BEHOLD THE POWER OF A NERU!

Okay, so this ain't anything special, but here's my first experience with MikuMikuDance.

Okay, it's more like Neru Knife Hand, but eh...

How did I get here? ... Through a river of trials and tribulations that honestly could have been avoided if I decided to do things the easy way. So here's from me to you.

1) OpenNI (http://www.openni.org/), 32-bit, version 1.1.0.39 or later (as of right now, an unstable release). I used the 32-bit version, since I don't think there's a 64-bit MMD dll that'll let you use the Kinect to capture data. I'd grab the binaries if I were you (especially if your compiler is Visual Studio 2008) and install them that way. Compiling it from source... well, they provide you a build script, but you have to install several things before you can even attempt to compile it, one of which is Python. They say that Python 3.2 can handle it, but the build script, which is written in that language, doesn't even compile. It also expects something in your System Registry which wasn't there for me, and an exe file they assumed was bundled with VS2008 (devenv.exe), but isn't. So, get the binaries and save yourself hours. To note, the installer will attempt to install a driver, which you have the option of not installing. You don't have to install it.

2) NITE (http://www.openni.org/). I think it's a motion tracking library for gestures and the like, with a bunch of handy algorithms and stuff that many programs like to use. It will ask for a key when you install it, which is publicly available on their site. They're on the site as OpenNI Compliant Middleware Binaries, and the download page for them has the key listed (where you can choose between the unstable and stable releases). I grabbed the latest unstable build.

3) Avin2's SensorKinect package (https://github.com/avin2/SensorKinect). This has the Kinect driver that you need, and it will attempt to install it as the actual package finishes installing. For the record, there are other drivers out there, like CL-NUI, but they don't work with what the MMD Kinect modules want to.

4) A Microsoft Kinect. For use with the computer, you'll need the standalone Kinect from what I hear (comes with Kinect Adventures), and the reason, I surmise, is because the ones bundled with the XBox 360 are designed to only draw power from an XBox 360. The standalone version comes with an extra adapter cable that allows you to plug into a USB slot and a wall socket for power, which the bundled one doesn't come with (it can plug straight into the XBox 360 with a connector I've never seen before). Of course, you might be able to just buy it separately.

5) MikuMikuDance (http://www.geocities.jp/higuchuu4/index.htm). This one's a no-brainer.

6) DxOpenNI for MikuMikuDance (http://www.geocities.jp/higuchuu4/index.htm). This'll allow you to do capturing with the Kinect in MMD. Follow the instructions in the readme to install it (though it's really just a copy-paste). You'll need to wait for the DLL to load, then take a few steps back from your Kinect. Remember to load a model and assume the Here-I-Am-Kinect pose so it can find you (stand towards the camera with your arms up as though forming a U), wait for it to recognize you, and have fun.

There's also MoggDxOpenNI (https://sites.google.com/site/moggproject/) for MMD motion capture, but I'll try that out later.

For what it's worth, I remember the guy selling me the Kinect asking if I wanted any games with it. I was like, nope, I just need to test this thing out. I think he was a bit bewildered, as he said that Kinect Adventures wasn't the best game to test the Kinect out on. Maybe I would've agreed with him, but I just told him that there were more ways to do that, and he didn't question further. He also tried to get me to buy some accessories too, though it looks like I might need something to place the Kinect higher than on my desk. Didn't buy any at the time though, I don't like making uninformed purchases.