back plate

A background image, video clip, or video feed to be displayed on the background plane in a scene.

Back plate can also be spelled as one word in other software products.

Background Color Cancellation (BCC)

A chroma key feature that senses the color of the chroma key backing and replaces it with a complementary color. As a result, the two colors cancel each other. This eliminates the halo or fringing effect surrounding the foreground object in the chroma key.

Background Color Suppression (BCS)

A chroma key feature that senses the color of the chroma key backing and replaces it with an adjustable luminance level. This prevents the backing color from appearing in the chroma key.

Background generator

A video generator that produces a solid-color output which can be adjusted for hue, chroma, and luminance.

background plane

A plane in a scene on which images, video clips, or video feeds are projected.

BaseAnimation layer

The default animation layer to which all other layers are merged when you plot an animation.

See also layer.

batch

The process of automating a frequently performed task by storing commands in a script or “batch file”.

For example, batch load refers to the process of loading or processing more than one file with a single command.

Baud rate

The bits per second (bps) rate at which the information carrying capacity of a communication channel is measured.

BCC

See Background Color Cancellation (BCC).

BCS

See Background Color Suppression (BCS).

bind pose

In MotionBuilder, the position in which a character is weighted, wherein all of the character’s limbs should be in neutral positions, neither fully extended nor fully contracted.

Biovision Hierarchical Data (BVH)

A character animation file format that contains skeleton hierarchy information and motion data.

BVH, one of the most popular motion capture data file formats, is mainly used as a standard representation of motion capture of humanoid structures.

biped

In MotionBuilder, a humanoid skeleton that stands on two legs, making contact with the floor using only the feet.

bitplane

The memory in a graphic display device that holds a complete one-bit-per-pixel image.

Black level

The lowest transmittable luminance level that can occur during the active picture portion of a video signal. When viewed on a monitor this signal level is seen as black.

blending object

In MotionBuilder, any selection of nodes or sensors with captured data, a part or complete hierarchy of models with plotted data, or a Control rig that can be used to perform a motion blend.

bone

In MotionBuilder, the connecting lines between the joints that compose an Actor skeleton.

bound model

In MotionBuilder, a 3D model that has a rigid skeleton and is covered by a mesh. The mesh contains a texture and body features that give the model a distinct appearance.

bounding box

Rigid bodies that limit the area in which the eyes, eyebrows, and mouth of a face model can move in an Actor Face.

branch

A part of a hierarchy or tree-based data structure where there is only one route between any pair of nodes. A node on a branch has only one parent.

brightness

Along with contrast, a property that determines the luminance of an object.

Broadcast Wave Format (BWF)

A file format for audio data that contains the minimum information – or metadata – considered necessary for all broadcast applications. It contains information such as timestamp and other metadata contained in the header file.

The Broadcast Wave Format (BWF) can be used for the seamless exchange of audio material between different broadcast environments and between equipment based on different computer platforms.

This standard audio format was created by the European Broadcasting Union as a successor to the WAV format. See the EBU-TECH 3285 document (Specification of the Broadcast Wave Format [BWF]) form the European Broadcasting Union.

buffer

An area of memory used for storing messages.

bump map

A texture that defines the height of bumps on a surface, on a per-pixel basis.

A texture that contains two direction vectors and is used to convey relief in a texture.

See also texture and normal map.

burst

See color burst.

BVH

See Biovision Hierarchical Data (BVH).

BWF

See Broadcast Wave Format (BWF).