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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
(Vil
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
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