Hello everyone,

We released Character Creator 3.1, a new update featuring character creation and animation solutions for realtime engines. The new update enhances the workflow for importing and editing 3D character clothing and assets, remeshing characters for crowd animation in iClone, and an intelligent character pipeline for Unreal Engine 4 and Unity.

Character Creator 3.1 Demo Video

What’s new in Character Creator 3.1:

Enhanced Workflow for Bringing in 3D Character Assets

One of the best features for Character Creator (CC) is its ability to bring in external content through Transformer, GoZ, or utilize the Auto-Skin-Weight OBJ-in pipeline, and save them as native CC assets. However, due to the complexity of source 3D files, it may lead to certain issues.

In the latest version 3.1, Reallusion has added several new functions like Cloth Hide Mesh Tool, Weld Vertices, and Consolidated Materials, so users can easily fix those frequently found issues while importing content from 3D Scans, Sketchfab, Poser, Daz Studio, or other marketplace resources.

In CC3.1, you can save the hide mesh information in the cloth, a great benefit for users importing cloth assets from Daz Studio, Poser, Sketchfab, even design from ZBrush or Marvelous Designer.

• Cloth Hide Body Mesh Tool - provides character templates to easily define hidden area of the body mesh when dressing on clothes. Face selection and brush tools are also available for refined editing.
• Weld Vertices - repairs surface breakage of the imported assets.
• Consolidate Materials - combines the redundant materials which share the same textures to decrease the overall file size and enhance performance. It also helps to organize materials for grouped adjustment.

Remesh Characters for Crowd Animation in iClone

One of the major requests from users is the wish to populate your scene with a whole bunch of characters without sacrificing the render performance or outrunning memory resources. In this version, Character Creator can export a fully remeshed iAvatar directly to iClone with a selected polygon reduction level.

iClone Users can now utilize Remesh, Polygon Reduction and Game Base to create characters for different levels.

• Remeshed iAvatar - optimizes mesh and texture size of the entire character with different levels.
• Polygon Reduction - simplifies the polygon of the outfit and accessories by wearables, object, or element.
• Game Base - if you wish to optimize the main character, it gives you an option to convert the standard CC Base (16.4K polygon, 100 bone count) to Game Base (5.6K polygon, 72 bone count) while still keeping facial animation.

Intelligent Game Pipeline for Unreal Engine 4 and Unity

The "Character Creator & iClone Auto Setup" is officially released for Unreal Engine 4 and Unity. Game developers can take advantage of the automatic process of shader assignment, skeleton mapping and LOD deployment, and enjoy the upgraded export options customized for Unreal Engine 4 and Unity.

CC3.1 FBX export and iClone Live Link both support Auto Setup and Epic IK-bone.

• Export Motion-only FBX - effectively accelerates the process of applying motions to the existing character.
• Multiple LODs in One FBX - one motion application works for all LOD meshes due to the shared bone architecture.
• Option to Separate Eyelash for Game Base - increases the flexibility of character application. With this option ticked, you will get a character with much detailed eyelash for close-up view.
• Export Mouth-Open Morph - provides control options for tools mainly using CC Character facial blendshapes, such like real-time lip-syncing addons in Unity.
• Epic IK-Bone Support for Unreal Engine Export - Add Unreal IK bones to characters when exporting FBX, CC / iClone characters compatible with motion files acquired from the Unreal Marketplace, it also allows UE4 rigged characters utilizing iClone edited motions or motion files sold in Reallusion Store.

Other Content Enhancements

To further make ease of the character content usage, and gives better lighting options. There are more handy features introduced in Character Creator 3.1.

The support of standard IES gives realistic light patterns to point light and spotlight. More IES resources can be freely downloaded from the internet.

• AvatarPreset - provides a fast way to change the 3D head. Now it can save the head morph, skin texture, dedicated eyes and teeth settings, as well as facial animation profile (3dxFaceAnimProfile) especially defined for perfect eye close.
• MaterialPlus - better organizes assets by using several material modules, effectively change a group of materials for a certain part of the asset.
• IES - the support of standard IES gives realistic light patterns to point light and spotlight. Free library is included in this version, and you can freely downloaded more resources from the Internet.

Visit the Reallusion Forum for details about Character Creator 3.1.

Thank you very helpful list of updates

Thanks Jack!

In case you don't notice it, we also publish some tutorials for this new update:

• Cloth Hide Mesh Tool: Setting Auto Hide Body Mesh for Clothing
• Game Pipeline: Export FBX Motions without Additional Mesh Data
• Game Pipeline - Unreal: Auto Character Setup for Unreal Engine 4
• Game Pipeline - Unreal: Auto Material Transfer for UE4
• Game Pipeline - Unreal: Digital Human Shader for UE4: Part 1
• Game Pipeline - Unreal: Digital Human Shader for UE4: Part 2

Reallusion Team

Thanks. That will keep me busy!