Quick Technique to Replace Material Design with Free Blender Plugin
Greetings, that is Peter Alexander and the aim of this text is to exhibit the Exchange Mesh function in Character Creator and the workflow with Blender. You’ll be able to watch the timelapse of the gown creation within the following movies and the method for making a totally useful, correctly weight-mapped gown might be detailed in a future video as it’s a extra difficult effort.
To start out off this tutorial, you’ll must obtain and set up the “CC4 Blender Pipeline Software Plugin” for Character Creator 4. >> Download here.
Then you definately’ll must obtain and set up the “ CC/iC Blender Instruments” plugin for Blender. >> Download here.
Character Setup and Export
First, I begin with a largely naked character, aside from his sandals and hair. I export this character utilizing the Posed possibility within the CC4 Blender Software Plugin; I’m doing this in order that after I import the garments I’ll be creating, they’ll match the pose as a place to begin.
Blocking Out Clothes with CC/iC Blender Instruments
In Blender, I import the character with the Import Character operate in CC/iC Blender Instruments. Now I begin to create the gown by including a easy dice, then blocking out the form of the gown. I then add extra particulars with using edge loops and subdivisions. Until you’re sculpting on the bottom mesh or including superb particulars to your merchandise or character, you typically need to begin modeling with broad shapes and add extra decision and element as wanted.
Creating UVs
After blocking out the form and including decision, I create some seams to generate the required UVs, that are important for many 3D fashions, particularly their utility for this pipeline. Though I’m utilizing a paid addon for among the UV operations, you gained’t want to do that: apart from the “Quadrify UV Island” instrument, every part else I exploit is native to Blender.
Utilizing Proportional Modifying
Right here I break symmetry to shut the gown. Closing the gown could be a bit difficult, particularly if you happen to’re not used to Blender. I exploit Proportional Modifying with Related Solely turned on to limit the impact to the mesh and the radius of your choice reasonably than the whole mesh. Turning up the radius will impression extra of the mesh.
Finishing Wardrobe
As soon as the gown is full, I create a easy belt and cloak. The knot on the belt is the one factor to exhibit from these things. As a substitute of tying the belt mesh right into a knot, I exploit three subdivided cubes and polygon strips for the tied portion of the belt. I can sculpt them at the next decision and bake out regular maps to make them extra genuine in look.
Exporting and Importing Equipment in Character Creator 4
This setup is generally full, so I export every merchandise as an adjunct. Likewise, in Character Creator, I’ll import every merchandise as an adjunct.
Transferring Pores and skin Weights
Then I exploit the Switch Pores and skin Weights operate to transform them into clothes. I normally use the “Costume” preset for objects previous the knees.
Posing and Second Export with CC4 Blender Pipeline Software
The clothes is now weight mapped and conforms to poses, but it surely’s very tough and must be manually adjusted. I export this character with a pose utilizing the CC4 Blender Pipeline Software plugin, which will even export all of the clothes objects. Then in Blender, I begin a brand new scene and import the character.
Adjusting Gadgets in Blender
Now, I alter all of the objects to organize them for the Exchange Mesh operate in Character Creator. I’m solely adjusting these for a static scene, nonetheless, this course of can be utilized to regulate objects for different functions. It’s potential to make a chunk of clothes snuggly match a extremely exaggerated character and additionally it is potential to swap out the UVs of an merchandise. The one limitation right here is the shortcoming to change the mesh vertex depend and vertex order. For instance, I have to subdivide this cape as a result of the decision is simply too low. As soon as I do that, it will likely be incompatible with the method and should be imported as a new accent.
Nevertheless, if one occurs to have entry to Marvelous Designer, then the draped model of the prevailing article of clothes might be imported, although Marvelous Designer exports triangulated meshes. The vertex depend stays the identical, so the method is error-free.
Utilizing Multiresolution Modifier to Sculpt
If you happen to plan to sculpt with the Multiresolution modifier then bear in mind to make use of the Apply Base operate within the modifier which is able to alter the form based on the very best decision. If you’re adept at baking texture maps in Blender, you may create a Regular map for the extra sculpted particulars and import it into Character Creator.
Making a Brush Texture
Right here, I exploit Affinity Picture, a Photoshop different, to create a texture map for my Blender brush. It’s a really fundamental diamond design, which I’ll export as a clear PNG file and use for portray onto the gown mesh.
As soon as this texturing is completed, I save the gown texture as a picture to be used in Character Creator.
Baking Regular Maps
Now, I swap the render engine to Cycles, as Eevee doesn’t assist texture baking. For my part, the method of baking maps in Blender is somewhat complicated and convoluted, however not troublesome when you perceive it.
The principle factor I have to do is make certain I’m in Cycles, choose my mesh merchandise, go into the assigned shader of that merchandise, and create a brand new texture map. The feel baking will happen on this picture. For regular maps, I’m going to the multiresolution modifier and ensure the sculpting stage is zero, and the render stage is on the next stage, reminiscent of “3”. Then, I click on Bake with Normals and await my maps to generate.
Regular maps might be edited like another picture, however with sure guidelines relating to how the maps work. If you wish to take away element from a standard map, pattern the impartial blue within the picture and paint over any undesirable distortions.
Exporting Again to Character Creator with CC/iC Blender Instruments
With the maps saved and with the sculpting particulars utilized to the bottom decision, I export all of these things with the multiresolution modifier disabled. I exploit the Export for Exchange Mesh possibility within the CC/iC Blender Instruments plugin.
Utilizing Exchange Mesh to Switch Vertex Positions
In Character Creator, I apply the modifications by choosing the mesh and utilizing the Exchange Mesh operate, and selecting the exported model of the mesh from Blender. I did some minor work on this character after recording the video, which you’ll see within the closing render.
Conclusion
The Exchange Mesh operate is an easy, highly effective instrument, and saves plenty of time — particularly for content material creators. Whereas I didn’t demo it right here, it might probably additionally exchange the UVs of an merchandise, which beforehand might solely be performed by reimporting the merchandise and setting it up from scratch or utilizing the cumbersome 3DXchange course of. It’s a really welcome addition to Character Creator 4, which the CC/iC Blender Instruments for Blender is designed to accommodate.
Free Obtain :
• CC/iC Blender Instruments (addon put in in Blender) https://github.com/soupday/cc_blender_tools
• CC4 Blender Pipeline Software Plugin (addon put in in Character Creator 4) https://github.com/soupday/CC4-Blender-Tools-Plugin
• Character Creator https://www.reallusion.com/character-creator/download.html
Be taught extra :
• Peter Alexander (Mythcons) https://www.artstation.com/mythcons
• Blender-Character Animation Pipeline https://www.reallusion.com/character-creator/blender.html
• Reallusion https://www.reallusion.com/