at the SL site. There are a few problems though.

You can import the Tpose bvh to use as your skeleton (you will probably want to fix the pose, it isn't perfect). The avatar mesh is in .obj format, and needs to be resized. I used a scale of 136 to match the tpose skeleton. I suggest using SL_avatar_OBJ.obj and rigid binding to the skeleton.

You will have to do all the rigging yourself.

Be sure to keep your hierarchy in the correct order (you can open up one of the default bvh files in a text editor and see what order you need), and keep the names intact.

If you plan on using this exporter be aware that there are a few problems with it (read the previous posts).

Animation Editors
<>[list][URL=http://www.avimator.com/]Avimator[/URL]>>> [URL=http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=81886]a reference thread[/URL][/list][list][URL=http://sourceforge.net/projects/free-bvh-editor]slat[/URL]>>> [URL=http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=83702]a reference thread[/URL][/list][list][URL=http://www.daz3d.com/program/studio/1_0index.php]DAZ|Stuido[/URL]>>>[URL=http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=99007]a reference thread[/URL][/list][list][URL=http://www.blender.org/cms/Home.2.0.html]Blender[/URL]>>> [URL=http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=25102]a reference thread[/URL][/list]
<>[list][URL=http://www.e-frontier.com/article/articleview/1597/1/281?sbss=281]Poser[/URL]>>> no need any reference...[/list][list][URL=http://caladan.nanosoft.ca/c4/software/posemaker.php]Posemaker[/URL]>>> [URL=http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=44734]a reference thread[/URL][/list][list][URL=http://www.highend3d.com/maya/]Maya[/URL]>>> [URL=http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=87870]a reference thread[/URL] [/list]

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SL looks for contractor to create sexier walk

Animazoo helps animate Second Life avatars
*motion capture + AO
http://www.digitalmedia.com.au/node/58

scupted prim
http://www.kewego.com/video/iLyROoaftQ2z.html

motion builder
real time 3d char animation and motion editing tool
siggraph 2008
http://www.gamedev.net/features/reviews/productreview.asp?categoryid=35&productid=590
http://forums.cgsociety.org/archive/index.php/t-44434.html
file:///C:/Program%20Files/Autodesk/MotionBuilder75%20Ext2/Help/MBHelp75/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/_index.htm?forcejs=true&context=MBHelp75&topic=tutorials

mocap data
http://www.spafi.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=456&Itemid=26
mocap system software
http://www.vicon.com/

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more...
http://morbo.cs.pdx.edu/SecondLifeOfficialGuideCD/Files/Animation%20Resources/Avatar%20Manequin/Readme.txt
Second Life Avatar Content Creation Aids
January, 2005

animation with bvh & obj - skin weights
http://droffset.blogspot.com/2008/02/animation-with-bvh-obj-skin-weights.html
http://droffset.blogspot.com/2007/10/bvh-obj-match-made-in-bl00dy-h3ll-part.html

Daz3D
http://www.sltutorials.net/mtree/Animation_&_More/Daz3d_Animation_Tutorial_for_Second_Life/details/
http://secondlife.dolphpun.com/daz3d/

3D max
http://sl-everything.blogspot.com/2007/03/avimator-free-sl-avatar-animation-tool.html

bvhacker version 1.4.0 (April 2008)
3MB. Windows XP tested only. See support page for help.
http://www.davedub.co.uk/bvhacker/