Motion Capture!

I got my hands on a Kinect, with the sole purpose of using it for motion capture, this is an early experiment of capturing data and importing it into Unreal.
I will revisit this with better lighting, attire (not a dressing gown!) and some words.

The (free) tools used

iPi Recorder and iPi Motion Capture Studio (https://ipisoft.com/download)
These two tools are used in conjunction with each other to capture and record the motion capture data from your Kinect, and export it to a format that your 3D software or game engine can interpret.

When you first install these, it will also install some additional components, such as the Kinect SDK.

The Process

Once your software is fully installed, and your Kinect camera is connected – you’ll need to load up iPi Recorder, and assuming your Kinect has been detected, you’ll be able to select it and press Record.

Before you start recording, you’ll need to select the Background tab, and press Evaluate Background without being in the shot – this is so that the software can differentiate between what’s in the foreground (you, or your subject) and the background.
You’ll need to ensure that the ground is visible, by adjusting the elevation of the camera with the slider at the top of the output display.

Once you’ve done this, head over to the Record tab, and start recording your footage.

I will say that the interpretation isn’t perfect, but if you move slowly at first – you’ll be able to figure out the nuances of what works, and what doesn’t.