iCIone 4.313D AnimationBeginner's Guide

Animate your stories and ideas to create realistic scenes

with this movie making application geared towards new and

inexperienced film makers, video producers / compositors,

vxf artists, and 3D artists / designers

M.D. McCallum

PUBLISHING

BIRMINGHAM - MUMBAI

Table of Contents

Preface 1

Chapter 1: Installing and Configuring iClone 7

Installing the program8

Time for action - installing iClone 4 pro 8

Time for action - installing related iClone content 10

Time for action - exploring iClone options 11

Configuring work environment 12

Setting up the 3D grid 12

Controlling display information 13

Exploring real-time render options 14

Choosing the shader 15

Manipulating objects 16

Locating Custom Content folder 16

Installing new content 16

Using drag-and-drop 17

Importing new content 17

Working with zipped files 18

Welcome to iClone 18

Interacting with the iClone community 19

Free iClone assets 22

Exploring the Reallusion Content Store 22

Discovering the Reallusion Marketplace 23

Downloading your trial and purchased items 28

Time for action - download and installation steps 28

Exploring the iClone user interface 30

Exploring the workspace 30

Selecting objects in the workspace 33

Summary 34

Table ofContents

Chapter 2: Creating Your First Scene 35

Let the animation begin! 35

Exploring your virtual studio 36

Exploring the 3D workspace 36

Time for action - creating the outdoors 38

Working with Live Plants 39

Time for action - creating virtual foliage 39

Adding props to the scene 43

Placing props 44

Time for action-house building 46

Manipulating props 48

Selecting the tools 48

Manipulating objects directly 49

Manipulating with precision using gizmos 50

Handling direct input 50

Working with iProps (interactive props) 51

Time for action - placing the iProp 51

Animated props 54

Time for action - importing animated props 54

Creating props from building blocks 55

What do you see in a primitive? 55

Time for action - building a gazebo without hand tools! 56

Diffusing opacity and other maps. 60

Exploring the mapping channels 60

Time for action - painting the gazebo 62

Time for action - correcting the texture mapping 63

Painting option 65

Time for action - adding fire effects to the grill 65

Creating see through material 68

Turning nothing into something 68

Lighting in 3D animation 70

Light types and shadows 71

Understanding ambient light 73

Manipulating the lights in the 3D workspace 73

Setting the mood with lighting and atmosphere 73

Time for action - setting the ambient light 74

Time for action - working with shadows 74

Time for action - manipulating the atmosphere 76

Time for action - lighting up the grill 76

Summary 79

[HI

Table of Contents

Chapter 3: Adding and Customizing Characters 81

Developing unique characters 82

Time for action - loading characters 83

Customizing character features 84

Time for action - loading a face image 84

Time for action - correct the lighting 87

Time for action - customizing our character 88

Time for action - customizing the head of the avatar 89

Experimenting with model detail 91

Time for action - giving your character a new do! 92

Time for action - customizing the eyes and mouth 93

Skin 93

Positioning the characters 94

Using character accessories and attaching props 95

Time for action - can't be cool without shades! 95

Time for action - shading the glasses 97

Time for action - attaching the fork prop 97

Interacting with the iProps 98

Time for action - grabbing a beer 99

Altering the characters' clothing 100

Time for action - altering female avatar clothing 100

Altering clothing using color 102

Time for action - altering the male avatar's clothing 103

Time for action - modifying the avatar's pants 105

Basics of character dialog 106

Lip-sync 107

Adding dialog 107

Creating dialog using the interface 107

Recording dialog using a microphone 109

Inserting audio files 110

Summary 111

Chapter 4: Animating the Characters 111

Using motions versus animations 113

Introducing the timeline 114

Controlling action on the timeline 115

Time for action - the timeline concept... A mini-tutorial 116

Time for action - adding basic camera movement 119

Time for action - changing the speed of the animation 120

Adding motions to characters 121

Applying motion clips 121

Controlling facial expressions 122

Invoking hand motions 123

Table ofContents

Manipulating character's fingers 125

Using paths to move objects 126

Time for action - adjusting the starting frame 127

Time for action - animating the hands 128

Customizing animation using the motion editor 129

Time for action - animating the male character 130

Turn the character 131

Time for action - animating the turn 131

Time for action - closing the grill cover 133

Animating the limbs 134

Setting the starting point key frame 135

Time for action - animating the arm movement 137

Time for action - scaling and moving the grill 138

Time for action - copying and pasting the key frame 139

Time for action - closing the grill 140

Time for action - finishing out the movement 142

Blending motions 143

Time for action - animating the female avatar 143

Time for action - add more time to the animation 145

Adding more motion to the female avatar 145

Time for action - creating new motions 148

Building our custom motion library 149

Saving custom animations as motions 150

Time for action - saving single clips 150

Time for action - collecting and saving multiple clips 151

Time for action - using the Absolute Bone method 152

Manipulating transitions 153

Time for action - polishing character moves 154

Animating paths for smooth movement 156

Time for action - using a path to animate Benny's walk 156

Using alternative methods of character movement 159

Time for action - point and click movement 159

Time for action - using director mode 161

Animating character dialog 162

Time for action - using dialog with characters 162

Summary 165

Chapter 5: Enhancing Animation with Particles 167

Using special effects (FX) wisely 168

Exploring iCIone particles 168

Breaking down an iCIone particle 168

Extending particle usage 169

Using iCIone particles 170

Table of Contents

Time for action - cueing mother nature 170

Time for action - configuring particle settings 170

Time for action - coloring mother nature 172

Attaching iCIone particles to props 173

Creating a torch 174

Time for action - creating the torch handle 174

Time for action - loading and manipulating the particle 174

Time for action - adjusting and texturing the torch 175

Time for action - setting up the smoke and fire particles 177

Time for action - adding the fire particle 179

Adjusting iCIone particles 179

Time for action - controlling the fire 180

Time for action - adding a smoke particle to the smoke stack 181

Time for action - positioning the smoke stack particle 182

Using visibility with particles 182

Time for action - setting the timing for the emitter 183

Using particles with paths 183

Time for action - creating a magical swirling effect 184

Summary 187

Chapter 6: Working with Cameras 189

Creating cameras 190

Time for action - creating our first camera 190

Renaming your cameras 191

Time for action - naming the camera 192

Time for action - creating and renaming another camera 192

Using character/object cameras (Follow Cam) 194

Using the Actor Cam 195

Time for action - setting up the Actor Cam 195

Time for action - converting Follow Cam to a permanent camera 197

Time for action - setting up the Face Cam 198

Time for action - viewing the character from above 199

Understanding the camera lens 201

Time for action - creating new cameras and picking the lens 202

Time for action - setting up our main camera angle 204

Time for action - setting up a lens only camera close up 205

Focusing with depth of field 207

Time for action - creating a depth of field camera 208

Creating more cameras 210

Time for action - creating the Benny cams 210

Time for action - creating a wide angle camera shot 211

Table of Contents

Selecting cameras for filming 212

Creating a shot list 213

Understanding camera cuts and timing 214

Time for action - setting up the camera switch 214

Filming through walls and objects with camera clipping 216

Time for action - Using camera clipping 217

Summary 220

Chapter 7: Enhancing Scenes with Images and Videos 221

Using the 2D drag-and-drop menu 222

Adding details with planes 223

Time for action - creating an image plane 224

Billboards 228

Time for action - working with billboards to add an old barn 229

Time for action - working with billboards to add a water tower 231

Image layers 232

Time for action - driving down the street 233

Time for action - using multiple image layers 236

Using 2D with special effects 240

Time for action - using planes to mimic volume effects 240

Time for action-adding mountains 242

Using video to enhance scenes 243

Time for action - adding video to props 244

Creating and using popVideo 247

Time for action - playing with popVideo 248

Summary 249

Chapter 8: Rendering our Work 251

Understanding rendering 252

Rendering in iCIone 252

Exporting single images 253

Time for action - rendering our first image 254

Time for action - rendering an action shot 257

Exporting image sequences 258

Time for action - exporting our first image sequence 259

Exporting videos 260

Understanding video 260

Codecs versus formats 260

Formats available in iCIone 261AVI 261

RM 263

WMV 264

MP4forPC 265

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Table ofContents

Flash video 266

Using good video rendering habits 267

Determining end usage 267

Setting screen resolution as soon as possible 268

Time for action - rendering our main project video 268

Rendering popVideo 269

3D rendering... got glasses? 269

Understanding 3D stereoscopic rendering 270

Anaglyph 272

Time for action - setting up the scene 272

Time for action - rendering the scene 274

Side X Side 275

Top Down 276

Two Files 277

Summary 277

Chapter 9: Animating Outer Space 279

Reviewing the project assets 279

Laying out and planning the scene 280

Determining the purpose of the scene 280

Determining render resolution 281

Time for action - setting the resolution 281

Determining the scene animation 282

Determining the particle effects required 282

Laying out the scene tasks 283

Tweaking the project assets 283

Time for action - adjusting the existing scene 284

Time for action - turning outer space into live space 285

Time for action - lighting the scene 287

Time for action - importing scene assets 288

Storyboarding with iCIone 291

Time for action - creating our initial storyboard frame 291

Time for action - storyboarding the action at mid-scene 293

Time for action - storyboarding the shuttle escape 295

Time for action - storyboarding the explosion 296

Time for action - storyboarding the shuttle leaving 298

Analyzing our storyboard 299

Time for action - setting up the animated shuttle path 301

Time for action - adding particles 303

Setting up the shot list 307

Time for action - deleting an existing camera 307

Creating cameras for the shot list 308

Time for action - creating cameras 308

Setting up the camera switch 310

Time for action - setting the camera order 311

Last minute tweaks 312

Time for action - adjust the movie length 312

Rendering our scene 313

Time for action 313

Summary 315

Appendix A: Using Personas, iPropsr and Helpers 317

Understanding AML 318

Exploring personas to animate a character 319

Time for action - loading a Persona 320

Using AML templates 322

Implementing character interaction 322

Time for action - placing and using character interaction dummies 323

Time for action - applying the kick me AML template 324

Using operate dummy props 325

Time for action - Using the character interaction templates 326

Time for action - using the grab it AML template prop 328

Working with iProps 330

Exploring the home iProps folder 330

Time for action - getting in and out of bed 330

Time for action - using the iprop door 332

Working with vehicle dummies 334

Summary 336

Appendix B: Animating with iClone Physics 337

Understanding iClone physics 338

Working with simulations 339

Baking the physics 339

Testing versus saving simulations 340

Touring the physics menu 340

Understanding soft bodies versus rigid bodies 342

Rigid bodies 342

Setting the state of the object 342

Object properties 343

Bounding settings 343

Soft bodies 343

Preset 344

Property 344

Collision settings 344

Table of Contents

Time for action - dropping the ball 344

Time for action-setting up the wall 347

Time for action - knocking down the wall - first run 350

Time for action - fine tuning the first run 351

Time for action-batting the ball 352

Time for action - setting up the physics 354

Time for action - changing the impact object angle 355

Time for action - adding the aiming site 357

Time for action - crashing the jeep 360

Time for action - duplicating rows of boxes 363

Time for action - setting up an ejection sequence 364

Time for action - setting up the eject physics 366

Time for action - attaching the character 367

Time for action - creating a chain action 370

Colliding with characters 374

Attaching dummies 374

Time for action - preparing a character collision 374

Summary 378

Appendix C: Exploring New Features 379

Discovering new visual enhancements 379

Understanding ambient occlusion 380

Time for action - using ambient occlusion 381

Exploring the toon shader 382

Time for action - enhancing the existing scene 383

Time for action - setting up the toon shader 384

Time for action - exploring the NPR post effect 385

Time for action - exploring the toon shader 385

Removing skin color 387

Time for action - tooning the characters 387

Time for action - skinning the character for tuning 388

Using post effects 390

Time for action - applying blur 390

Time for action - testing the other post effects 393

Time for action - adjusting the overall post effect 395

Setting the light with the multiplier 396

Time for action - using directional versus spotlight 396

Discovering the performance enhancements 398

Improving usability features 400

Using the tree brush 401

Time for action - planting and felling trees 401

Using soft cloth 404

Time for action - testing a cloth 404

Time for action - creating a ghost effect 406

Exploring soft cloth options 408

Summary 409

Appendix D: Discovering New Animation Tools 411

Exploring the modified timeline 411

Mixing moves the easy way 415

Time for action-using MixMoves 415

Using the motion puppet 417

Time for action - animating Gwynn 418

Time for action - smoothing the transition between motions 419

Time for action - walking with the motion puppet 420

Time for action - stopping the foot sliding 423

Understanding Human IK (pose and reach target) 424

Time for action - setting up a two-handed rig with Human IK 424

Time for action-hooking up the dummies 426

Time for action - using the two handed rig for movement 428

Time for action - using locking dummies 431

Time for action - setting up the unicycle 433

Manipulating Direct Puppet 437

Time for action - puppeteering the character's movements 437

Time for action - climbing with Human IK 439

Understanding device Mocap (Kinect) 442

Time for action - installing the Kinect plugin 443

Time for action - starting the Mocap Device Plug-in 444

Time for action - cleaning up the Mocap 447

Using motion capture effectively 449

Using the Prop Puppet 449

Time for action - building the tank turret 449

Time for action - animating the radar 451

Time for action - animating the turret 453

Customizing the transition and time warp 454

Using the Prop Look At 456

Time for action - grasping the basics of Prop Look At 456

Time for action - using a practical example of the Prop Look At 458

Applying iCIone 5 techniques to Chapter 4, Animating the Characters 459

Time for action - animating the grill with new features 460

Summary 462

Table of Contents

Appendix E: Pop Quiz Answers 465

Chapter 5, Enhancing Animation with Particles 465

Chapter 6, Working with Cameras 466

Chapter 7, Enhancing Scenes with Images and Videos 467

Chapter 8, Rendering our Work 467

Appendix C, Exploring New Features 467

Appendix D, Discovering New Animation Tools 468

Index 469