Softness Strengths and Sliders in iClone 4.0

What’s up iCloners, today’s tip deals with some of the finer details to your scene that were previously unable to be edited. Today’s tip focuses on Softness Strengths and Sliders in iClone 4.0. But more specifically, with the Softness values of both Water and Particle Effects. Why these two areas your ask? Well, I’m sure iClone veterans out there can and will tell you that the additions of both Water and Particle Effects to iClone were ground-breaking features when they were included into the iClone toolset, however cool they were at the time, they still had minor visible flaws. These issues were unable to be modified, thus, the only way to properly deal with these hard edged eye soars was through creative camera placement. Now, whenever you access a Water or Particle Effect you will find located in the Modify Panel there will be a Slider control that will allow you to adjust the amount of Edge Softness applied to any Water or Particle Effect in the scene. For Water you will need to locate the Advanced Water Parameters portion of the Modify Panel and then find the Edge Softness Slider.  For adjusting the edges of Particle Effects you must locate the Softness Strength Slider under the Particle Setting portion of the Modify Panel. Follow the steps below or view the free training resource above to see how in iClone 4.0 using Softness Strengths and Sliders will ensure you never have “hard edge” issues again.

• Go to the Set Tab
• Click the Terrain button
• Place a Terrain into the scene by Double clicking one of the Terrain templates in the Content Manager
• NOTE: For this example I have used the Canyon Terrain Template
• Place a Water template into the scene
• While under the Set Tab select the Water button
• Place a Water template into the scene by Double clicking one of the Water templates in the Content Manager
• Locate the Advanced Water Parameters portion of the Modify Panel
• Find the Edge Softness Slider to begin making adjustments to the Waters edge
• Click and Drag the Edge Softness Slider to a high value to create a high degree o edge softness
• Place a Particle Effect  into the scene
• While under the Set Tab select the Paricle button
• Place a Particle Effect into the scene by Double clicking one of the Particle templates in the Content Manager
• NOTE: For this example I use the FOG Particle Effect template
• Locate the Particle Settings portion of the Modify Panel
• Find the Softness Strength Slider to begin making adjustments to the Particles edge
• Click and Drag the Softness Strength Slider to a high value to create a high degree o edge softness

Softness Strengths and Sliders in iClone 4.0 are just a couple of the new functions specifically meant to crank up the realistic qualities of a scene. The simple adjustment of a single slider can make a drastic change to the look and feel of a shot when you factor in elements such as Water and Particle Effects and how the viewer visually translates what you have developed in the scene. Making sure that all aspects of a project are taking full advantage of the customizable attibutes available to them will help to ensure that your next production will convey a sence of quality and realism. Make sure you don’t miss getting a first-hand look at the Softness Strengths and Sliders in iClone 4.0 in action in the free training resource video above, so you too can take advantage of these cool new tools. Enjoy!

Soft edges for your Particle Effects and Water bodies ow available

Head Randomization in iClone 4.0

What’s up iCloners, let me ask you this…have you ever wanted a new design for a characters face but didn’t want to spend the time adjusting the Facial Features? Well then, today’s tip is for you, this tutorial focuses on the new Randomize feature in iClone 4.0. This new feature allows you to make a single click and instantly randomize the Head Shape and Face design. Located in the Modify Panel, you can quickly and easily access this tool and begin creating countless random Head Shapes and Face designs, then save them for future use in iClone. The new Randomize feature offers a solution to those film-makers out there that don’t want to simply reuse Reallusion’s default character Head templates, allowing them to change the appearance of a character in 1 click is a time saving and customizable solution. How is it a customizable solution you ask? Simple, you just need to set a different Variation value and then click the Randomize button for each different Head shape or Face design you wish to create. These techniques plus a little extra are included in the free training resource video above, or feel free to follow the steps below to begin creating your own Head Randomization in iClone 4.0

• Add an Avatar into the scene
• Select the HEAD Tab from the top
• Click the FACES button if it is not already selected by default
• In the Modify Panel locate the Facial Features portion of the menu
• Click the Randomize button to automatically create a random design to the avatars Head Shape
• NOTE: This will instantly change the Head Shape and Face design of the avatar, to return to the previous design make sure to use HOTKEY: (Ctrl + Z) for undo
• Click and Drag the Variation slider to customize the amount of random change the Face receives with each click of the Randomize button
• After you are pleased with the general Head Shape and Face design you can begin to edit individual Facial Features by clicking the Face Feature and using the sliders provided to edit each area
• To place a new Eye Template into your characters randomized Face design, click the EYES button
• In the Content Manager on the left, notice the Eye Templates provided for you to choose from
• Double click the Eye Template you want to use for your new character 
• To place a new Mouth Template into your characters randomized Face design, click the MOUTH button
• In the Content Manager on the left, notice the Teeth Templates provided for you to choose from
• Double click the Teeth Template you want to use for your new character 
• To Save your new Randomized Head, click the ADD button indicated by the (+) icon at the bottom of the Content Manager
• Name and Save your file for future use on any avatar you wish

Head Randomization in iClone 4.0 is one of the many new and innovative features included in the 4.0 upgrade. This feature is so handy in-fact it almost is going to feel like cheating to some of you old Pros out there if your anything like me. The simple addition of the Variation slider is enough to give you pin point control when producing with this tool, but you will certainly find yourself using the Randomize feature  along side the traditional Facial Feature editing abilities. A time saver, for sure, a new tool that helps every user at both the beginner and advanced levels…you bet, a Facial Feature randomizing tool better in a real-time package out there…you just won’t find it. Don’t miss out on  Head Randomization in iClone 4.0.

Create countless Heads with the new Randomize feature

Facial Animation Part 3: Face Key Creation in iClone 4.0

Unlock the power of the Face Key Tool

Hey hey, iCloners out there, if your like me and can’t get enough of the new Facial Animation functions in iClone 4.0 then today’s tip is for you. This tutorial focuses on Face Key creation, Facial Bone Animation, Face Feature Posing and other lip-sync fine-tuning techniques. But first, let’s talk about what the new Face Key feature, it’s a new menu that allows users to create facial morphing animation that is…get ready for it…able to be keyframed. Not only that but it can also be used in the same manner as The Puppeteering Panel (See Part 2) to create facial expressions. That is the difference between Facial Bone Animation and Face Feature Posing, Facial Bone Animation is used to manipulate the Facial Bones and create the facial morphing animation itself, check out how I make the Jimmy Toon’s nose grow in the video below to see an example of this aspect. Face Feature Posing is also a standard function inside the Face Key menu that allows users to quickly and easily create facial expression using keyframe creation. All these keyframes will be viewable on the Timeline in the Facial Layer Track. It’s a fun and easy to use new addition to your iClone Facial Animation abilities, so give it a try by following the steps below or watch the free training resource provided at the bottom of the post.

• Add an Actor into the scene
• Click the Animation Tab
• Select the Facial Animation button
• Create a Basic Script (See Part 1) for your character
• NOTE: In this example I use my real voice for the voice of my actor by Recording my own voice directly
• After applying Facial Animation to your Actor, Open the Face Key Tool
• Select the FACE KEY button in the Modify Panel to open the menu
• Begin creating Facial Layer keyframes using the Face Key Tool
• NOTE: To view the keyframes you are about to create open the Timeline using HOTKEY: (F3) and then click the FACE tab to view the Viseme, Expression, and Facial Layer Track
• Notice the 2 sections of the Face Key menu, Muscle and Detail, select Detail
• Notice the Right Face, Front Face, and Left Face tabs at the top in Detail mode
• Edit the Face Bones by clicking and dragging the Node you want to change in either Right Face, Front Face, or Left Face modes
• Move forward in time in your project and then make another Edit to the Face Bonesto create keyframed facial morphing animation
• To create Face Feature Posing you need to select the Muscle mode now in the Face Key menu
• NOTE: This will allow you to select Solo-Features of the face and edit them to create Expression
• Again move forward in time in your project and then make an Edit to the Face Feature Poseto create keyframed facial Expression animation
• Begin selecting Solo-Feature areas such as the Eyes (as seen in the video below)
• Select the Rotate or Orbit tool from the bottom left of the Face Key interface and then Click and Drag to make edits to the features position
• Repeat the previous 2 steps until you are pleased with the Face Feature Pose you have created

Face Key creation in iClone 4.0 is a long-overdue addition to the Facial Animation and editing tool set. I remember my first question when Head morphing edit capabilities were introduced in iClone 3.0 was…”Can I keyframe that?” And now that answer is YES in iClone 4.0. Combine the skills you will learn from Facial Animation Parts:1, 2 and 3 in the new real-time production environment and you are now fully equiped to take on even the most complex of scripts and performances. The Face Key Tool opens up tons of options to choose from in the categories of face shapes, poses and expressions while offering the ability to create and edit the keyframe date you develop, I mean honestly, why wouldn’t you want to learn this new tool? To do just that please feel free to check out the free training resource video below and start making faces! Enjoy!

Facial Animation Part 1: Creating Basic Scripts in iClone 4.0

Back to Basics with iCT4

Well iCloners the wait is over, by now the truly hardcore have downloaded, installed, updated, resource packed and cracked open iClone 4.0, the hottest new tool in the real-time universe. If you haven’t yet, then what are you waiting for go download it now and get started, however, if you have then you will be interested in today’s tip, Creating Basic Scripts in iClone 4.0. What is a Basic Script anyway? Well, a Script file is what iClone will use to create the Facial Animation algorithm, and there are 4 basic ways of creating this Script. The 1st is to use the TTS or Text-To-Speech editor in iClone which allows you to directly type in the text or dialog you want your character to say. Fun and easy to master this is the most basic of ways to create Facial Animation. Let me go on record right now though by saying , I encourage the use of TTS for robot avatars, and maybe a couple of other character designs, but if your really looking to impress with your Facial Animation I say stick to the next 3 options. The 2nd option is to Import a WAV file directly into iClone and apply it to your character. This is an appealing option to the advanced user and beginner for sure, but to those of you out there who record your audio in an audio editing external program anyway to achieve a higher level of control over your audio, you will find that this is a life saver and you will enjoy the same results, if not better, than if you would have recorded directly into iClone 4.0. The 3rd mode of creating a Basic Script is by Recording your own voice directly inside of iClone, you’ll need to dust off the old microphone and clear your throat to match the performance level you will instantly get by recording your Facial Animation in this way, I promise, and for you old iClone-Pros out there (you know who you are) I strongly suggest you give this a try, never before have I seen a more perfect live-record playback in the actual Facial Animation itself in iClone, this is going to blow you away I assure you. And for the people that are new to iClone, I recommend you use this technique as well almost everytime.  The 4th and final option is by Importing a CTS file from CrazyTalk 6.0, btw don’t forget that iClone 4.0 only interfaces with CrazyTalk 6.0 so if you haven’t upgraded your version of CrazyTalk from 5.1 then you should go and download that now.   To begin Creating Basic Scripts in iClone 4.0 choose your method of script creation and follow the steps below or check out the new and improved iCT4 training video at the bottom of this post.

• Add an Avatar into the scene
• Click the Animation Tab from the top
• Select the Facial Animation button
• Notice in the Modify Panel on the right all 4 Basic Script creation options are available to you
• To create Facial Animation using TTS click the TYPE button to open the Text-To-Speech Editor
• Type your desired dialog into the Text field
• Click OK to apply it to your Character
• To create Facial Animation by Importing a WAV file click the OPEN button in the Modify Panel
• Navigate to your file destination
• Select your WAV file and then click OK to apply the audio to your character
• NOTE: this will apply Facial Animation data to the Viseme Track in the Timeline
• To create Facial Animation by Recording your own voice click the RECORD button to open the Record WAV menu
• Click the RECORD button once again in the editor and then speak into your microphone
• Click the PLAY button to review
• Select the OK button to apply your voice to the character
• To create Facial Animation using a CTS file click the IMPORT CTS button
• NOTE: this will apply Facial Animation data to the Viseme Track in the Timeline
• Navigate to your CTS file destination
• Select the OK button to apply the CTS file to the character
• NOTE: this will only import the Viseme and Expression Track data to the Timeline and CrazyTalk motion clips will be viewed as an Expression clip, and no head movement data will carry over from CrazyTalk

Creating Basic Scripts in iClone 4.0 is fun and easy to acomplish, but to then take that Facial Animation to the next level of detail you need to apply the use of the Puppeteering Panel and the Face Key tool. Facial Animation Part 2: The Puppeteering Panel cover how you can now take full advantage of live Puppeteering abilities, which to CrazyTalk 6.0 users should be a breeze, in iClone. That’s right, be sure to check out Part 2 for more on that here at the blog. And following that, you guessed it, Facial Animation Part 3: Face Key creation is also coming your way with a new function explination you’ve all been waiting for…Animated Facial Morphing abilities with Face Bones and the Facial Layer. Create keyframes for the shape and morph of a characters head, using Front and Profile key selection tools. You don’t want to miss this, but first check out the video for Part 1 below and say “Hello” to your new site host iCT4. Here we go again!

Flying Machines of War pt. 1 Standard Fighter Controls in iClone 3.2

Combat or Non-Combat...that is the question.

What’s up iCloners, so I am back with lots of new content in my sights. Today’s tip focuses on the Machines of War content pack for iClone. This pack is chalked full of assets that are of course iProps and iAnimation ready for your War-time productions. The pack includes 5 Interactive Tanks – 3 Interactive Vehicles – 8 Interactive Fighter Planes – 2 Characters – 7 Accessories – 12 Motions – 31 Props – 4 Effects – 4 BONUS Terrains and some of the best iProps interaction I have ever seen in iClone. We are going to take a test flight with the AIR FORCE folder in particular, I’ll be showing users the difference between the standard Fighter Plane iProps provided and those marked as COMBAT ONLY content. Sound’s pretty straight forward right? One’s for combat animation and the other is not, but wait there’s more to it than that you see. These iProps are equipped with preset Perform and Move clips that make the animation you want to create as simple as right clicking the prop and choosing the action that fits the scene your working on. Did I lose you? Ok, here it is in a nutshell…let’s say you want to include and controls the rotation of the propeller, Gear Up/Down, opening or closing of the cockpit and open fire. With this packs iProp design , users can arrange and compose the animations anyway they want to fully enjoy the play to create experience. Follow the steps below to animate the  standard Fighter Plane using the Right-Click menu and Terrain click options, or watch the video provided at the bottom of the post with the new and improved iClone Certified Training format to receive first-hand virtual tutoring for the Machines of War content pack.

• Open iClone
• Select the Set tab
• Click the Props button
• Locate the Template tab
• Choose the Machines of War folder
• Expand the list until you see the Air Force folder
• Double-Click a Fighter Plane to place it in your scene (note: select any plane that does not have COMBAT ONLY in the file name. For this example I use the Spitfire Fighter)
• Right-Click the body of the Fighter Plane to activate the iProp interactive menu options
• Scroll to and Click the Perform option
• Select the “Toggle Engine On” iAnimation (note: This will apply a rotation animation automatically to the Spitfire Fighter)
• Move forward in time in your project then Right-Click the body of the Fighter Plane once again
• Scroll to and Click the Move option
• Select the “Taxi” iAnimation (note: This will only apply a movement animation automatically to the Spitfire Fighter if you have a Terrain model in the scene as well. Place one in the scene if you do not have one already by going to the Terrain tab and Double-Click one from the Template tab)
• Click the point on the Terrain model in the scene you wish the Fighter Plane to move to
• Return to and Click the Perform option and Repeat the application of iAnimations as they apply to your project
• Apply additional iAnimations such as Gear Up, Fly, Gear down, Land plus more

The Machines of War Fighter Planes are the BF109 and FW190 from Luftwaffe, Spitfire from Royal Air Force and P51 Mustang from USAAF and they come production-ready to take on your most fersome of flights. From Take off to Taxi to the landing strip, you can use iAnimation clips to create endless combinations of aviation oriented animation without all the hassle. If you can move props in iClone you can create convincing flying animations utilizing the highly effective built-in tools found in the Machines of War Fighter Planes. Part 1 of this 2 part tip covers the insertion and application of the Machines of War NON-COMBAT Fighter Planes iAnimation clips, but revisit iClone Certified Training again tomorrow for the follow up, Part 2 Machines of War COMBAT ONLY Fighter Planes tip. The video below shows you step-by-step how you can add these awesome assets to your scene and quickly create War-time animation with the best real-time content pack War-bonds can buy. Enjoy!

Acting Workshop, Natural Facial Performance in both CrazyTalk and iClone 3.2

Your move Einstein

Guess who’s back? That’s right, your favorite insane iClone insider is back and with more goodies than ever to share with you, the iCloners of the world. Today’s tip focuses on the new Acting Workshop, Natural Facial Performance content pack by Reallusion. Think of this adding this content pack to your library the same as adding the ability to apply instant emotion to your characters in any project in both iClone and CrazyTalk. Sound good? Well it should because the new Acting Workshop, Natural Facial Performance content pack contains 43 useful common human expressions that according to your performance type and audio, you can insert any facial expression clip that you like during the performance to enable your avatars to perfor and emote accuractely. This pack will let you create high quality CrazyTalk5 movies much easier than before hands down. But in this iClone Tip of the Day I will show you how to use this pack to create high quality Facial Performance in iClone and CrazyTalk. It breaks down like this, first you start with the audio you want to create facial animation with, then you simply apply the expression to match the look and feel you wish for your character to portray using Motion Clips. Follow the steps provided below after purchasing and installing the Acting Workshop, Natural Facial Performance content pack here.

• Open CrazyTalk
• Select the Model tab
• Click the Import Image icon from the top of the left-hand toolbar
• Fit the Image
• Refine the Feature Points
• Select the Script tab
• Load or Record audio data to the Timeline
• Click the Motion Clip tab
• Locate and select the Acting Workshop – Natural Facial Performance folder
• Choose an Expression folder
• Click and Drag a Motion Clip to the Timeline where you want that Expression to take place in the facial animation
• Scrub the Timeline or select Play to review the Natural Facial Performance expression animation
• Add or Adjust each Motion Clip according to the audio in your project for the best results
• Click the Add button under the Content Manager
• Name and Save the custom Natural Facial Performance  CrazyTalk script
  
• Open iClone
• Load an Avatar into the scene
• Click the Animation Tab from the top
• Select the Facial Animation button
• Choose the Custom tab
• Double-click the Natural Facial Performance  CrazyTalk script
  
• Click Play to review the new facial animation and make adjustments if needed in CrazyTalk

Adding the Acting Workshop, Natural Facial Performance content pack to your iClone and CrazyTalk assets is killing two birds with one stone. You get the ability to add this content in countless combinations via Motion Clips in CrazyTalk, instantly giving your actors and avatars the perfect expression line for line, motion for motion. This movement will also carry over to your iClone avatars, actually effecting the mesh and the morphing of the geometry itself, plus the animation data is instantly saved into the iClone library the moment it is saved in CrazyTalk. With over 43 expressions to choose from, the more time you spend on the Timeline in CrazyTalk the more it will pay off in your iClone projects I promise you.

Below is something a bit new to the iClone Certified Training Blog, ME. Well, my iClone identity anyway to give to all my readers a virtual face to attach to both iClone and CrazyTalk training and your overall expirence here at the Blog. The video format is much the same, however there will be a new intro clip with every video from here on out giving a more graphic example of what to expect in and from tip to tip. For today’s tip the video example provided below shows users step by step how to apply the Acting Workshop, Natural Facial Performance content pack to both iClone and CrazyTalk avatars. It’s good to be back! Enjoy!

Total Materials Vol. 1 General Textures Part 2 (Wood) in iClone3.2

Get perfect Wood in iClone with Total Materials vol. 1

Hello iCloners out there. Today’s tip is Part 2 in a 4 part series on Total Materials pack vol. 1 General Textures. This tip however focuses specifically on the rich Wood textures included in this content release by Reallusion. There are over 180 Material Balls included in the pack and 33 Wood textures to choose from each containing a Diffuse, Bump and Specular map that may be further edited to better suit your needs. In this tip I will show users how I take relatively well textured Google Sketchup models that contain  no noticeable flaws and are of sound design, then bring them into iClone  for the purpose of adding high-detail Material Balls. This will greatly enhance the overall look of an otherwise sub-par model before implementing it into your production. A higher level of detail for all objects in your scene will provide a higher quality to your entire production I assure you. Follow the steps below to apply Wood textures from the Total Materials pack vol. 1 General Textures to an assortment of objects or watch the high-speed video build at the bottom of this post to get both a first hand look at the application and the end result.

• Load a Custom Prop into the scene you wish to edit with  Wood Materials
• Scroll down in the Modify Panel and locate the Materials and Texture settings portion of the menu
• Click the Pick tool represented by an Eyedropper icon
• In the view port, click directly on the area of the model you want to edit
• Click the Load Material button
• Locate the General Textures folder
• Select the View Menu button
• Choose the Thumbnails option to view the Material Balls directly
• Scroll down until you see the Wood material selections
• Double-click a Wood Material to apply it to the selected area
• Adjust the individual channels by using the Strength slider (this is a good way to vary your amount of detail you wish to include in the Material)
• Scroll down in the Modify Panel and locate the UV Settings portion of the menu
• Adjust the UV settings by selecting the Planar, Box, Spherical, Cylindrical, Cylindrical Capped (this will rearrange the UV settings in accordance with what works best for your model)
• Click the Add button under the Content Manager to save the newly edited custom prop after you are pleased with the Wood Materials applied to the model.

Total Materials pack vol. 1 General Textures includes an array of options from the very first moment you install this aweseom content pack. You can choose to only use 1 set of Materials such as the Wood Materials used in this example, or you can combine multiple Materials to the same object for a more detailed and dramatic look to your props, characters and much more. Once again you find yourself with endless options in iClone. For more information regarding Modifying Texture Settings please be sure to visit the Online Beta Index provided by Reallusion. Below you can check out the high-speed video build of how I apply Wood Materials to SketchUp models and a bit of output showing just rich your Wood can be. Enjoy!

Total Materials Pack Vol.1 General Textures Part 1 (Stone) in iClone3.2

Create photo-realistic, multi-channel, seamless Stone textures with Total Materials

Hello iCloners, today’s tip is the first of a 4 part series focusing on Total Materials Pack vol.1 General Textures Pt.1 (Stone) These new material packs are incredible for production for a few reasons. Total Materials texture packs from Reallusion include a wide range of Material styles for users to choose from. Vol.1 General Textures includes 187 Walls, Metals, Wood and Ground materials along with varieties in each category. For example in the  Wall category you may have Stone, Brick and  Concrete materials, plus more to choose from. Each material ball comes complete with a Diffuse, Bump and Specular channel map that is, of course 100% completely customizable. For today’s example I took a well modeled, but poorly textured 3D Stonehenge Google 3D Warehouse model and used only the Total Materials Pack vol.1 General Textures Stone presets to edit the model and was able to take an otherwise unusable 3D object and flip it into a beautifully textured representation of the world-famous landmark. Get your Right-click finger ready all of you iClone Druids out there, and follow the steps presented below to use the Picker Tool to select “dropped or bad” texture areas on a model and apply multiple Stone materials to the 3D object in order to salvage well built assets such as my Stonehenge.

• Go to the Set tab
• Select the Props button
• Choose the Custom folder
• Load a custom prop with “dropped or bad” texture areas you wish to add STONE material balls to (for this example I use a 3D Stonehenge Google Sketchup model)
• Scroll down in the Modify Panel and locate the Materials and Texture settings portion of the menu
• Click the Pick tool represented by an Eyedropper icon
• In the view port, click directly on one of the “dropped or bad” texture areas
• Click the Load Material button
• Locate the General Textures folder
• Select the View Menu button
• Choose the Thumbnails option to view the Material Balls directly
• Scroll down until you see the Stone material selections
• Double-click a Stone Material to apply it to the “dropped or bad” texture area
• Notice that a Diffuse, Bump and Specular texture map will be applied to the proper channels
• Again select the Pick tool represented by the Eyedropper icon and Repeat material application for all “dropped or bad” texture areas
• Add a Terrain and Sky asset to the scene
• Then, turn on Pixel Shader to review the Stone Materials full effects

The options are truly endless with Total Materials Pack vol. 1 General textures. Everything from Brick walls, to Stone pillars, to Wood Panels, Precious Metals and more. Not to mention the refined look in the end outcome you can achieve when combining some Material Balls with one-another. Other interesting effects can be achieved as well by simply adjusting some of the individual channel map settings for the Diffuse, Bump and Specular textures. For more information regarding Multiple Channel Texture Mapping please visit the Online Beta Index provided by Reallusion. Below you will find a rendered example of both a poorly textured version of Stonehenge with a highly detailed version of the same model after Total Materials Pack vol. 1 General textures was used to create seamless and beautiful Stones, along with a step-by-step visual guide on how to fix “dropped or bad” texture areas for yourself. Enjoy!

Digital Dagobah – Part 2 (Yoda) Advanced Character Customization in iClone3.2

Create Master Yoda from CloneCloth for Stout Man vol.1

Yoda, you seek Yoda iCloners and I commend your efforts. Today’s tip is not for iClone Patawans, this is for the true Jedi Cloners out there because it is Advanced Character Customization utilizing custom facial image application and texture editing, head morphing and feature adjustment with CloneCloth creation techniques using Diffuse and Opacity maps for one single character design. Combining all these aspects will allow you to create Master Yoda using the Moe,  CloneCloth for Stout Man vol.1 content pack from Reallusion. Editing textures for both the face of Master Yoda and the cloak will require that you have a relatively well versed knowledge of the Force…I mean, Photoshop…Photoshop or another external image editor. Why? Because, the face of Master Yoda requires that head morphing shapes work and fit properly with the custom facial texture, especially around Master Yoda’s trademark ears. Also, in order to manipulate the dual-layered 3D mesh of the Moe Overcoat CloneCloth avatar you will need the graphic skills necessary to create the proper character wardrobe to match the look from the movie itself. But not to worry, Darth Martin is here to help you along your path! Follow the steps below to create Master Yoda for your iClone Star Wars cast or watch the high-speed video build provided at the bottom of the post.

• Load the Moe Overcoat avatar into the scene ( be sure you have the CloneCloth for Stout Man vol.1 content  installed first )
• Click the Head tab from the top
• Select the Load Image button to place a previously saved custom .JPG image of Master Yoda found here
• Crop the Bounding Box
• Choose Male from the Face-list menu
• Click Next
• Use the Rotate, Orbit and Scale tools to fit the Bounding Box
• Click Next
• Align the Feature Points to the Eyes, Nose and Mouth, use the Scale and Move tools greatly here to get a proper fit
• Click OK to apply the changes and create a custom Master Yoda face
• Name and Save the new head as Yoda
• In the Modify Panel, under the Facial Feature portion of the menu select the Head option
• From the different Head Morph options choose Devil
  
• Adjust the Strength slider to edit the size and amount of morph that Master Yoda requires
• Select the Mouth button to customize the teeth position
• Use the Move values and the Height and Width sliders to properly fit the Mouth inside the head
• Choose a Teeth Template to place a custom set of teeth in the avatar ( for this example I use the Sharp template )
• Select the Eyes button to customize the characters Eyes
• Choose an Eye Template to place a custom set of Eyes in the avatar ( for this example I use the Dark template )
• Use the Scale values and the Narrow/Wide slider to re-size the eyes
• Use the Move values to properly fit the Eyes inside the head
• Select the Faces button
• Edit each Facial Feature individually until you achieve the proper shape for Master Yoda’s head
• Click the Actor tab from the top once again
• Select the Skin button
• In the Modify Panel, under the Material and Texture settings portion of the menu
• Use the fly-out menu and select Face to activate the face texture channels
• With the Diffuse Map selected for the Face, click the Launch button to open the image for editing in an external editor ( for this example I use Photoshop, but any image editor you are comfortable with )
• Edit the Facial image paying close attention to the Ears ( for this example I use the Liquify and Clone Stamp tools to stretch the Ear textures and even out the skin problem areas )
• Save Over the existing .JPG image
• Return to iClone
• Click the Update button to apply the edits to the Face texture ( it may take a few tries to get the Ear texture fitting just right with the Head Morphed shape of the mesh, so all you need to do is re-edit and re-save and repeat )
• Select the Avatar button
• In the Modify Panel, use the Adjust Proportion sliders for each part of the both you wish to scale ( for Master Yoda I suggest you adjust the Head, Neck, Shoulders, Biceps, Forearms, Upper and Lower Torso, Thighs, Feet, Hands and Fingers…pretty much everything! )
• Click the Upper Body button to begin editing the CloneCloth template
• In the Modify Panel, with the Diffuse Map selected for the Upper Body, click the Launch button to open the CloneCloth template for editing in an external editor ( again for this example I use Photoshop )
• Open a previously saved custom .JPG image of Master Yoda’s Robe found here
• Copy the image over to the CloneCloth template image, this will create it as its own layer on the template file
• Create a custom CloneCloth design using the copied .JPG Yoda Robe image by Cutting, Copying and Pasting the Chest and the Arms as their own layers
• Use Transform tools to fit the Chest and Arms to the template for the Front and Back
• Merge all Layers then Save over the existing Upper Body .JPG image ( be sure you can step back in History to retrieve the Front and Back layer for later development of the Opacity Map )
• Return to iClone
• Click the Update button to apply the edits to the Upper Body texture ( it may take a few tries to get the Robe texture fitting just right with the UV CloneCloth Template, so all you need to do is re-edit and re-save and repeat until your pleased )
• Return to your external image editor and make a selection of the Robe layer you created
• Fill the entire selection with Solid White this is to make this area 100% visible when applied to the avatar
• Invert your selection and fill the outside background area with Solid Black to make this area 100% invisible when applied to the avatar
• Use a Solid Black Paint Brush tool to create frayed edges on the ends of the sleeves and the bottom of the cloak
• Go to File - Save As
• Save the file in the .JPG format
• Name the file Yoda Robe OPACITY
• Return to iClone
• Select the Opacity Channel for the Upper Body
• Click the Open button to import the new Yoda Robe OPACITY
• Navigate to the file and double click to apply (notice the change to the hard edges of the CloneCloth mesh to a much softer look and feel )
• Repeat the process for the Lower Body making it a Solid Brown texture to match the inside of the cloak
• Click the Add button under the Scene Manager
• Name the avatar Master Yoda

Advanced Character Customization in iClone3.2 covers a light-year in ground as far as the combined areas and features it takes to really get that perfect character match. Creating Master Yoda could not be as well done without the Devil head morphing option that was new to iClone version 3, or the Moe, CloneCloth for Stout Man vol. 1. As new features, functions and content becomes available to users, it opens new creative doors that allow artists to explore characters and creations that they may not have been able to before due to one small aspect or another. Body and Head modification make the Master Yoda avatar not only possible but completely believable to even the most hard-core of Star Wars fans, so use these features to their fullest potiental in relation to cool and ineresting characters and content as well. For more information regarding Character Sub Node Proportion Adjustment be sure to check out the Online Beta Index. Below you will find an accurate Machinima recreation of the famous “X-Wing emerges from the swamp” scene from Star Wars the Empire Strikes Back created in 9 hours, with the Advanced Character Creation of Master Yoda. Enjoy!

Digital Dagobah – Part 1 (Luke) Basic Character Customization in iClone3.2

Luke on Dagobah created with 2nd Ranger Sergeant

Greetings iCloners, today’s tip is Basic Character Customization – Part 1 which is going to show users how to take the 2nd Ranger Sergeant avatar from the G.I. vs. Wehrmacht content pack and apply some simple customization techniques to turn that character into Luke Skywalker on Dagobah. Users will be instructed to carry out a basic face fitting with a custom photograph and then ask to edit the Upper, Lower, and Shoe textures to complete the transformation.  Advanced Character Customization will be covered in Part 2 of this tip showing users how to apply advanced techniques to create Master Yoda inside iClone. But first, we need a Luke on Dagobah for our iClone Star Wars project. If you review the scenes on Dagobah in Star Wars ( Empire Strikes Back ) you will notice that Luke’s outfit is very similar to the design of the 2nd Ranger Sergeant, this is typical George Lucas because ol’ George loved to “borrow” designs and concepts from old WWII footage. This carried over into everything from Tie Fighter battles to the costume design for certain aspects of characters. This is a prime example of one such design used to outfit Luke Skywalker during his Jedi training on Dagobah. Follow the steps below to take your G.I. vs. Wehrmacht 2nd Ranger Sergeant from soldier to Jedi by adding a custom facial image and a few body texture editing techniques.

• Go to the Actor Tab
• With the Avatar button and the Template tab selected locate the WWII folder ( G.I. vs. Wehrmacht content must be installed first )
• Double Click the 2nd Ranger Sergeant avatar to place it in the scene for the purpose of becoming Luke on Dagobah
• In the Scene Manager select the Helmet prop under the 2nd Ranger Sergeant
  
• Strike Delete to remove the Helmet
• Click the Head tab from the top
• Select the Load Image button to place a previously saved custom .JPG image of actor Mark Hamil found here
• Fit the Bounding Box
• Choose Male from the Face-list menu
• Click Next
• Use the Rotate, Orbit and Scale tools to fit the Bounding Box
• Click Next
• Align the Feature Points to the Eyes, Nose and Mouth
• Click OK to apply the changes and create a custom Luke Skywalker face
• Click the Actor tab once again
• Select the Hair button
• Place a custom Hair Model on the avatar  from the Template folders, for this example I use the Emo hairstyle
• In the Modify Panel, under the Adjust portion of the menu use Move and the Z Scale values to customize the shape and position of the Hair model
• Under the Adjust Color portion of the menu, use the Brightness, Contrast and Saturation sliders to edit the Hair color
• Click the Upper Body button to edit the Upper body texture
• In the Modify Panel, under the Adjust Color portion of the menu, use the Brightness, Contrast and Saturation sliders to edit the  color of the 2nd Ranger Sergeant default upper texture to appear more like the film character
• Click the Lower Body button to edit the Lower body texture
• Under the Adjust Color portion of the menu, use the Brightness, Contrast and Saturation sliders to edit the  color of the 2nd Ranger Sergeant default lower texture to appear more like the film character
• Click the Shoes button to edit the Shoe textures
• Finally, in the Adjust Color portion of the menu, use the Brightness, Contrast and Saturation sliders to edit the  color of the 2nd Ranger Sergeant default Shoe textures to appear more like Luke on Dagobah
• Save your new Luke Skywalker custom avatar by clicking Add in the Content Manager

Basic Character Customization in iClone3.2 can be as simple as adjusting the default parameters of a character and placing a custom facial image in order for a specific actor or look to be recognized. The trick is to really pay close attention to what content is available to you right now either in your own libraries or in the Reallusion content store and considering what matches there are for other productions you wish to film. In this case the G.I. vs. Wehrmacht and the Moe CloneCloth content packs allowed me to cast both Luke Skywalker and Master Yoda with a bit of both basic and advanced character customization techniques. In part 2 of this tip you will go on in your training to a more in-depth look at how to create the Master Yoda avatar with Head Morphing and texture editing techniques along side CloneCloth creation and application. Only true iClone Jedi need to attempt that real-time path to the force. Below you will find an accurate Machinima recreation of the famous “X-Wing emerges from the swamp” scene from Star Wars the Empire Strikes Back created in 9 hours, with the Basic Character Creation of Luke Skywalker. Enjoy!