Autodesk MotionBuilder
MotionBuilder is a real-time 3D character animation software designed for high-performance motion capture editing, virtual production, and keyframe animation. It is widely used in film, television, and video game development to create believable character performances and interactive animation workflows.
Real-Time Performance Animation
MotionBuilder delivers high-speed playback and editing of motion capture data in a real-time 3D environment. Its optimized engine lets animators preview, adjust, and blend animations on fully rigged characters instantly—ideal for virtual production or live visualization.
Powerful Motion Capture Editing
Import motion capture data from a variety of systems and clean, retarget, and refine it using advanced filters and tools. MotionBuilder makes it easy to map motion between skeletons, fix foot sliding, and create seamless character animation loops.
Flexible Character Rigging and Retargeting
With its HumanIK solver and customizable rig templates, MotionBuilder supports fast retargeting across characters with different proportions and structures. Create complex animation rigs and control them in real time using mocap or keyframes.
Key Features
- Real-time 3D animation playback and motion editing
- Robust support for motion capture systems and data formats
- Advanced character rigging, retargeting, and pose blending
- Python scripting and SDK for custom tools and automation
- Live streaming support for virtual production and previs
- Seamless integration with Maya and game engines like Unity and Unreal
Who Uses MotionBuilder?
Autodesk MotionBuilder is used by animation studios, VFX teams, game developers, and virtual production crews. It is the go-to solution for animators working with motion capture, real-time character performances, or cinematic previsualization pipelines.
⚠️ CRITICAL WARNING FOR MAC USERS:
Discontinued Support: Autodesk stopped supporting macOS for MotionBuilder starting with version 2024.
MotionBuilder 2024, 2025, 2026: These versions are Windows and Linux ONLY.
MotionBuilder 2023: This is the last version available for macOS.
🪟 Windows (MotionBuilder 2023–2026)
| Operating System (OS) |
64-bit Windows 10 (v1809+)<br>64-bit Windows 11
|
Windows 11<br>(Professional / Enterprise)
|
| Processor (CPU) |
64-bit Intel or AMD multi-core processor |
Intel Core i7/i9 or AMD Ryzen 7/9<br>(High single-core speed is preferred for UI responsiveness; Multi-core for data processing)
|
| Memory (RAM) |
8 GB |
16 GB (Standard)<br>32 GB+ (For handling dense Motion Capture data / Long takes)
|
| Graphics (GPU) |
4 GB VRAM<br>DirectX 11 compliant
|
8 GB+ VRAM<br>NVIDIA RTX Professional (Quadro) / GeForce RTX<br>(Real-time playback FPS depends entirely on GPU power)
|
| Disk Space |
4 GB free space |
SSD (Solid State Drive)<br>(Required for fast playback cache and loading FBX files)
|
| Display |
1920 x 1080 |
3840 x 2160 (4K) |
| Browser |
Google Chrome / Microsoft Edge |
— |
| Network |
TCP/IP |
Gigabit Ethernet<br>(If streaming live Mocap data from Vicon/Optitrack systems)
|
🍏 macOS (MotionBuilder 2023 ONLY)
Note: Versions 2024, 2025, and 2026 are NOT compatible with macOS.
| Operating System (OS) |
macOS Big Sur (v11)<br>macOS Monterey (v12)
|
macOS Monterey (v12)<br>(Newer macOS versions like Sonoma/Sequoia are NOT officially supported for 2023)
|
| Processor (CPU) |
Intel-based Mac or Apple Silicon (Rosetta 2) |
Apple M1 / M2 Series (via Rosetta 2)
|
| Memory (RAM) |
8 GB |
16 GB or higher |
| Graphics (GPU) |
Native Mac Graphics |
M-Series GPU or AMD Radeon Pro<br>(Discrete GPU highly recommended for playback)
|
| Disk Space |
4 GB free space |
SSD (APFS format) |
| Pointing Device |
3-button mouse |
3-button mouse<br>(Trackpads are difficult to use for Mocap editing)
|
💡 Performance Advice for MotionBuilder
The "Real-Time" Requirement:
MotionBuilder is designed to play back character animation in real-time (usually 24, 30, or 60 FPS).
If your GPU is weak, the viewport frame rate will drop, making it impossible to judge timing or clean up motion capture data effectively.
Recommendation: Use a strong NVIDIA RTX card (Windows) for the best viewport performance.
RAM & Take Size:
MotionBuilder loads the entire animation "Take" into RAM.
If you are working with full-body optical motion capture data (facial + body) for long scenes (1000+ frames), 8 GB RAM is not enough. You will need 32 GB to scrub through the timeline smoothly.
Mac Users (2024-2026):
Since Autodesk dropped Mac support, professional Mac users typically:
Switch to Autodesk Maya (which has absorbed many MotionBuilder retargeting features and supports Mac).
Use a dedicated Windows / Linux workstation for MotionBuilder tasks.
Parallels Desktop: MotionBuilder 2024+ can run on Parallels, but because Mocap requires precise timing and high FPS, the performance loss in a VM is usually unacceptable for professional work.
