Studio-Quality Motion Capture on an Indie Budget
Stop choosing between good animation and shipping on time. Create custom mocap animations for your game—free to start, commercial license included.
Animation is the Indie Dev's Nightmare
You have a great game idea, solid code, beautiful art—but animation? That's where indie projects get stuck.
Animation Eats 40% of Dev Time
Hand-animating characters is tedious and time-consuming. A single walk cycle can take days to get right.
Mocap Studios Charge $500-2,000/Hour
Professional motion capture is priced for AAA budgets. A single session can cost more than your entire animation budget.
Stock Animations Lack Uniqueness
Asset store animations are recognizable. Players notice when every indie game has the same walk cycle.
Keyframe Animation is Tedious
Frame-by-frame animation requires expert skill and endless patience—and still often looks less natural than motion capture. Fine for stylized games, but not for realistic movement.
What if you could capture your own mocap?
Record yourself performing the exact movement you need. Upload the video. Get a game-ready animation in minutes. No studio, no budget, no compromise.
Everything Indie Devs Need
Professional mocap tools designed for solo developers and small teams
Free Tier for Prototyping
Start capturing animations at no cost. Perfect for game jams, prototypes, and testing ideas before committing budget.
Commercial License Included
Every plan—including free—includes full commercial rights. Ship your game without worrying about licensing fees or royalties.
Unity & Unreal Ready
Export FBX files that import directly into Unity and Unreal Engine. Compatible with Humanoid rigs and retargeting systems.
Quick Iteration Workflow
Record a take, upload, get your animation in minutes. Iterate on performances without waiting for studio time.
Finger Tracking for Interactions
Capture detailed hand and finger movement for weapon handling, gestures, and object interactions.
Hand tracking guide →Solo Dev Friendly
No team required. Record yourself, upload the video, export the animation. One person can do it all.
Your New Animation Workflow
Record Your Performance
Act out the movement yourself or grab a friend. Use your phone, webcam, or any camera you have.
Upload to mimem.ai
Drag and drop your video. Our AI processes it and extracts the motion data automatically.
Preview & Adjust
Review the animation in our 3D viewer. Adjust smoothing and export settings to match your needs.
Export to Your Engine
Download FBX and import directly into Unity or Unreal. Retarget to your character rig.
Animations for Every Game Genre
Whatever you're building, mimem.ai helps you create the perfect animations
Combat Animations
Sword swings, punches, kicks, dodges. Capture the exact combat feel you want instead of settling for generic asset store animations.
Locomotion
Walk cycles, runs, sprints, sneaking. Create movement that matches your character's personality and your game's tone.
Dialogue & Cutscenes
Expressive performances for story moments. Capture nuanced acting that brings your narrative to life.
Sports & Racing
Athletic movements for sports games, racing pit crews, or fitness applications.
VR Interactions
Hand and body animations for VR games. Capture realistic interactions with virtual objects.
Horror & Creatures
Unsettling movements, creature locomotion, and supernatural performances that mocap suits can't capture.
More Nuance, Less Gear
Every subtle gesture preserved — with cameras you already own, on an indie budget
Made by Indie Creators with mimem.ai
See what independent creators are building with affordable markerless motion capture
Dylan — Unreal Engine 5 short film using mimem.ai for body mocap
How Does mimem.ai Compare?
See how we stack up against other animation options for indie devs
| Feature | mimem.aiRecommended | Mixamo | Asset Store | Mocap Studio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Starting Price | Free | Free (limited) | $10-100 | $500+/hour |
Custom Animations | ||||
Commercial License | Included | Check terms | Per asset | Negotiated |
Iteration Speed | Minutes | Instant (preset) | Instant (preset) | Days/weeks |
Cleanup Required | Minimal | None (preset) | None (preset) | Moderate |
Unique to Your Game | ||||
Hand & Finger Tracking | Varies | Add-on ($) | ||
Unity/Unreal Compatible |
Trusted by Indie Developers
“Given the cost and ease of use, MIM is just incredible.”
“After a year or two of just recommending Quick Magic to anyone and everything... this is really a fresh breath of air.”
“I have been very happy with the results. I often compared it to that of optical mocap, and the cleanup is minimal.”
“I really feel like mimem is truly the future of indie mocap. Multi-cam for higher accuracy and no need for suits.”
Works With Your Engine
Export FBX files that import directly into your game engine of choice
Pricing That Respects Indie Budgets
“For the price you pay, you actually do get a lot.” — Nils Gallist
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! All animations you create with mimem.ai are yours to use commercially, including in games you sell. There are no royalties, no attribution requirements, and no additional licensing fees. This applies to all plans, including the free tier. You own your output.
Importing into Unity is straightforward:
- Export your animation as FBX from mimem.ai
- Drag the FBX file into your Unity project
- Select the FBX, go to Rig tab, set Animation Type to Humanoid
- Click Apply
- Drag the animation clip onto your character's Animator Controller
See our detailed Unity import guide for step-by-step instructions with screenshots.
For Unreal Engine 5:
- Export your animation as FBX from mimem.ai
- In UE5, right-click in Content Browser → Import
- Select your FBX file
- In import settings, set Skeleton to your character's skeleton
- Use the Retargeting system to apply to your character
See our detailed Unreal import guide for the full workflow.
The free tier includes:
- Up to 3 cameras per capture
- Standard processing queue
- Full commercial license
- FBX export
- Web-based 3D preview
Upgrade to Essential or Pro for more cameras, priority processing, and additional features. See our pricing page for details.
Yes! Many commercial games on Steam, itch.io, and console platforms use mimem.ai animations. The quality depends on your recording setup—with good lighting and multiple camera angles, you can achieve results comparable to professional mocap studios. Most animations need only minor cleanup in your game engine.
Absolutely! Most indie devs using mimem.ai record themselves. Set up your camera(s), use a timer or remote trigger, and perform the movement. Our companion app can help synchronize multiple phones. You don't need actors, a team, or a studio—just you and your camera.
There's no hard limit on animation length. You can capture anything from a 2-second attack animation to a 5-minute cutscene performance. Longer videos take proportionally longer to process. For very long sequences, consider breaking them into logical clips.
Our FBX exports use a standard humanoid skeleton that's compatible with Unity's Humanoid system and Unreal's retargeting tools. This means you can apply the animations to any humanoid character, regardless of proportions. Non-humanoid characters (quadrupeds, creatures with extra limbs) may require additional rigging work.
Ready to Level Up Your Game's Animation?
Join thousands of indie developers creating professional animations without professional budgets