What It Does
BVH Importer reads BVH (Biovision Hierarchy) motion capture files and converts them into animated Solid or Null layer rigs in After Effects. Point it at any .bvh file containing skeletal joint data and motion keyframes, and it generates a full hierarchy of layers with rotation and position animation already applied. Useful when you need realistic human movement data for character animation, abstract motion graphics, or any project where hand-keyframing complex skeletal motion would take hours.
Key Features
Mixed Euler rotation support. Handles not just the standard ZXY rotation order but any combination (XYZ, XZY, YXZ, etc.). A built-in compatibility checker scans the BVH file before import and flags errors if the file structure is malformed.
Rest pose option. Creates the skeleton in a neutral T-pose or A-pose at the composition start, even when the BVH file doesn’t define one. Makes rigging the skeleton to 2D or 3D elements easier since you’re not fighting motion deformations from frame zero.
Composition setup controls. Center the skeleton in the comp automatically, override the frame rate (supports up to 999 FPS in AE 2022+), adjust the skeleton scale factor (e.g., 300% to fit large comps), and choose whether to create Solids or Nulls for each joint. You can also set custom Solid dimensions and anchor point positioning.
Layer tagging system. Tag specific layers to different versions and switch between them with one click. Helpful when comparing multiple takes from the same mocap session or experimenting with variations.
Who It’s For
Motion designers working with character animation who want to skip the tedious keyframing of complex body mechanics. Also useful for experimental projects that treat skeletal motion as raw animation data, turning it into abstract visualizations or data-driven compositions. If you’re building templates where realistic human gestures matter (sports graphics, instructional videos, dance sequences), this converts a library of free or commercial BVH files into usable After Effects rigs.
The tool includes links to free BVH libraries: the CMU Graphics Lab Motion Capture Database (converted to BVH by cgspeed.com), ACCAD at Ohio State, Eyes Japan’s free mocap library, and others. The developer’s user manual at bvh-importer.rendertom.com walks through the workflow step by step.
Pricing
Pay-what-you-want (suggested $39.99). A free trial version limits imports to 50 animation frames. Once you buy, you own it (no subscription). Upgrade pricing available if you already own prior versions, visible after logging in on aescripts.com.