LogInToday, we've brought you 10 useful tutorials that will introduce new features Character Creator 4 brings and teach you how to work with the software.
In May, Reallusion released the new version of its full character creation solution for designers, Character Creator 4, bringing a number of accessible 3D character tools for generating and animating scalable digital humans or humanoids.
For those who are not familiar with the software, CC4 allows to easily generate, import, and customize stylized or realistic character assets for use with iClone, Maya, Blender, Unreal Engine, Unity, or any other 3D tools. It connects industry-leading pipelines with one system for 3D character generation, animation rigging, asset management, look-dev rendering, and interactive design.
The new version of Character Creator is no longer limited by the existing CC character base. It now supports custom IP and imported models. New features now make any character compatible with a number of motion assets, ready for natural lip-sync, motion capture, and animation controls in iClone. CC characters can also be optimized for low-poly, high-performance crowd simulation, AR, VR, and the metaverse.
CC4 features tools that enliven any character rig, providing custom expression blend shapes and animation previews, and delivering advanced facial performance. The character creation solution also supports asset import, prop editing, and optimization using InstaLOD.
Character Creator offers a toolset that allows artists to create their characters without the need to model every asset or animate every keyframe. The software can boast its user-friendly interface that lets users easily master the software in their very first hours.
You can learn more about all the new features that CC4 includes here. Also, you can find the manual for the software here. And if you wish to start learning CC4, we gathered 10 useful tutorials that can help you on your way.
Let's start today's digest with a tutorial that explains the Character Creator workflow. The video provides an overview of various new features CC4 has and walks you through all the steps of the work process inside the software. The author demonstrates how to create a character and explains how to change it by applying morphs and using pose tools. The video also includes such topics as adding animation, working with the facial expressions editor, and applying makeup. So, if you want to get a full picture of what CC4 is and how to work inside the software, you should definitely check out this tutorial.
The tutorial by LockDown Studio will be useful for those who want to get acquainted with the software and the new features CC4 has. The author explains how to use the workspace and camera controls, and introduces the basics of character creation, rendering, and exporting.
Next up is a tutorial from Character Creator's developer, Reallusion. It is worth noting that Realussion's channel offers a wide range of tutorials covering multiple tricks and tips on how to use the software: from creating a character and animating it to introducing the new features and explaining how they work.
This particular video may be useful for both beginners and those who already worked in the previous version of the software and might be puzzled about how to upgrade their CC3 characters in the new version of Character Creator. The tutorial demonstrates the way how to import your own custom characters with unique facial structures and shows how the Facial Profile Editor works. The authors take a look at the Standard, Extended, and Custom facial profiles that can be used in Character Creator 4 and explain how these profiles can be used to optimize your character’s facial animation performance based on the needs of your project.
This video can help you learn about how you can use the OBJ pipeline to export your character’s mesh to any 3D tool. In this tutorial, the authors give you detailed instructions on how to export OBJ to Blender to create an expression and viseme system and sculpt custom blend shapes and then import them back into the CC4 Standard Expression template to let you take full advantage of all of iClone’s motion tools, including motion capture. The channel also has a similar tutorial with the FBX pipeline which you can find here.
In this tutorial, the developers show you the ability of the new Delta Mush tool that allows you to easily optimize the appearance and performance of your character as well as clothing mesh topology. When you morph your character too much, the mesh can be distorted in a way that it not only looks in a strange way but also causes a number of animation issues. The video will explain to you how to apply the Delta Mush tool to either an entire character or some specific parts, as well as clothing and facial blend shapes to achieve smoother meshes and avoid issues.
This short tutorial will help you learn about the quick and easy process of importing your rigs from other software and auto-mapping them for use with Reallusion motion tools, for example, with motion capture. The video uses Mixamo and Blender Meta Rigs as an example but you can also follow the same steps for Maya HumanIK, 3ds Max Biped as well as Daz 3D and Unreal Engine.
This tutorial by Reallusion will teach you how to characterize a non-humanoid type of character by mapping a rig to work with Reallusion animation tools. The video focuses on bone re-mapping for a completely custom rig without the automatic conversion. The authors will tell you how you can assign a T-pose to your character, map the bone structure, and save a Human IK profile for later use.
This tutorial introduces the Bone Manager in Character Creator 4 and explains how it works. The authors will tell you how to navigate different settings to define different bone types. They'll explain the difference between the 5 major bone types as well as the 2 eye bones, clarify how to define them, and teach you how to use the Bone Manager for each type of bone. The video demonstrates various features of these bone types and gives a thorough explanation of what they are used for.
By watching this video, you'll learn how to use the spring effect for your characters. The spring effect can be really useful as it makes characters more dynamic and, therefore, realistic. And if you're creating cartoony characters, it can bring a certain level of energy to them. In this tutorial, the authors will guide you through the process of creating this effect including defining spring bones, the way to group them, and tweaking their parameters to your specifications.
This tutorial will help you learn how to use the new Turntable feature. The feature can be useful if you wish to enhance the display of your character for use in your portfolios, showcases, etc. The authors will tell you about light and scene settings, turntable settings, and custom poses, and share some rendering tips. They'll also give some useful advice on using the Lightroom and Lens Flare features in CC4 which will help you display your character in the best way possible.
These were our 10 picks on great Character Creator 4 tutorials. Do you agree with our list? What tutorials should we have added here? What helped you to learn the software? Share your thoughts and don't forget to join our new Reddit page, our new Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, where we are sharing breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.