Unlocking the Potential of Smart Hair: A Beginner's Guide for Digital Artists

In recent years, advancements in digital content creation have revolutionized the way we approach character modeling and animation. One such innovation that has garnered significant attention is Smart Hair, introduced by Reallusion as part of their iClone 7.9 suite combined with Character Creator 3.4.

Smart Hair represents a quantum leap forward from traditional hair models used in computer-generated imagery (CGI). Designed specifically for digital humans featured in games and films, this cutting-edge technology offers unparalleled realism while maintaining exceptional performance levels.

In this tutorial, we'll delve into the world of Smart Hair structure using iClone 7.9 & CC 3.4. By following these step-by-step instructions, even those new to CG art can learn how to harness the power of Smart Hair and create stunning digital characters that captivate audiences alike.

Getting Started with Smart Hair

Before diving headfirst into this tutorial, make sure you've installed iClone 7.9 & CC3.4 on your computer system. Additionally, it's essential to familiarize yourself with basic modeling principles in both applications as well as having some experience working within the software environment provided by these tools.

Step 1: Creating a New Project

To begin our journey into Smart Hair creation:

- Launch iClone 7.9 and create a new project under 'Empty Scene'.

- In the top toolbar, click on 'Assets' > 'Import FBX...' to import your character model (.fbx) created earlier using Character Creator.

Step 2: Understanding Card-Based Hair Meshes

Smart Hair in iClone relies heavily upon card-based hair meshes. These small-sized mesh models are specifically designed for efficient texture resolution and rendering performance, making them ideal for complex scenes with multiple characters or detailed environments.

To access the Smart Hair settings:

- Select your character model within the scene hierarchy panel on the right-hand side of the interface.

- In the properties window that appears at the bottom left corner, navigate to 'Physics' > 'Hair'.

Here you'll find several options related to hair behavior such as length control, movement speed etc... Experimenting with these parameters will give you a better understanding of how they affect your character's overall appearance and performance.

Step 3: Implementing Smart Hair

With our project setup complete, let's now implement the Smart Hair into our scene:

- In the Asset Browser window (Ctrl+Shift+A on Windows or Command + Option + Shift + A on Mac), double-click 'Hair' under 'Characters'.

A variety of pre-made hairstyles will be displayed. Browse through these options until you find one that suits your character's style and personality.

Step 4: Adjusting Smart Hair Properties

Once a suitable hairstyle has been selected, right-click (or Ctrl+Click) on the hair object in the scene hierarchy panel to bring up its properties window:

- In this window, you can adjust various aspects of your character's appearance such as skin tone, eye color etc... Additionally, there are several advanced options available under 'Advanced' which allow for fine-tuning of facial features and expressions.

Step 5: Finalizing Your Character

With all the necessary adjustments made to your character's Smart Hair properties, save your scene by clicking on File > Save As (Ctrl+Shift+S or Command + Option + Shift + S) in iClone. This will export a final .iwd file containing all the changes you've made throughout this tutorial.

In conclusion, we hope that through following these steps and tips provided within this article, readers have gained valuable insights into utilizing Smart Hair effectively within their own projects using Reallusion's powerful animation software suite - iClone 7.9 combined with Character Creator 3.4. Remember to always keep practicing and experimenting with different techniques to unlock the full potential offered by these cutting-edge tools in digital content creation today!

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