Character Creator stands out for its ability to quickly generate base models that are ripe for customization. With its intuitive interface and versatile morph sliders, creators can easily shape the basic anatomy of their characters. This software shines in its ability to offer a base that includes rigs and morph targets, essential for both facial and body animation.

Once the basic form is created in Character Creator, ZBrush comes into play. Known for its robust sculpting tools, ZBrush allows artists to add intricate details and a unique personality to their characters. Its brushes are perfect for crafting stylized aesthetics, moving away from realism and embracing a more exaggerated, cartoon-like appearance.

One of the most significant advantages of using Character Creator and ZBrush is their seamless integration. With just a click, characters can be transferred between the two programs without losing any detail. This integration is a game-changer, ensuring that the creative flow isn’t interrupted.

Characters created with these tools are not just visually appealing but are also production-ready. They come with clean topology, rigs, and weights, making them perfect for animation projects. This readiness significantly cuts down the time from concept to production, a crucial factor in fast-paced project environments

For those who use Blender for composting, the good news is these characters are fully compatible. With the help of a simple plugin, characters can be imported into Blender, retaining all their rigging and morphing qualities. This flexibility opens up avenues for creators who operate in different software environments.

The combination of Character Creator and ZBrush is a testament to how technology is simplifying yet enhancing the art of 3D character creation. By reducing the technical barriers, these tools allow artists to focus more on the creative aspect of character design. As we continue to see advancements in these tools, the future of character creation looks more exciting than ever.

<p>The post Character Creator Workflow For Fast 3D Animation Production first appeared on Prompt Muse.</p>

We will be using a software called “Cascadeur,” which has been around for about 10 years and offers a free version with some powerful animation tools. While this method is not a replacement for professional animation software or mocap, it’s a viable alternative if you’re on a tight budget.

Note: Before you start, make sure you have Cascadeur and Accurig installed on your computer. You can download Cascadeur from the official website, and Accurig is a free auto-rigging tool that complements Cascadeur.

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Let’s get started!

Part 1: Rigging Your Character in Accurig

1. Open Accurig and click on “Choose File” to select your 3D character’s FBX file. You can use a sample character from Cascadeur, Mixamo, Sketchfab, or your own custom character.
2. After loading your character’s mesh, click on “Rig Body” to generate the joint structure for your character’s skeleton.
3. Accurig will display circles where joints should be placed. Ensure symmetry is checked to work on one side of the character.
4. Position the joint guides according to your character’s anatomy, following the on-screen guides for reference.
5. Use the tools in the bottom left corner to rotate and move around your character for precise joint placement.
6. Repeat the process for other body parts, such as arms and legs, ensuring correct joint placement.
7. Use the “Preview Motion” window to check the animation on various body parts, including fingers.
8. Ensure your character is in a neutral pose (A-pose or T-pose) before exporting.
9. Click “Upload to AccuRig” and then “Export” > “Export FBX.” Set the target application to “Maya” and check “Embed Texture.” Click “Export” to save the rig.
10. Export another FBX file of your character’s base mesh but set the target application to “Blender” for later use.

Part 2: Creating a Basic Idle Animation in Cascadeur

1. Open Cascadeur and start a new scene. Import the FBX file with Maya settings that you exported from Accurig.
2. Cascadeur will ask if you want to enter “Rig Mode.” Click “Yes.”
3. In the “Rig Mode Helper” dialog, click “Yes” and then “OK” on the next dialog.
4. Click “Add Rig Elements” at the bottom of the “Quick Rigging Tool” dialog.
5. Rotate your character by holding ALT and the left mouse button to navigate.
6. Select the “Auto Pose” tool to enable automatic control point positioning as you move your character.
7. Position your character into an initial pose for your idle animation by moving and rotating control points. Use ‘W’ to move and ‘E’ to rotate.
8. Add a keyframe at frame 10 by clicking the key icon.
9. Change the hand pose on frame 10 to create a hand open/close animation.
10. Duplicate the first frame to frame 20 and mirror the pose for variety.
11. Duplicate the second keyframe to frame 35 and mirror it to frame 45.
12. Extend the timeline to add more frames for smoother animation (e.g., 200 frames in total).
13. Copy the first frame to frame 145 and the second keyframe to frame 110.
14. Apply bezier curve interpolation for smoother animation between keyframes.
15. Review and refine your animation by adding subtle movements, such as chest and shoulder motion.
16. Create a seamless loop by ensuring the first and last frames are identical and adjust frame numbers accordingly.
17. 

Part 3: Exporting the Animation to Blender

1. Export the animation from Cascadeur to Blender by going to “File” > “Export” > “FBX.” Name the file and click “Save.”
2. In Blender, import the animation by going to “File” > “Import” > “FBX.” Use the default settings and click “Import FBX.”
3. Delete any existing objects in the Blender scene and select the imported Armature.
4. Adjust the Armature’s rotation to face the front and place it in the scene.
5. Create an animation track for the imported animation and rename it.
6. Copy the animation keyframes from the imported Armature and paste them onto your character’s Armature.
7. Delete the imported Armature to keep your scene clean.
8. Create an animation loop for your idle animation in Blender using the NLA (Non-Linear Animation) Editor.

9. 

Part 4: Exporting the Animation to Unreal Engine 5

1. In Unreal Engine 5, create a new project and organize your project folder.
2. Import your character’s 3D mesh into Unreal Engine by right-clicking in the “Content” folder, selecting “Import,” and choosing your FBX file. Ensure it’s assigned to the correct skeleton.
3. Add a Level Sequence to your project by right-clicking in the “Content” folder and selecting “Level Sequence.”
4. Drag your character’s skeletal mesh into the Level Sequence.
5. Add your idle animation to the Level Sequence by clicking the plus icon and selecting the animation.
6. Adjust the timeline as needed and press the spacebar to preview your animation.
7. Extend the timeline and blend your idle and walk animations for a seamless transition.

Part 5: Adding Free Mocap Data

1. Visit the ActorCore website and explore the free motion resources.
2. Download free motion data compatible with Cascadeur.
3. Import the downloaded motion data into Cascadeur, and apply it to your character as needed.
4. Refine and customize the imported motion data to suit your character and animation needs.

This tutorial should help you get started with animating and importing your game characters into Blender and Unreal Engine 5 using Cascadeur. Feel free to explore further features and animation possibilities in Cascadeur to enhance your character animations.

Remember, practice makes perfect, and with time, you’ll be creating stunning animations for your game characters. Enjoy animating!

<p>The post How to Animate Game Characters and Import Them into Blender and Unreal Engine 5 first appeared on Prompt Muse.</p>

In this tutorial, I will show you how to use the Headshot 2 plug-in for Character Creator to create a 3D character from a scanned head mesh. This new plugin from Real Illusion uses AI technology to turn any mesh into a retopgized 3D character, with UVW, rigged mesh and blend shapes for facial animation. There is a full length video of the tutorial here

What you will need

• A head mesh (you can purchase one online or scan your own head) I will be using my own scanned in head using my phone for this tutorial, I used the app Polycam (found on the Appstore) on my IOS phone to scan my head in.
• Headshot 2 plug-in for Character Creator
• Character Creator software
• If you intend to animate my preferable method is Iclone

Step 1: Import the head mesh into Character Creator

1. Open Character Creator software.
2. Go to File > Import > .obj.
3. Select the head .obj mesh file that you want to import.

Step 2: Headshot 2 Plugin 

1. Click on the Headshot 2 plug-in in the top toolbar. You need to install this prior from the Real Illusion website here.
2. The Headshot 2 dialog box will open.
3. Click on the Align Points button.
4. The starter pins will be automatically placed on the head mesh.
5. Move the pins so that they are aligned with the corresponding points on the Character Creator mesh. Delete pins by Ctrl & click the pin you want to remove.

6. 

Step 3: Refine the head mesh

1. Click on the Head Gen button from the horizontal toolbar.
2. A preview of the generated head mesh will be displayed. You can select the area of the mesh you wish to be generated onto the CC3+ model.
3. If you are happy with the preview, click on the Generate button, otherwise you can go back and adjust your points.

Step 4: Refine the head mesh

1. Use the brushes in the panel to refine the head mesh.
2. You can smooth the mesh, move the mesh, or project specific areas.

Step 5: Attach the head mesh to a body

1. Click on the Attach to Body button in the Headshot 2 dialog box.
2. Select the body type that you want to attach the head mesh to.
3. Click on the Attach button.

Step 6: Add skin textures and materials

1. Open the contents dialog.

2. Use the presets in the Skingen plugin to add realism to the skin texture, such as pores, muscle definition and freckles

3. You can also add make up and decals to the character.

4. In the Modify panel, go to the Morphs options and adjust the depth of the eyeballs and height of the teeth using the sliders.

Step 7: Add hair

1. I used the hair plugin (hair builder) and additional hairs assets from the Real Illusion marketplace.

Conclusion

This is just a basic tutorial on how to use the Headshot 2 plug-in for Character Creator. There are many more things that you can do with this plug-in, so I encourage you to experiment and explore.

I hope this tutorial is helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions.

<p>The post I Turned Myself Into A 3D Game character – Tutorial first appeared on Prompt Muse.</p>