Hey there!
I just wanted to share something real quick: I modified the Shifter Mocap tools a bit, to accept a mapping.json file as an input instead of the hard-coded mapping list. Also it now circumvents the “you have to open the HIK window first” thingy and works with z-up scenes… 
I’ll just paste the code here, as I can’t attach *.py files - maybe this comes in handy for somebody 
This is the mgear\shifter\mocap_tools.py
import json import pymel.core as pm from pymel.core.language import Mel as mel import mgear.core.attribute as att import mgear.core.transform as tra def importSkeletonBiped(*args): # make sure the HIK plugins are loaded (prevents the part where you have to open the # window first to make the import work) if not pm.pluginInfo('mayaHIK.mll', query=True, loaded=True): pm.loadPlugin('mayaHIK.mll', quiet=True) if not pm.pluginInfo('mayaCharacterization.mll', query=True, loaded=True): pm.loadPlugin('mayaCharacterization.mll', quiet=True) mel.eval('hikToggleWidget();mayaHIKInitStrings;') # prompt the user for the template file - fileDialog2 always returns a list lPath = pm.fileDialog2( caption="Select the file including the HIK reference skeleton!", fileFilter="Maya Files (*.ma *.mb);;Maya ASCII (*.ma);;Maya Binary (*.mb)", fileMode=1 ) if not lPath: return # finally import the file pm.importFile(lPath[0]) def characterizeBiped(*args): # prompt the user for the characterization file lPath = pm.fileDialog2( caption="Select the characterization mapping file!", fileFilter="JSON Files (*.json)", fileMode=1 ) if not lPath: return try: # read the json file and fill the mapping arrays with open(lPath[0]) as mappingFile: data = json.loads(mappingFile.read()) globalCtlName = data["globalCtl"] # fill the lists from the file skelFK = [] skelPrefix = data["skelFK"]["prefix"] for joint in data["skelFK"]["joints"]: skelFK.append(skelPrefix + joint) gearFK = data["gearFK"] alignFK = data["alignFK"] alignIK = data["alignIK"] skelIK = data["skelIK"] gearIK = data["gearIK"] except Exception: pm.displayWarning("Error during import of mapping.json") return try: gCtl = pm.PyNode(globalCtlName) if not gCtl.hasAttr("mocapAttach"): mocapAttach = att.addAttribute( gCtl, "mocapAttach", "float", 1.0, minValue=0.0, maxValue=1.0 ) else: mocapAttach = gCtl.attr("mocapAttach") except Exception: pm.displayWarning( "Global control with name %s is not in the scene!" % globalCtlName) return # if the scene is z-up, rotate the global control to fit the y-up HIK template first if pm.upAxis(query=True, axis=True) == "z": gCtl.setRotation((-90, 0, 0), 'world') # Align skeleton for a, b in zip(skelFK, gearFK): oA = getPyNode(a) oB = getPyNode(b) if not oA or not oB: continue tra.matchWorldTransform(oB, oA) # Constrain FK controls for a, b in zip(skelFK, gearFK): oA = getPyNode(a) oB = getPyNode(b) if not oA or not oB: continue cns = pm.parentConstraint(oA, oB, mo=True) pb_node = pm.createNode("pairBlend") pm.connectAttr(cns + ".constraintRotateX", pb_node + ".inRotateX2") pm.connectAttr(cns + ".constraintRotateY", pb_node + ".inRotateY2") pm.connectAttr(cns + ".constraintRotateZ", pb_node + ".inRotateZ2") pm.connectAttr(pb_node + ".outRotateX", oB + ".rotateX", f=True) pm.connectAttr(pb_node + ".outRotateY", oB + ".rotateY", f=True) pm.connectAttr(pb_node + ".outRotateZ", oB + ".rotateZ", f=True) pm.setKeyframe(oB, at="rotateX") pm.setKeyframe(oB, at="rotateY") pm.setKeyframe(oB, at="rotateZ") pm.connectAttr(cns + ".constraintTranslateX", pb_node + ".inTranslateX2") pm.connectAttr(cns + ".constraintTranslateY", pb_node + ".inTranslateY2") pm.connectAttr(cns + ".constraintTranslateZ", pb_node + ".inTranslateZ2") pm.connectAttr(pb_node + ".outTranslateX", oB + ".translateX", f=True) pm.connectAttr(pb_node + ".outTranslateY", oB + ".translateY", f=True) pm.connectAttr(pb_node + ".outTranslateZ", oB + ".translateZ", f=True) pm.setKeyframe(oB, at="translateX") pm.setKeyframe(oB, at="translateY") pm.setKeyframe(oB, at="translateZ") pm.connectAttr(mocapAttach, pb_node.attr("weight")) # Align IK controls with FK controls for a, b in zip(alignIK, alignFK): oA = getPyNode(a) oB = getPyNode(b) if not oA or not oB: continue tra.matchWorldTransform(oB, oA) if a in [u"arm_L0_upv_ctl", u"arm_R0_upv_ctl"]: oA.attr("tz").set(-3) if a == u"arm_L0_ikcns_ctl": oA.attr("rx").set((oA.attr("rx").get() + 90)) if a == u"arm_R0_ikcns_ctl": oA.attr("rx").set((oA.attr("rx").get() - 90)) # constrain IK controls for a, b in zip(skelIK, gearIK): oA = getPyNode(a) oB = getPyNode(b) if not oA or not oB: continue pb_node = pm.createNode("pairBlend") try: if b in (u"leg_L0_upv_ctl", u"leg_R0_upv_ctl"): att.lockAttribute(pm.PyNode(b), lock=False, keyable=True) if b in (u"leg_L0_mid_ctl", u"leg_R0_mid_ctl", u"arm_L0_mid_ctl", u"arm_R0_mid_ctl"): cns = pm.pointConstraint(oA, oB, mo=True) else: cns = pm.parentConstraint(oA, oB, mo=True) pm.connectAttr(cns + ".constraintRotateX", pb_node + ".inRotateX2") pm.connectAttr(cns + ".constraintRotateY", pb_node + ".inRotateY2") pm.connectAttr(cns + ".constraintRotateZ", pb_node + ".inRotateZ2") pm.connectAttr(pb_node + ".outRotateX", oB + ".rotateX", f=True) pm.connectAttr(pb_node + ".outRotateY", oB + ".rotateY", f=True) pm.connectAttr(pb_node + ".outRotateZ", oB + ".rotateZ", f=True) pm.setKeyframe(oB, at="rotateX") pm.setKeyframe(oB, at="rotateY") pm.setKeyframe(oB, at="rotateZ") except Exception: cns = pm.pointConstraint(oA, oB, mo=True) pm.connectAttr(cns + ".constraintTranslateX", pb_node + ".inTranslateX2") pm.connectAttr(cns + ".constraintTranslateY", pb_node + ".inTranslateY2") pm.connectAttr(cns + ".constraintTranslateZ", pb_node + ".inTranslateZ2") pm.connectAttr(pb_node + ".outTranslateX", oB + ".translateX", f=True) pm.connectAttr(pb_node + ".outTranslateY", oB + ".translateY", f=True) pm.connectAttr(pb_node + ".outTranslateZ", oB + ".translateZ", f=True) pm.setKeyframe(oB, at="translateX") pm.setKeyframe(oB, at="translateY") pm.setKeyframe(oB, at="translateZ") pm.connectAttr(mocapAttach, pb_node.attr("weight")) # create the control rig - this will update the definition with some obscured stuff, # which is later needed to not make the skeleton collapse mel.eval('hikCreateControlRig();') # rotate everything back into z-up mode if pm.upAxis(query=True, axis=True) == "z": gCtl.setRotation((0, 0, 0), 'world') try: ctlReferenceRoot = pm.PyNode(skelPrefix + "Ctrl_Reference") ctlReferenceRoot.setRotation((90, 0, 0), 'world') except Exception: pm.displayWarning("Could not find control reference root!") def bakeMocap(*args): start = pm.playbackOptions(query=True, min=True) end = pm.playbackOptions(query=True, max=True) # at least one control must be selected to determine the namespace if pm.selected() and pm.selected()[0].name()[-3:].lower() == "ctl": if ":" in pm.selected()[0].name(): namespace = pm.selected()[0].name()[:pm.selected()[ 0].name().rindex(':') + 1] else: namespace = "" try: controls = pm.PyNode("%srig_controllers_grp" % namespace).members() except Exception: pm.displayWarning("Could not find controls group select set!") return # Using a custom bake system because bakeResults is # slow with pairblend nodes. for x in range(int(start), int(end + 1)): pm.currentTime(x) pm.setKeyframe(controls) else: pm.displayWarning("Please select at least one control of the rig to " "determine which character should be baked!") def getPyNode(name): try: object = pm.PyNode(name) return object except Exception: pm.displayWarning("Can't find %s in the scene! Skipping!!" % name) return False
And this is the json file with the default mapping (as it was implemented before, just extracted):
{
“skelFK”: {
“prefix”: “mGear_Mocap_interface_”,
“joints”: [
“Hips”,
“LeftUpLeg”,
“LeftLeg”,
“LeftFoot”,
“LeftToeBase”,
“RightUpLeg”,
“RightLeg”,
“RightFoot”,
“RightToeBase”,
“Spine”,
“Spine1”,
“Spine2”,
“LeftShoulder”,
“LeftArm”,
“LeftForeArm”,
“LeftHand”,
“LeftHandThumb1”,
“LeftHandThumb2”,
“LeftHandThumb3”,
“LeftHandIndex1”,
“LeftHandIndex2”,
“LeftHandIndex3”,
“LeftHandMiddle1”,
“LeftHandMiddle2”,
“LeftHandMiddle3”,
“LeftHandRing1”,
“LeftHandRing2”,
“LeftHandRing3”,
“LeftHandPinky1”,
“LeftHandPinky2”,
“LeftHandPinky3”,
“RightShoulder”,
“RightArm”,
“RightForeArm”,
“RightHand”,
“RightHandThumb1”,
“RightHandThumb2”,
“RightHandThumb3”,
“RightHandIndex1”,
“RightHandIndex2”,
“RightHandIndex3”,
“RightHandMiddle1”,
“RightHandMiddle2”,
“RightHandMiddle3”,
“RightHandRing1”,
“RightHandRing2”,
“RightHandRing3”,
“RightHandPinky1”,
“RightHandPinky2”,
“RightHandPinky3”,
“Neck”,
“Neck1”,
“Head”
]
},
“gearFK”: [
“body_C0_ctl”,
“leg_L0_fk0_ctl”,
“leg_L0_fk1_ctl”,
“leg_L0_fk2_ctl”,
“foot_L0_fk0_ctl”,
“leg_R0_fk0_ctl”,
“leg_R0_fk1_ctl”,
“leg_R0_fk2_ctl”,
“foot_R0_fk0_ctl”,
“spine_C0_fk0_ctl”,
“spine_C0_fk1_ctl”,
“spine_C0_fk2_ctl”,
“shoulder_L0_ctl”,
“arm_L0_fk0_ctl”,
“arm_L0_fk1_ctl”,
“arm_L0_fk2_ctl”,
“thumb_L0_fk0_ctl”,
“thumb_L0_fk1_ctl”,
“thumb_L0_fk2_ctl”,
“finger_L0_fk0_ctl”,
“finger_L0_fk1_ctl”,
“finger_L0_fk2_ctl”,
“finger_L1_fk0_ctl”,
“finger_L1_fk1_ctl”,
“finger_L1_fk2_ctl”,
“finger_L2_fk0_ctl”,
“finger_L2_fk1_ctl”,
“finger_L2_fk2_ctl”,
“finger_L3_fk0_ctl”,
“finger_L3_fk1_ctl”,
“finger_L3_fk2_ctl”,
“shoulder_R0_ctl”,
“arm_R0_fk0_ctl”,
“arm_R0_fk1_ctl”,
“arm_R0_fk2_ctl”,
“thumb_R0_fk0_ctl”,
“thumb_R0_fk1_ctl”,
“thumb_R0_fk2_ctl”,
“finger_R0_fk0_ctl”,
“finger_R0_fk1_ctl”,
“finger_R0_fk2_ctl”,
“finger_R1_fk0_ctl”,
“finger_R1_fk1_ctl”,
“finger_R1_fk2_ctl”,
“finger_R2_fk0_ctl”,
“finger_R2_fk1_ctl”,
“finger_R2_fk2_ctl”,
“finger_R3_fk0_ctl”,
“finger_R3_fk1_ctl”,
“finger_R3_fk2_ctl”,
“neck_C0_fk0_ctl”,
“neck_C0_fk1_ctl”,
“neck_C0_head_ctl”
],
“alignFK”: [
“arm_L0_fk2_ctl”,
“arm_L0_ikcns_ctl”,
“arm_L0_fk1_ctl”,
“arm_R0_fk2_ctl”,
“arm_R0_ikcns_ctl”,
“arm_R0_fk1_ctl”
],
“alignIK”: [
“arm_L0_ikcns_ctl”,
“arm_L0_ik_ctl”,
“arm_L0_upv_ctl”,
“arm_R0_ikcns_ctl”,
“arm_R0_ik_ctl”,
“arm_R0_upv_ctl”
],
“skelIK”: [
“mGear_Mocap_interface_LeftFoot”,
“mGear_Mocap_interface_RightFoot”,
“mGear_Mocap_interface_LeftUpLeg”,
“mGear_Mocap_interface_RightUpLeg”,
“mGear_Mocap_interface_LeftHand”,"mGear_Mocap_interface_LeftForeArm", "mGear_Mocap_interface_RightHand", "mGear_Mocap_interface_RightForeArm", "mGear_Mocap_interface_LeftLeg", "mGear_Mocap_interface_RightLeg", "mGear_Mocap_interface_LeftForeArm", "mGear_Mocap_interface_RightForeArm" ], "gearIK": [ "leg_L0_ik_ctl", "leg_R0_ik_ctl", "leg_L0_upv_ctl", "leg_R0_upv_ctl", "arm_L0_ik_ctl", "arm_L0_upv_ctl", "arm_R0_ik_ctl", "arm_R0_upv_ctl", "leg_L0_mid_ctl", "leg_R0_mid_ctl", "arm_L0_mid_ctl", "arm_R0_mid_ctl" ]}