Auto-rig and Pose ZBrush Characters in New CC4 and ZBrush Posing Pipeline

Reallusion’s latest release empowers character artists and 3D print designers to effortlessly transform intricate sculpts into precise, posable, high poly count characters with just a few clicks.

Reallusion has introduced an innovative approach to character posing for ZBrush character designers, aiming to transform intricate sculpts into posable masterpieces in just a few clicks. This revolutionary Character Creator to ZBrush posing workflow empowers character artists and 3D print designers like never before. Anyone can effortlessly rig and pose high poly, multi-subtool characters with precision, even at millions of polygons.

According to Paul Gaboury, 3D Product Development Manager for Zbrush, “The new GoZ integration with Character Creator provides ZBrush artist’s a streamlined workflow to create dynamic poses within minutes using the extensive mocap library from Reallusion. The auto-rigging and HumanIK system also gives the artist the power to create any pose with a model with multiple meshes, even a ProxyPose mesh and send back to ZBrush, all while maintaining sculpted details with a click of the button.”

Take a look:

As Reallusion points out, the ZBrush Posing pipeline greatly streamlines the character posing workflow. Thanks to the auto-rigging tool (CC AccuRIG) that works with ZBrush subtools containing both soft and hard surfaces, users can perform custom pose editing with HumanIK and hand gesture controls in just minutes. All details sculpted in ZBrush are preserved through the intuitive GoZ and subdivision workflow, while the Reallusion motion and mocap ecosystem offers boundless pose possibilities.

See the feature highlights of the CC-to-ZB Posing pipeline:

Auto-rigging for ZBrush Characters that works with individual subtools.

Rigging ZBrush characters with multiple subtools is no longer a challenge. With AccuRIG, joint positions are accurately placed, and naturalistic skin weights are applied to soft surfaces. Hard surfaces are automatically attached to the nearest bones, ensuring solid integrity. The flexibility to manually fine-tune bone placement, adjust skin weights, and modify bone attachments is readily accessible at all times.

Limitless pose possibilities from motion clips and mocap sequences.

Artists can unlock a world of unlimited poses with Reallusion’s thematic motion library where each frame of animation becomes a potential source for unique poses. Character Creator offers an extensive collection of free animations and poses to inspire creative choices. Additionally, ActorCore provides access to thousands of premium mocap animations and meticulously hand-keyed, stylistic motions, all thoughtfully organized into distinct categories.

Custom pose editing with HumanIK and hand gesture controls

Now anyone can experience the unparalleled ease of creating natural poses with the renowned HumanIK editor, à la Maya and MotionBuilder. Maintain impeccable character balance while adjusting root movement or lean the body when dragging a limb. A comprehensive collection of gesture control gizmos and a gesture library are also provided, saving countless hours of meticulous finger tweaking.

Hard/soft surface treatment and nuanced accessory management

With the ability to add and interchange accessories, a single model can transform into a diverse collection of unique figures. These accessories can be quickly applied to any body part and synchronized with their counterparts using GoZ. The gallery in Character Creator serves as a centralized hub for managing a wide range of accessories across characters, enabling the attachment of weapons to the hands and the strategic placement of armor parts.

Growing pose library with well-organized pose management

Updating subtools while adding or switching layers in ZBrush involves significant work. However, Pose Tools can directly receive poses from Character Creator, efficiently manage the pose library, and automatically update all subtools when transitioning between poses.

Free ZBrush Plugin for Character Artists

For those unfamiliar with Character Creator, there is also a standalone free tool called the ZBrush Pose Tools plugin. This tool is exclusively designed for ZBrush artists who are proficient in Transpose Master or prefer posing with masks. With a single click, it empowers them to seamlessly switch between different poses while automatically updating all subtools. This “holy grail” workflow sweeps aside the hassles, letting artists revel in the joy of character design and visual development.

ZBrush Layers to Poses

To make the most of ZBrush Pose Tools, start by importing existing poses from ZBrush layers. There is the option to import all layers or selectively import hidden layers. These converted layers are labeled with “ccPose_” to maintain synchronization between ZBrush layers and the pose library.

One-Click Posing

The process of updating subtools while adding or switching layers in ZBrush can be quite elaborate. On the other hand, Pose Tools offer a seamless solution by effortlessly transferring and managing poses. Moreover, it automatically refreshes subtools when necessary, streamlining the workflow.

Overall Subdivision

Freely traverse the subdivision levels of all subtools. Increase or decrease the subdivision levels or apply the highest or lowest subdivision level all at once.

Pose Detailing

Detail Layers can be used to embellish character design. These overlaid effects can be applied to all poses managed by Pose Tools, providing a versatile and efficient way to enhance the character’s appearance.

The free Pose Tools plugin allows all ZBrush artists to build and manage their own personal library, refine individual poses, including those created prior to the integration. The trial users can use the full functions of Character Creator 4 with the ZBrush Pose Link.

>> Free Download: