Retarget Settings
In the Retargeting Settings Sub-Mode, you can fine-tune how the retargeting system behaves. Currently, the available options are divided into three main groups:
Root Retargeting Options: Controls the position and rotation of the Hip bone (the first bone in the Spine chain).
Leg Retargeting Options: Controls foot-sliding behavior and the position of the Ankle bone.
Arm Retargeting Options: Controls the position of the Hand bone and how finger retargeting is applied.
Each group can be adjusted in its dedicated Body Part Panel. Some options are shared across all parts, while others are specific to certain body parts.
Let’s start by reviewing the common options, then move on to explore how each option behaves in MOVIN Studio.
Common Retargeting Options
Enable IK
Enables or disables Inverse Kinematics (IK)-based retargeting. IK calculates the position and rotation of all bones based on the End Effector (e.g., hand or foot).
When Enable IK is turned off, the character simply follows the MOVINMan’s joint rotations, which can make the knees appear more bent than intended. When Enable IK is enabled, however, the IK algorithm uses the character’s foot position as the main reference, keeping the foot correctly planted based on the original motion. This adjusts the surrounding joint angles and results in more natural and stable overall movement.
Minimum Chain Stretch
Prevents unnatural over-bending or collapsing of limbs. This setting defines how short the chain distance between the IKStartBone and IKEndBone can become relative to its original Rest Pose length (1.0).
Minimum End Effector Y
Defines the minimum Y-axis height the IKEnd Effector (hand or foot) can reach. It prevents the end effector from sinking below the ground and creating unnatural poses.
Penetration Resolve Mode
Determines how the system corrects the pose when the IKEndBone drops below the Minimum End Effector Y.
None: No correction applied.
Push Root: Moves the Hip bone upward along the Y-axis to resolve the issue.
Push Limb: Projects the IKEndBone upward along the Y-axis and bends the limb to adjust the pose.
Enable End Effector Mapping
Controls how the position of the IKEndBone is determined. By default, the system aligns the direction of the IKStartBone → IKEndBone axis with that of the MOVINMan reference character, ensuring a natural match between their poses.
Because each character may have different limb orientations, simply copying rotation values can result in misaligned hands or feet. Enabling this option aligns the axes to preserve the correct pose and spatial relationship.
Arm Retargeting Adjustments
For arm retargeting, corrections are applied primarily along the X, Z, and X-dir axes.
X Mapping Adjusts the X-axis position of the IKEndBone to match the hand’s relative position to both shoulders, as in MOVINMan. For example, if MOVINMan’s wrist aligns with the right shoulder on the X-axis, the target character’s wrist will also align at the same X value.
Z Mapping (Head / Body) Compensates for the forward-backward (Z-axis) motion that naturally occurs as the arm moves up or down.
Head Z Mapping: When the arm is raised (the hand is above the IKStartBone), moves the hand forward (+Z) for a natural lift motion.
Body Z Mapping: When the arm is lowered (the hand is below the IKStartBone), moves the hand slightly backward (–Z) for a relaxed posture.
Z Mapping defines the base correction amount, while Z Mapping Pow adjusts the curve or intensity of that movement (higher values create steeper transitions).
X-dir Shift (Head / Body) Adjusts the X-axis offset of the hand depending on its vertical (Y) position. Based on the arms-forward pose, the hands move outward as the arms are raised or lowered.
Leg Retargeting Adjustments
For leg retargeting, corrections are primarily applied along the Y-axis (vertical) to maintain stable foot contact with the ground. This ensures the End Effector (foot) stays above the floor surface, preventing the feet from sinking or floating.
Now, let’s explore the Retargeting options together with the MOVIN Studio.
MOVIN Studio Retarget Settings
Root Retarget Settings
Retarget Translation
Hip movement
Determines how much of MOVINMan’s Hip (Root) translation is applied to the character.
Controls how much of MOVINMan’s root movement is reflected in the character.
0 = Fixed at Rest Pose 1 = Fully follows MOVINMan
Retarget Rotation
Hip rotation
Determines how much of MOVINMan’s Hip (Root) rotation is applied to the character.
Controls how much of MOVINMan’s rotation and direction changes are reflected.
0 = Fixed at Rest Pose 1 = Fully follows MOVINMan
Vertical Scale
Hip vertical (Y) movement
Adjusts the Y-axis movement amount produced by Retarget Translation.
Adjusts the vertical center of mass movement ratio (Y-axis) during actions such as jumping or crouching.
0 = Fixed at Rest Pose 1 = Fully follows MOVINMan
Horizontal Scale
Hip horizontal (X·Z) movement
Adjusts the horizontal (XZ-plane) movement amount produced by Retarget Translation.
Adjusts the horizontal (XZ-plane) movement ratio, such as stride length and turning radius
0 = Fixed at Rest Pose 1 = Fully follows MOVINMan
Translational Offset
Hip global position
Adds or subtracts a fixed positional offset to adjust the overall position.
Corrects initial placement of the character after retargeting. (Adjust if the character starts too high or too low)
Rotational Offset
Hip local rotation
Adds a fixed rotation value in local space.
Corrects character orientation if the facing direction is off. (Use when the character faces sideways after retargeting)
Retarget Translation
Retarget Translation controls how the MOVINMan’s translational motion is applied to your custom character during the retargeting process. This setting controls how much of the MOVINMan’s Root (Hip) movement is transferred to your character. It has a direct impact on how the character moves across actions like walking, running, and jumping.
Since translation behaves differently on the vertical axis and the horizontal plane, both values should be tuned together. For this reason, it’s important to fine-tune Translation along with Vertical Scale and Horizontal Scale so that both the up-down movement and the planar movement look natural and balanced.
Retarget Rotation
Retarget Rotation determines how the character’s root rotation is reflected in the retargeted result. A value of 0 keeps the character aligned to its Rest Pose orientation, while a value of 1 makes the character fully follow the MOVINMan’s rotation. Review a variety of poses and actions to find the balance point where your character moves most naturally.
Vertical Scale
Vertical Scale adjusts how much of the MOVINMan’s Vertical (Y-axis) movement is reflected in the retargeted result. Lower values produce a more stable motion with reduced vertical sway, while higher values allow the character to more closely follow the source’s jump height and vertical movement.
Horizontal Scale
Vertical Scale adjusts how much of the MOVINMan’s Horizontal (X·Z-axes) movement is reflected in the retargeted result. Most character movement—such as walking, running, turning, or stepping sideways—happens on the XZ plane, so this setting has a strong impact on how far the character moves and how quickly direction changes occur. Even if MOVINMan’s motion is applied directly, differences in character proportions or animation style may require adjustment. Use this value to make the horizontal movement feel more nature and stable.
Translation Offset
Translational Offset specifies how much additional adjustment is applied to the Root’s position in the retargeted result. Even when the MOVINMan’s translation data is applied as-is, the character’s default position or starting point may not match the intended location.
Rotational Offset
Rotational Offset specifies how much additional rotation is applied to the Root in the final retargeted result. Even when the character follows the MOVINMan’s motion exactly, its default facing direction or initial rotation may not match the desired orientation. Use this option to apply a rotational correction to the Root as needed.
Leg Retarget Settings (Left/Right Shared)
Enable IK
Entire leg chain (Thigh–Knee–Ankle)
Activates IK (Inverse Kinematics) to calculate the upper joint rotations based on the End Effector (foot) position.
Generates natural leg movement by positioning the foot as the base.
When disabled, operates purely in FK mode.
Minimum Chain Stretch
Distance between IKStartBone (Thigh) and IKEndBone (Ankle)
Defines how short the chain can be compared to its Rest Pose length (1.0 = default).
Prevents the leg chain from collapsing or bending unnaturally.
0.7 → Cannot compress shorter than 70% of the Rest Pose length.
Minimum End Effector Y
Y-axis (height) position of IKEndBone (Foot)
Limits the minimum height the End Effector can reach.
Prevents the foot from penetrating the ground or moving below the floor.
0= Ground level / 0.1 = Slightly above ground
Penetration Resolve Mode
Collision handling between IKEndBone (Foot) and ground
Defines how to correct motion when the IKEndBone moves below the Minimum End Effector Y level.
Automatically compensates when the foot penetrates the ground.
None: No correction Push Root: Move Hip upward (Y-axis) Push Limb: Project IKEndBone upward (Y-axis) and bend the limb
Enable End Effector Mapping
Direction of the IKStartBone → IKEndBone axis
Aligns the leg axis of the target character with the MOVINMan’s leg direction for consistent positioning.
Ensures the leg orientation matches that of the reference character.
Automatically realigns when the leg direction deviates.
Enable Planting
Foot Planting
Calculates the physical correction when the foot contacts or separates from the target position.
Prevents foot sliding and stabilizes the contact pose.
Half-life: Time it takes for the foot to settle into or release from the target position. Stable Threshold: Maximum motion deviation allowed during foot planting. Max Inertia Speed: Maximum speed at which the foot moves toward the target when planting occurs.
Arm Retarget Settings (Left/Right Shared)
Enable IK
Entire arm chain (Shoulder–Elbow–Wrist)
Activates the IK (Inverse Kinematics) algorithm to automatically calculate upper joint rotations based on the End Effector (hand) position.
Produces natural arm motion driven by the hand’s position.
Disabled → Operates in FK mode only
Minimum Chain Stretch
Distance between IKStartBone (Upper Arm) and IKEndBone (Wrist)
Defines the minimum chain length relative to its Rest Pose length (1.0 = default).
Prevents the arm chain from collapsing or bending unnaturally.
0.7 → Arm cannot compress shorter than 70% of the Rest Pose length
Minimum End Effector Y
Y-axis (height) position of IKEndBone (Hand)
Limits the lowest position the End Effector can reach.
Prevents the hand from penetrating or moving below the character’s body.
0= Base height / 0.1= Slightly above ground
Penetration Resolve Mode
Collision between IKEndBone (Hand) and body
Defines how to compensate when the IKEndBone moves below the Minimum End Effector Y value.
Automatically prevents hand–body intersection.
None: No correction Push Root : Moves Hip upward (Y-axis) Push Limb : Projects IKEndBone upward and folds the arm
Enable End Effector Mapping
Direction of IKStartBone → IKEndBone axis
Aligns the target character’s arm axis with MOVINMan’s arm axis for consistent positioning.
Ensures the arm orientation remains consistent between characters.
Automatically realigns if arm axis deviates
X Mapping
X-axis position of IKEndBone (Hand)
Adjusts hand X position to match MOVINMan’s relative shoulder-to-hand distance.
Maintains consistent hand placement between characters.
When MOVINMan’s wrist aligns with its shoulder on X-axis, target wrist takes same X value
Z Mapping (Head / Body)
Forward/backward (Z-axis) movement
Compensates Z-axis displacement when raising or lowering the arm.
Head Z Mapping: Moves hand forward (+Z) as arm lifts upward. Body Z Mapping: Moves hand backward (−Z) as arm lowers downward.
Z Mapping: Controls total movement distance. Z Mapping Pow: Controls curve shape (higher = steeper).
Z Mapping Pow
Curve strength of Z Mapping
Adjusts how quickly Z-axis movement changes relative to arm height.
Fine-tunes the smoothness or steepness of Z motion during arm raise/lower.
Higher values create steeper Z curves during motion
X-dir Shift (Head / Body)
X-axis (side) position of IKEndBone (Hand)
Adjusts sideward movement depending on Y-axis (arm height).
Resolves collisions with the body or head when in a neutral stance or with the arm raised.
Based on a front-raise pose, the hand moves outward or inward as arm goes up or down
Thumb FK Scale
Rotation of ThumbStart Bone
Blends the thumb rotation between Rest Pose and original motion.
Achieves natural thumb rotation in retargeted motion.
0.5 = Midpoint between Rest Pose and original motion
Correct Finger Twist
Finger bones
Automatically corrects twist angles for each finger joint.
Removes unnatural twisting in finger joints.
Prevents finger distortion during bending
Correct Finger Twist (Fist)
Finger joints during Fist Pose
Adjusts rotation based on proximity to Template Fist Pose to prevent overlap.
Corrects finger intersection or twist when clenching the fist.
Blend End Angle: Angle threshold for full correction (Template Fist).Blend Softness: Range where blending starts gradually.
Enable end effector mapping
X Mapping
X Mapping adjusts the left–right (X-axis) offset between the shoulders and hands to match the MOVINMan reference. It helps prevent the hands from appearing too close to the body or unnaturally far apart due to differences in shoulder width or upper-body proportions.
Z Mapping (Head)
Z Mapping (Head) preserves the forward–backward (Z-axis) distance between the head and hands based on the MOVINMan reference. This helps avoid cases where the hands appear too close to or too far from the character’s head due to differences in head size or upper-body depth.
Z Mapping (Body)
Z Mapping (Body) adjusts the forward–backward (Z-axis) spacing between the torso and hands to match the MOVINMan reference. This prevents the hands from intersecting with the torso or floating too far away due to variations in body thickness or chest depth.
X-dir shift (Head)
X-dir Shift (Head) provides an additional adjustment to compensate for differences in head width. It helps prevent the arms from intersecting with or sitting too close to the head when the character’s facial width differs from MOVINMan.
X-dir shift (Body)
X-dir Shift (Body) helps correct cases where the arms intersect with the torso or move unnaturally due to broader shoulders or a wider upper body. Use this option when applying MOVINMan’s motion directly causes self-collisions on the character.
Arm Twist Scale
Arm Twist Scale controls how much twist rotation is applied across the upper and lower arm. If the value is too high, the twist may concentrate near the wrist and cause it to appear unnaturally twisted. If the value is too low, the twist may gather around the elbow instead. Adjust this option to distribute twist evenly across the entire arm.
FK Thumb Scale
FK Thumb Scale adjusts how strongly FK rotation is applied to the thumb. Use this option to match the thumb’s pose to the character’s hand size and animation style, ensuring the thumb maintains a natural angle during motion.
Correct Finger Twist
Correct Finger Twist resolves unnatural twisting around finger joints that can cause the fingers to appear twisted or collapsed. Enable this option to correct small rotational artifacts along the finger chain.
Correct Finger Twist (Fist)
Correct Finger Twist (Fist) specifically fixes twisting issues that occur when forming a fist. It adjusts finger joint rotations so that the overall fist shape looks natural and stable.
Retargeting Tips for Natural Motion Data
Depending on the character’s proportions, bone structure, or motion data, some retargeted poses may look unnatural. Use the following adjustments to refine the motion and achieve smoother, more realistic results.
In many cases, a single option alone is not enough to produce natural results. It is often necessary to combine multiple settings to achieve the best outcome. By understanding the purpose of each option and testing them across different motions, you can gradually refine the retargeting and achieve higher-quality animation.
When the Chain Twists Unnaturally If the distance between the IKStartBone and IKEndBone becomes too short, the arm or leg chain may twist excessively. Try increasing the Minimum Chain Stretchvalue to prevent over-compression.
When Hand Alignment Looks Off If the character’s arm length differs from MOVINMan’s, actions like clapping or hugging may result in hands that don’t align properly. Adjust Enable end effector mapping X Mapping to correct the relative distance between both hands.
When Self-Penetration Occurs Characters with larger torsos or heads may experience arm or shoulder clipping during motion. Use Enable end effector mapping Z Mapping and X-dir Shift together to adjust forward/backward (Z) and side (X) offsets, reducing collisions.
When the Thumb Rotates Too Much Since MOVINMan’s thumb chain is aligned along the X-axis, characters with differently oriented thumb bases (ThumbStart Bone) may show unnatural thumb rotation. Adjust the Thumb FK Scale value to balance between the Rest Pose and source motion rotation for smoother results.
When Finger Twist Appears Unnatural In some cases, finger poses predicted by MOVIN TRACIN or external mocap devices may include physically impossible rotations. Enable Correct Finger Twist to automatically fix abnormal twisting along the finger joints.
Apply to both sides at once
Once you finish adjusting the settings, use the Mirror to Right/Left Arm/Leg options at the bottom to apply the changes to both sides at once.
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