3D Characters & Animation Simplified: Reallusion Character Creator 4 & iClone 8 - Pipeline Overview

[@hitmangamesyndicate5970]

thanks so much for this video... I was finally able to get everything setup and am now ready to explore this new software... I am a solo/indie dev and in just the four years that I have been out of school (game design) this technology has exploded.. making my life a whole lot easier. i will for sure be subscribing...

[@AsArt]

I'm really glad this helped get you excited about the software (and that you're now setup). I've been a longtime user of their software & it has only gotten [vastly!] better over time! My 'wrinkles' video shows off some of their newer features, so check that out if you haven't seen it already!

[@dwhite-mann5399]

I could mess with this all day it's one my favourite parts of gaming to create a character so having this level of design would be so good. Let's do a livestream and create a channel character u can use in future projects 😂

[@AsArt]

Haha I've actually considered making an 'avatar' of myself a couple times...but then never quite came to a full conclusion on why it would be useful over Nick & myself just hopping on and actually filming ourselves. ;) Then again, there are some definite creative avenues to use this on the channel too. ;)

[@aliraza-ux1ww]

As I'm thinking to buy, can you please suggest me what should i add in cart to start my animation flawlessly like for scenes, props and character. I don't want to learn or purchase other software. I want A to Z solution for animation in one software. Please reply what should i do? I am solo animator.

[@borrowedtruths6955]

Great tutorial. I'm wondering, I have all the plugins installed in both UE5 and iclone, but when I hit the transfer button in iclone, nothing happens. Any ideas?

[@AsArt]

Hi, and sorry I missed your comment for a while! Hmm, there's not a whole lot that is popping to mind that might not be setup. As long as your put the correct plugin (for Auto Setup) in the corresponding Unreal version, I haven't ran into too many instances where it wouldn't send over. As an alternative, you could just export an FBX with the unreal preset and transfer it that way. I actually do that more often than not, as I find it more flexible. :) Hope something here helps!!

[@christy1705]

Can this software be used with Mac and a Wacom 24

[@AsArt]

Hi! It's PC-based software, but I have ran iClone 7 on my macbook pro by using a bootcamp installation just fine. :) (Basically installing windows alongside the Mac OS on your mac). If you have one of the ultra-new Apple silicon based macs, you can't do that though -- only Intel based Macs.

[@FPChris]

What are the licensing associated with creating characters with CC4.

[@Hasmatix]

Is everythinf of the character in the skeletal mesh? Like the visuals

[@AsArt]

Hi! I *hope* I'm answering your question correctly here, but I'll give it a go: The character is fully rigged and ready to animate for face and body animation (in iClone or Unreal, etc). In iClone his hair and clothes are separate elements that can be adjusted, but animate along with the skeletal mesh. In Unreal, the hair even gets Chaos physics applied, so it is affected by wind and such. :) I hope that answers your question?

[@Hasmatix]

@@AsArt i am usijg a third person game template someone made. But its very complex. It has a mannequin character and i can only change its appaerence by changing the skeletal mesh. And thats it. Metahuman for example doesnt work because hair, face, clothes, everythinf is seperate. So everythinf must be like in 1 skeletal mesh. My english is not so very good but i hope i explained it well ahah

[@AsArt]

@@Hasmatix Yes I kind of understand. The elements import as one skeletal mesh, but have different materials that can be swapped out. I'm still trying to learn the aspects of unreal as well, and templates can sometimes be difficult to understand as well (since they are all setup differently). A big part of if you will be able to use the skeletal mesh swapping or not is if the blueprint's they use will translate, so you might have to dig into that. I'm sorry I can't be of more help in that regard. I CAN say, however, that when it comes to using characters in Unreal...I will always be using iClone & Character Creator. If you wanted to try the character out, there are trails for iClone and Character Creator from their site! :) Hope this helps you on your journey!!!!

[@天可汗-s6n]

Could you please let me know if using characters created with Character Creator in an indie game requires an additional fee? I heard that using Character Creator characters in your own game involves paying several times the cost and requires purchasing a special license. Is that true?

[@AsArt]

I don't think that is true, no. Their different tiers (Standard, Extended) are a bit more convoluted than they used to be...but I don't "think" games require Extended. It would be safer to email Reallusion support and ask them there though, as I'd hate to give you wrong information!

[@biggboysouth]

Did you purchase the hair, teeth, thin avatar ect? I have about 1/3rd of those assets to choose from so just curious. I'm still becoming familiar with reallusion.

[@AsArt]

Hi there! Yes, I've just taken a VERY gradual approach to purchasing content. Every 'X' amount of months I'll buy a plug-in or content pack -- and I'll have it planned out so I know I'm eventually going to get to where I need to go. For instance, when I knew I eventually needed a new phone, I decided I was going to get an iPhone with a True Depth sensor, so I could use it for face mocap. It's definitely an investment of time and money, but it's allowed me to do far more than I'd be able to do otherwise. Oh BTW, some things I used since I had them -- but the teeth, etc...would be fine with default ones. ;) Thanks for reaching out!!

[@biggboysouth]

@@AsArt Thank you for the reply! Great approach I'll be sure to think through my content pack purchases. Would be good to buy as minimal as possible to get the most variety in character design. Do you have a video on how purchasing from their asset store works? Does the items just appear into your software after purchase or do you have to import them somehow?

[@AsArt]

Hi again. :) Yeah, if you were part of a company and they had a good amount of funding to spend...you could definitely be up and running with everything more quickly -- but there is something rewarding about having to work your way up, too. ;) While I don't have a video on purchasing, I CAN say that they've made it much easier to purchase and populate content. I've been a user of their software since the iClone 6 beta many years ago, and it used to not be easy. Now, you purchase content on their site, and it will automatically show up in the Content tab in the application (sometimes you might have to do a refresh). When purchasing plugins, I use their Reallusion Hub application (separate program, but free) and it automates everything & keeps things up to date as well. Take your time with purchases (they often have sales, too!) and you'll eventually have a really nice breadth of content to pull from. Don't wait to start creating though...I took longer than I should have; some tools help, but aren't necessary. :) Have fun!! :D

[@animelad5753]

Why cant I export fbx file in the trial version

[@raymondstpaul4913]

Are you able to import this into Blender for use?

[@AsArt]

Hi there. Yes, you most definitely can. In the menu you would go to File --> Export --> FBX, and then in the options box it has a dropdown where you can choose what application you want to export to, with Blender being a definite option. :)

[@mobildisko579]

How many polygons does it have? Can it be used in a game for performance?

[@AsArt]

Hi! You can export out the characters through the Export menu, and doing so that way will export out LODs of the character, which will make them much more performant for things like games. You can also reduce the polygons of the character in iClone before you export as well. For instance, the pants on one of my characters was way to high-poly, so I reduced them (you couldn't notice the difference). I hope this gives you a general idea, but overall: yes, there are ways. :) If you're only using a few characters in the game, you might not even need to anyway though.

[@mobildisko579]

@@AsArt I'm wondering if it can have a low LOD and still have muscles (weight) for facial animation, for example for NPCs?

[@artificial374]

hello is it possible to animate 2 different characters in i clone at once ? i want to let me friend dance with donald trump i want to import 2 different characters in i clone and then animate them is it possible ?

[@AsArt]

Hi. Yes...and yes. ;) If you are animating using traditional keyframe animation, you would animate them one at a time -- but they both can be "playing" at the same time. If you happen to be lucky enough to have two motion capture suits, you can motion capture both at the same time as well (if you have the plugins).

[@vivektyagi6848]

Awesome. Many Thanks. btw which pack is the Jeans from ?

[@AsArt]

I'm 99% sure the jeans came with iClone; don't recall having bought clothing, at least?

[@vivektyagi6848]

@@AsArt Many Thanks. I'll check.

[@TheIronMason]

Is there anyway to import blender 3d meshes or uv maps to Character Creator? I'd be willing to go so far as to create Normal, Displacement, and AO maps from a previous texture map. I just need to know if anyone knows a way to import meshes from Blender or Unreal to Character Creator. I can't seem to find any and I need it asap 😩

[@AsArt]

Hi. If I am understanding you correctly, once you click on the materials section of the character itself, you can drag in the maps (Normal, Displace, AO, etc) directly onto the corresponding box. You'd likely be exporting out your character as an FBX from blender. That may embed the maps in, otherwise you can drag in that way. Again, I may be misunderstanding -- but hopefully this will be of some use to you. :)

[@TheIronMason]

@@AsArt I'll give it a try!

[@TheIronMason]

@@AsArt I have a 3D scan of someone and I'm trying to import that data into character creator. I've already imported the 3D scan into Blender and it's created most of the maps for the scan. I just want to apply the data to a character so that I can bring this 3D scan "to life". Does that make sense? There is a 3D scan to Blender to UE5 to Metahuman workflow. I'm looking for a 3D scan to Blender to Character Creator workflow. Character Creator has more options to make detailed edits of characters whereas Metahuman is very limited.

[@AsArt]

@@TheIronMason Ah, ok so the 3D scan part is what I didn't have before. Yeah typically bringing in 3D scans is difficult, since they have SO many polygons. UE5 will accept them, since it has Nanite now. Just an FYI: I haven't done it, but I'm pretty sure Metahuman creator and Character Creator work very nicely together -- hop over to Reallusion's site and I'm pretty sure they have some video tutorials, etc on how you could transfer a Metahuman to Character Creator and back, etc. You could start off making the character from the scan in Metahuman with UE5, and then likely transfer that result to Char Creator for further development (since at that point it wouldn't be super dense 3D scan geometry). Hope this makes sense or at least gets you in the right direction. :)

[@TheIronMason]

@@AsArt Reallusion support said Metahuman and CC4 are not backwards compatible, ie: metahuman exported to CC4 because they use different skeltons?

[@KeturahTori]

As the an owner of all these plug ins from reallusion for 7 that are supposed to make 8 great. I can say am having an issue with it for 7 now that 8 has come along. And when I contacted support they only talked about 8 not fixing the problem and support was included in my purchase of the plugin(within the last 2 years). Because iclone didnt offer mixers etc I'd purchased them from daz a yr or so ago. The poser mixer, easy pose creation, pose architect , pose builder can be found in daz, under 30.00 ea. blender has pose picker price varies with number of users, spacing sculptor is like curve editor in blender for $15.00. animation layers 28 for the cc4 updates- a body mixer also under 30 in daz if you the pipelines for 7 & cc3. due to how much i've spent with reallusion in the last year or so; with no heads up of updates as a feature of customer service to have the best reallusion experience. I can say I'm not paying Again for things I already purchased. If they're doing this to existing customersI Know they look forward to squeezing new ones. blenderCinepack + The Particle Library Bundle on sale and the mesh trailer is sweet.

[@AsArt]

Hmm, that's odd that changes in 8 would affect 7. I have met a decent number of the Reallusion folks at conferences like Siggraph (years ago), and I CAN say that they are legit good people, so I'd try and stick it out in seeking out support with them. It may take them a while to track it down. I'd also maybe ask on the Facebook group (it's Reallusion or iClone, can't remember which) and see if people have any similar experiences. Either way it's frustrating, but hopefully you'll figure the solution out...even if it takes a bit. As far as other software out there -- Blender is a package I need to pickup. For the schools I've taught at, most have used Maya (which I'm not a fan of). Cinema 4D looks much more my style, but it's now subscription-only. Blender, like Maya, can do anything you'd want it to do -- but it might be rougher to figure out and get done. For instance, combining face and body mocap was a nightmare for me to try and get working in Maya. In iClone, it works very out-of-the-box (albeit, you pay for the plugins). I'd say to mix and match as best as you can, especially since (overall) iClone 7 & 8 do play very well with Blender (and Unreal, which is what I'm often using). Keep me posted; will be curious to hear your findings!!

[@KeturahTori]

@@AsArt they got back. I was using the order screen to download had to go through a couple other screens to get to a 7 version back on pc. Not upgrading to 8 since I already own i think All the plugins in 8. I expect support for them to continue or a Patch created. otherwise I'd be agreeing to be charged twice by Purchasing 8. I have a patch in mind but I dont feel like writing that right now. As far as mocap I'm using iclone only at the moment. Have been looking mocap in Blender but I've not been animating there only crafting assets at the moment.

[@AsArt]

Glad you are up and running again! iClone 7 is pretty darn impressive, so you can take your time in upgrading. In my usage thus far, iClone 8 does feel more 'streamlined' and optimized, but that's likely because a lot of the main features were 'added' to 7 over its lifetime...so it can feel a bit more tacked-on. IC8 will be there whenever you feel the need. ;)

[@KeturahTori]

​@@AsArt No thanks. like I said - I already own the features tacked on or not; i already paid. I'm not one to be caught up in trappings of adverts that my wallet be lighter/thinner due to an emotional response to an advertisement - that is throwing money away. in the mean time as long as they support my prior purchases I should be fine Due to all I've spent in the last 2 years they"d have to Give me a Free upgrade in order for 8 to be a part of my arsenal. In the meantime it is but in ' 7 beta' without all the patches that make 8 what it is 🤪

[@AsArt]

Yeah 7 is a pretty darn complete-feeling product -- I think you'll continue to be happy with what you have. :)

[@pastorrajaratnam3177]

How to download

[@AsArt]

You go to Reallusion's site and purchase it. It'll show up in their downloader tool. ;)

[@JonahHache]

thanks a bunch!

[@AsArt]

You're welcome!

[@BigBankzSon]

Why can't we just add an image and customize it ?

[@HearmanStudio]

Hey i just wonder how did you get thin male avatar ? I recently downloaded cc4 and didnt find thin male actors

[@AsArt]

Hi Farhan. :) I think that may be part of the Anatomy pack? I bought all of these over a long period of time so I can't say for certain, but if you take a look at the pack...I "think" that's the one. :) If you watch for sales, you can get them for nice prices!

[@HearmanStudio]

@@AsArt Okay Thanks Bro!! btw i really love ur tutorial!!

[@AsArt]

You're very welcome...and am pleased that you found the tutorial helpful! :)

[@mmoarchives2542]

need the headshot plugin

[@TheVelvetVoices]

Are we able to recreate all Raised by Wolves characters using these softwares? is it similar to Unreal Engine 5? then we clone all the actors voices using A.I and voilá, we can do a Raised by Wolves animation ourselves!

[@AsArt]

Hi. :) You can do your actual rendering in iClone, but in this video I send the character to Unreal 4 (works the exact same to 5 as well). You could definitely recreate characters in there, yes -- though of course to get them looking extremely accurate would take time to dial in. Oddly enough, A.I. voices are not nearly as developed as doing 3D faces. Some of the tech is out there but companies and people are (understandably) very cautious on it being abused.

[@faezeh_kr]

If it is possible, you will enable the Persian subtitles. Thanks❤

[@bmxchamp4]

Thanks for the video and all but I kinda found it hard to follow because you were talking so fast, the mouse was flying all over the screen and so many different parts of the application were being clicked, opened, and closed so fast. It's like I was watching a squirrel hopped up on caffeine try and showcase the software. I think you need to slow down.

[@AsArt]

Hahaha, I definitely tend to talk fast (no caffeine or drugs required)! Admittedly though, the video wasn't really meant to be a step-by-step tutorial as much as an overview of how it works. At some point down the road I (John) may post some actual tutorials on our sister-channel " Johnny HowTo " (you can youtube it if you'd like), in which I'd definitely go at a MUCH slower pace. ;) Hope you found the video slightly informative & enjoyable though!!! :)

[@sc0rpi0n0]

A tutorial to make a model that looks like a photo but skipped from CC4 character right to the resulting character. LOL! How about that.

[@pjf4e2]

Is there any reason to use blender with CC4?