Digital Twin and Crowd Simulation with Smart Environment Interaction.The automation of animated crowds has been widely used in the movie and entertainment industries. As the demand for digital twin, machine learning, and AI training grows, a new industrial revolution is emerging, particularly in areas like autonomous driving, smart surveillance, factory automation, and intelligent consumer devices.These fields require sensors or cameras not only to see but also to understand the world around them, especially in recognizing human behaviors. To achieve this, there is a growing need for applications that can generate realistic scenarios for AI training purposes, taking into account various angles, lighting conditions, and occlusions. This development is bringing the automation of 3D crowds to a new stage, with a higher level of interaction and realism.As a leader in 3D character animation, Reallusion has combined its expertise in character generation and automated animation, transforming iClone into a simulation platform. With the latest release of iClone 8.5, users can rapidly build live environments, from crowd simulation to world interaction, with the ability to automatically load and manipulate accessories.iClone 8.5 New ReleaseiClone 8.5 introduces two key innovations: World Interaction and the Smart Accessory system. Building on core features like Motion Director and Crowd Sim, these enhancements empower the creation of dynamic environments. In these interactive spaces, 3D characters can explore, operate props, and seamlessly load and manipulate accessories through interactive triggers or motion files.WORLD INTERACTION: Engaging Environments with Interactive MD Props and Intuitive ControlsMD Props presents advanced features designed to complement iClone Crowd SIM, marking a significant leap forward in ways that 3D actors interact with their virtual environments.Give Life to PropsMD Prop Tools gives iClone characters the ability to interact with 3D environments. By replacing the proxy components with custom 3D models, MD props manifest into visceral objects that 3D actors engage with. All manners of interactive behavior can be generated from just five templates representing the core of MD TOOLS.Intuitive Radial MenuMD Prop enhances user experience through its intuitive Radial Menu system, facilitating easy access to customizable, multi-level command groups and assignable hotkeys. Additionally, MD Prop introduces Self Interaction, enabling 3D actors to perform gender-specific and profile-adaptive actions such as using a phone or smoking, enhancing realism.Action List & Concurrent BehaviorsAction Lists support the chaining of multiple motions to extend action sequences. When the scene simulation is paused, individual Action Lists can be assigned to every character in the scene. Upon playback, all the appointed characters will move simultaneously according to their own set of instructions.Prop CustomizationCustomizing an MD template tool is straightforward: simply replace the proxy objects with a 3D model of your choice. Once the prop appearance is finalized, you can assign new animations or adjust the actors associative movements with minimal tweaks. This includes repositioning reach target positions to account for hand placements and varying arm lengths, as well as adjusting the look-at point to focus the character on specific features of the prop.Object AnimationMD Prop offers robust tools for animating itself. Creators can freely move, rotate, and scale any 3D item, with additional options for object morphing and particle effects. Morph Animator in iClone allows for intricate morph animations, while PopcornFX enables particle effects for added realism. Additionally, texture UVs can be adjusted and scrolled to create dynamic visuals, and video textures can be used to mimic interactive slideshows or film sequences.Reactive Crowd BehaviorBeyond just triggering interactive behavior from individual actors, the MD Prop system enables autonomous crowd behavior. Crowd characters no longer roam aimlessly; they can now gravitate toward points of interest and even explore various props around the scene. Groups or individuals can find a spot to sit, visit the vending machine, or gather around a busker showunleashing endless possibilities for dynamic crowd interactions.Smooth Motion TransitionsiClone Turn to Stop and Multiple Entry functionality simulate natural human behavior in approaching and engaging with a target prop. This includes slowing to a stop, making a turn, and approaching with measured pace, distance, and orientation. MD props take care of the rest with smooth and natural interactive motions that are tailored to the gender and characteristics of the interfacing actor.Multi-Platform Export & RenderExporting these creations is seamless, with iClone Auto Setup plugins available for 3ds Max, Maya, Blender, Unreal Engine, and Unity. Live Link support also allows for synchronization with Unreal Engine and NVIDIA Omniverse, providing a two-way workflow thats essential for modern animation and game development pipelines.Learn more about World InteractionSMART ACCESSORY: Easy Motion Editing and Automatic Accessory AttachmentSmart Accessory is a cutting-edge system that dramatically streamlines the process of editing motions and integrating accessories in animation projects.MotionPlus Pairing with Dynamic AccessoriesThe iClone MotionPlus format seamlessly integrates facial performance and accessory metadata for complex animations like cycling and skateboarding, where precision in motion and accessory alignment is essential. MotionPlus automates accessory attachment, randomizes models and materials, and ensures perfect synchronization between character movement and accessory interaction.Creating Smart AccessoriesThe Smart Accessory system offers robust features for creating and customizing accessories. With Motion-Accessory Pairing, animators can assign multiple accessories to specific motions, restoring default accessories or assigning new ones as needed. This flexibility allows for highly personalized animations, where characters can interact with various accessories in a lifelike manner.Creating Animated AccessoriesThe ability to synchronize human motion with accessory animations adds a new layer of realism to animated projects. The Smart Accessory system simplifies this process, allowing for seamless data handling and enhanced visual fidelity.Flexible Motion ControlsOne of the most powerful features of the Smart Accessory system is its support for a wide range of motion controls, which are essential for crowd simulation and interactive animations made by Motion Director.Learn more about Smart AccessoryACTORCORE Library of 3D AssetsDiscover a vast collection of high-quality 3D content in ActorCore. From mocap animations and hand-keyed motion to fully rigged characters, accessories, and propseverything you need to enhance your scenes is in store. Why wait? Take your 3D simulations to the next level with this extensive content library today.MD Prop Expansion Packs: Indoor & Outdoor InteractionThe STAYING AT HOME and DOWN THE STREET expansion packs provide numerous ways to showcase the versatility of MD Props. Each prop includes both male and female animation sets, offering unique gender-specific performances. Easily swap the MD Prop placeholders with your custom models or adjust the animations to fit different interactive scenarios. The iClone 8.5 Grand Release is a free update for all iClone 8 owners! New users can download the Free Trial to experience advanced virtual simulation with intuitive character controls, motion editing, and Smart Accessories.Brought to you by Reallusion:This article is part of the befores & afters VFX Insight series. If youd like to promote your VFX/animation/CG tech or service, you can find out more about the VFX Insight series here.The post iClone 8.5 Free Update SIM Builder with Prop Interaction & Smart Accessory appeared first on befores & afters.