A character motion reference shows what a person does, where they travel and when they pause. A prompt can describe a person sitting down; a reference can also show the approach, the seat position and the moment they stand again. Reelpen lets you prepare this as an editable 3D shot.
Start with one action and one camera
Add a Dolly character and frame it with a camera. Use a full-body view at first: a close-up can hide sliding feet or a missed seat. Keep the scene simple until the action reads clearly, then add surroundings.
Separate travel from an action in place
Use Move to draw the character's route. Walking and running describe travel; sitting and kneeling need a suitable pause and placement. Under Build → Action sequence, choose Sit → wait → stand, Crouch → rise or Kneel → rise, then use Apply actions. Review the action times against the route instead of assuming that a pose automatically stops travel.
Example: approach a chair, sit, then leave
- Place the chair and character. Set the character's facing and the seat height in world metres. Seat contact is explicit; there is no automatic chair binding.
- Preview the sit–wait–stand sequence without travel. Check the hips against the seat and the feet against the floor, including after changing character size.
- Add the approach and departure route. Give the seated part a hold long enough to contain the action sequence.
- Play from the start. Check the transitions into the hold and out of it, then inspect the middle and end of the seated interval.
Check turns and backward steps
A turn while travelling changes the route direction; a pivot during a pause is a different shot. For an explicit pivot, use a waypoint hold and choose a turn in Do while paused. Preview approach, pivot and departure together. Backward walking also needs room behind the character: check the route and the camera view for collisions with props.
Export the useful interval
Keep enough of the start and finish to explain the transition. A clip that begins after the character is already seated does not communicate sitting down. Use the camera preview to check the full body, then export through Capture or Package. Keep an editable scene copy so you can adjust the next attempt.
These are previs motions, not final character animation. The external model determines how it uses the reference and may change anatomy, timing or contact. Compare the generated result with your reference before accepting it.
Next, choose between a reference video and keyframes, or plan the camera movement.