Frame 1 on BVH Armature Messed Up

Well, I just bought a copy of 3D World magazine at Borders to check it out. Looks pretty sweet and the CD that came with it had 20 free mocap data files on it, but for some reason on frame 1 the armature is all weird. Frame 2 and beyond are fine. This has happened with each one I have imported so far.

http://uploader.polorix.net//files/19/frame1bvh_thumb.jpg
http://uploader.polorix.net//files/19/frame2bvh_thumb.jpg

Common problem with .bvh. Usually the armature is posed at scene center for the first frame, then wanders into position over the next five or so frames and only then starts the real animation. You just need to advance to the first good frame and then box-select all keys under and left of the green line and delete them then select all and slide them to start at frame one. Important to do that in the Action and NLA windows.

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I have studyied a lot of BVH files, and found that Frame 1 is the ZERO positon where you can RIG also. Actual animation starts from Frame 2. It is good because when you import a BVH file and create armature. Now suppose this is a running character and from frame 1 it is running, It will be difficult to rig that character.

Well, this particular frame one is no good for rigging. Do I just have to start weight painting on a posed armature?

Try using envelopes . Switch to envelope view of the armature and edit the envelopes and set distances etc. BEFORE you parent your mesh to it . And when you do parent select the “From Closest Bone” option instead of vertex groups . If you properly edit the envelope of influence you can pretty amazing results and let Blender figure out the weighting of the mesh .
And just a hint to get you started : make the tips of the long bones that exit the torso (upper arm, upper leg) super small (like .05 in Edit Mode) and just those that are in contact with the torso itself but not other tips . This will deform your mesh very well and not give you a lot of pinching etc .

I don’t know if closest bone would work, see how far back the armature’s foot is because he’s running?

You don’t need to parent the mesh in that pose . Just toggle on the “Rest Position” option in the Armature Panel in Pose or Object Mode then attach the mesh . Just remember to turn it off when you want to see the animation .