---
title: "Set up a retarget using default constraints"
canonical: "https://help.vicon.com/space/ShogunPost121/1253737841/Set%20up%20a%20retarget%20using%20default%20constraints"
format: markdown
---
To set up a retarget using the default constraints in Shogun Post, complete the following steps.

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## Prepare the target skeleton

1. To ensure your FBX, USD or VSR file works well as a target skeleton, review the tips in [Create an optimal target skeleton](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ShogunPost121/pages/1253738613).
2. Ensure the source skeleton is currently loaded.
3. Open the **Subject Setup** panel and select the **Retargeting** tab.
4. Load the target skeleton by clicking the Load Retarget button.
5. To identify issues with the bones of the target skeleton, on the **Retargeting** tab, select the **Manual Setup** tab and check for any warning icons in the **Target skeleton bones** list below. The following types of warnings may be displayed:
  - When one or more issues is detected, a warning icon is displayed next to the **Target skeleton bones** heading at the top of the list. For more information, hover the mouse over the icon. A tooltip is displayed, explaining that one or more bones has issues.
  - For each bone, if an issue is detected, a warning icon is displayed in the **Info** column to the right of the list. For more information, hover the mouse over the icon. A tooltip is displayed that explains the issue.
    The issues that are detected are:
    - A bone has default rotation-channel values but no active rotation DOFs, meaning those values are not retained in the VSR file.
    - A bone has scale values other than 1.0, which is not retained in the VSR file.
    - A bone has active DOFs but is unconstrained, which may be unintentional.
  Note that only the above issues are detected and are not automatically fixed: you are free to decide whether to act upon the warning(s) but ensure that any issues that affect the viability of the skeleton as a retarget are addressed.
6. At the top of the **Retargeting** tab, click **Map Mode**.
  The Map Mode button changes color and the text in the 3D Scene view changes, the play range is blank, and all skeletons are put into their base pose, indicating that you are now in map mode.
  In this mode, you can pose the source and target skeletons without affecting the motion of the main clip.
7. In the **Target Skeleton Setup** section, ensure the correct bone (normally the hips or pelvis) is set as root on the target skeleton.
  If necessary, right-click and select **Set Root **in the context menu to change it.
8. Select **Align Skeletons** to automatically align the target skeleton to the solve skeleton.
  If the target skeleton doesn't fully align with the solve skeleton, adjust it manually.
  For tips on how to do this:
  - Watch the video [Vicon Shogun 1.3 Post Tutorial - Retargeting Setup](https://youtu.be/S5otK-hx8QM)
  - See [Pose the skeleton](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ShogunPost121/pages/1253737579)
9. If desired, use the **Target Scale** controls to adjust the target skeleton's scale.
10. Ensure the DoFs are set. To do this:
  1. In the **Target Skeleton Setup** section, in the **Parts and Sides** list, view the DoFs. (To do this, you may need to close the Constraints and Export Options sections).
  2. Select any bones that should not receive animation by retargeting and use the option in the right-click context menu to disable their DoFs.
    This ensures that those bones don't receive animation and helps the automation to determine which bones are to be constrained.
  3. Modify the DoFs of each bone for its desired motion by selecting the bone and in the **Attributes** panel, edit the DoFs.
    Using sensible DoFs produces a better retarget and animation.

> Macro (scroll-pagebreak)

## Set the side and parts

1. In the **Target Skeleton Setup** section, next to **Parts and** **Sides**, click **Auto Set**.
  This assigns the appropriate side name and part name to each bone that has active DoFs.
  - Side names are set by first using each bone's name, for example, if it contains `center`, `left`, `right`, `l_`, `r_`, etc.
    If the side can't be deduced from the bone's name, its position relative to the root is used.
  - The Part name is set based on the bone name matching commonly used names.
2. Verify that the sides and parts are set correctly.
  If necessary, modify them by selecting bones in the list (or elsewhere in Post) and using the **Manually Set** buttons above the list.
  For example, if the part for the head is set to None, in the **Target Skeleton Setup** list, select the head and from the **Body Part** list above the list, select **Head**.

## Create the retargeting constraints

1. Ensure the **Constraints** section is expanded.
2. Click **Auto Create** to automatically create a default constraint setup.
  This uses the sides and parts as a mapping between the two skeletons.
  The default constraint setup contains:
  - Position and Rotation for the root
  - Position and Rotation for the feet, to ensure the target skeleton feet follow the solve feet in position.
  - Position and Rotation for the hands to ensure the target skeleton hands can follow the solve hands in position when desired.
  - Rotation constraints for the rest of the bones, so that the pose of the target skeleton matches the solve skeleton.
3. Modify the constraints as needed - add, remove, or change the weights.

When you have finished, exit map mode by clicking **Map Mode** again.

> Macro (scroll-pagebreak)

## Export the target skeleton and constraints as a VSR

To export the target skeleton and constraints as a VSR:

- At the top of the **Subject Setup** panel, click the **Save Retarget Setup** button and if necessary, browse to the required location.
  By default, the VSR is saved to: *C:\Users\Public\Documents\Vicon\Retargets*

## Test and refine the retarget setup

We recommend testing the retarget setup on a ROM and a few takes that represent typical and extreme motions. You can do this in Live or Post, by importing the VSR.

You can test the retarget setup in Shogun Post or in Shogun Live.


    **To test the retarget setup in Post:**


When you have finished setting up, ensure you have selected **Map Mode** again to turn it off (the Map Mode button is not green).

1. You are returned to the motion in the file, ideally a ROM.
2. In the toolbar at the top of the **Subject Setup** panel, click the **Retarget skeleton(s) over current frame** button.
3. If the skeleton looks good, select the **Retarget over frame range** button (or select a range and use the **Retarget skeleton(s) over selected range** button).
  After retargeting has finished, scrub the time bar to check that the motion and positioning of the retargeted skeleton now matches that of the target skeleton over the whole range (or selected range).

> Macro (scroll-pagebreak)


    **To test the retarget setup in Live:**


1. Load the VSR. To do this, in the **Tracking** panel, ensure the subject is selected and click the **Properties **tab.
2. Click the **Retarget** field to display the files found in your *Retargets* folder, and select the retarget from the list.
3. In the **Processing** panel, in the **General** section, ensure that the **Processing Output Level** is set to **Retarget**.
  Your FBX is displayed and is driven by the source skeleton. The retarget skeleton is recorded as part of the MCP capture.

After you have finished setting up a retarget, you may need to set up another retarget for a similar set of skeletons, for example, from a different actor to the same target skeleton, or a similar target skeleton with a different scale or proportions. To find out how to do this, see [Set up a retarget based on an existing setup](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ShogunPost121/pages/1253736721).