Reallusion Character Design - Mythcons

Mythcons

Greetings,

I started WIP thread on Reallusion's forum before this one opened. You can view it here: http://forum.reallusion.com/292375/Submission-WIP-1-Lobo

Originally I was going to do Lobo as my contest submission, but I've since been told that the emphasis is on character design originality. For this reason, I will only loosely reference Lobo (along with other characters).
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I started my character process by downloading a tool called 'Image Overlay Utility'. It is a free app that allows you to load reference images. I began by using the internal shaping tools to block out a base mesh that I can export and sculpt on. This speeds up the sculpting process, and also keeps the character rig in the correct proportions. The morphs can be baked and saved as a preset, which is important for importing the sculpted changes. Since Character Creator does not automatically adjust bones, you need to reference the proportions of a base model or preset.

I was originally doing Lobo, as I mentioned, so I dialed down the Saturation in the Dynamic Appearance editor for the skin, in order to get a chalky flesh look. I plan to change this colors and paint where necessary,  as I progress.

ThePoetTrees

Hi Mythcons,
Great to meet you.
That's a really helpful idea for the image overlay tool.
I bet it would also come in handy for fleshing out body shapes of real people.
Good luck!

Mythcons

Bleetz said:

Hi Mythcons,
Great to meet you.
That's a really helpful idea for the image overlay tool.
I bet it would also come in handy for fleshing out body shapes of real people.
Good luck!

Glad I could help! I think I learned of the tool from someone on the Reallusion forum, and just recently adopted it. Good luck to you, as well.

Mythcons

I exported the mesh after getting the proportions I wanted. I decided to go in a stylized direction -- but everything else about the character is in flux. I have incorporated a mesh from Adobe Fuse (the Sangu Armor), and will demonstrate how to do this shortly. I wanted to see the character in action, so I used iClone and Mixamo to put together a few combos. My final animations will be created using Akeytsu, a fairly new rigging and animation app (which I highly recommend). The perfect compliment to iClone.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p8yGp4smsI

Mythcons

I'm going in a different direction. I wanted to expand my knowledge of Character Creator and iClone throughout this process, and I felt the design I was pursuing was limiting me. I've since used the same procedure listed above to block out a new shape, and did some minor sculpting.

The Eye Piece:

I used a Blender add-on called 'Hard Ops' to create the eye piece.



Adding it to the scene, and saving it as a prop, is a simple matter. I imported it in iClone 3DXchange as as an OBJ, then added it to iClone. I had previously set up my materials in Blender, which are saved during this process. Then I simply added Substances to each material (through the iClone Material editor). The glow can be added by plugging in an appropriate texture. iClone has a variety of these to play with.

Mythcons

I am going with the direction that this character is a technologically modified man (perhaps an alien). Over the course of centuries, he has replaced and modified parts of his body to keep himself alive. Once a wealthy and prestigious man, he has spent his fortune on his longevity. Now a scavenger of parts and resources, he does not maintain his appearance, and is thus easily recognizable as a cyborg. His fragmented humanity fading with each replaced part.

I may create three versions of this character. His original self, his current self, and his future self.

Mythcons

I think the conclusion to this character's journey will be fully incorporating his brain into a computer, and eliminating his physical self. Until then, his body continues to waste away, as he focuses more and more on his brain. His skull has swelled to enormous size, and his body has shrunk. He is virtually immobile, and his nourishment is maintained by a series of feeding tubes (to be implemented) . I am in the process of designing a chair of some sort that grants him mobility.

The following attributes are pretty much locked into the character design/concept:

Name: Dhaos Zek
Height: 5'1" (originally 5'9")
Age: 396
Weight: 125 lbs.
Species: Human
Eyes: Blue
Hair: None (formerly white/blonde)

Lobos

thats creepy and awesome

jyp7202

Hi this is really good. Quick question. How did you use Adobe fuse clothing with character creator? Would appreciate your help. Thanks.

Mythcons

jyp7202 said:

Hi this is really good. Quick question. How did you use Adobe fuse clothing with character creator? Would appreciate your help. Thanks.

Greetings.

There are longer tutorials on Reallusion's forum, but in short, you need to export a character wearing the clothes from the Fuse character and save the clothes as a separate mesh. You then need to export an FBX of a character from Character Creator (from within Character Creator, not the Pipeline). Use a 3D application to line up the clothes with the FBX export. Then you need to attach the clothes mesh to the character rig. Finally, you need to copy the Weight Maps from the body mesh onto the clothes, and import the character (now wearing the clothes) into Character Creator.

It sounds more complicated than it is. Once you get the flow, you can do this in about 10 - 15 minutes.

Mythcons

Now that the Decals options are fixed, I'm able to add more dynamic detail to my textures. I use 3D-Coat for PBR painting.

The cybernetic arm and the electricity are separate decals for the Body texture. I added the electricity decal texture to the 'Glow' channel to enhance the glowing effect.

Mythcons

 used an opacity map to turn the lower half of the character invisible. Then, in Blender, I created an apparatus to replace his lower extremities. I could have edited the mesh and the rigging, but I want to maintain compatibility with Character Creator for as long as possible. In fact, I don't think I'll need to break compatibility at all. Now I need to blend the organic half with the tech apparatus so that it looks 'natural'.

I think I'm about 50% there. Time is ticking, and I still have to complete a video.

jyp7202

Mythcons said:

jyp7202 said:

Hi this is really good. Quick question. How did you use Adobe fuse clothing with character creator? Would appreciate your help. Thanks.

Greetings.

There are longer tutorials on Reallusion's forum, but in short, you need to export a character wearing the clothes from the Fuse character and save the clothes as a separate mesh. You then need to export an FBX of a character from Character Creator (from within Character Creator, not the Pipeline). Use a 3D application to line up the clothes with the FBX export. Then you need to attach the clothes mesh to the character rig. Finally, you need to copy the Weight Maps from the body mesh onto the clothes, and import the character (now wearing the clothes) into Character Creator.

It sounds more complicated than it is. Once you get the flow, you can do this in about 10 - 15 minutes.

Thanks wow you are an inspiration. Great work this is really nice thanks for help as well. 

Mythcons

I pulled an image from a Star Trek monitor, created a UV'd plane in Blender, then imported into iClone and placed the texture onto the plane.

I'd like to make the monitor seemingly interactive, or dynamic in some way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ56_WuxwRo

Mythcons

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Mythcons

Latest version of Dhaos Zek uploaded to Sketchfab. I'm still playing around with concept design. My texturing is pretty bland at this point, just the basics. I pulled references from Korvac and the Shaper of Worlds (Marvel characters). I have a lot yet to do, but I've already learned a great deal from working on this project.





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