animation/.claude/skills/iclone-video-mocap/references/video-mocap-plugin.md

# Reallusion AI Video Mocap for iClone 8 — Reference (researched 2026-07-15)

## 1. Product Disambiguation (Reallusion mocap ecosystem, mid-2026)

| Product | What it is | Body/Face | Input | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **iClone Video Mocap** (plug-in) | AI body mocap from ordinary video, powered by **QuickMagic** cloud AI. THE "video mocap plugin". Launched **Oct 29–31, 2025** | Body + fingers; **NO face** | Recorded video file | Free plugin; pay-per-use points per generation (cloud) |
| **AccuFACE** (Motion LIVE gear) | AI **facial** tracker from webcam (live) or video file (offline). Local NVIDIA RTX inference | Face only | Webcam or video file | Perpetual plugin, $499 MSRP (launch promo $250, Nov 2023) |
| **Motion LIVE** | Hub plugin aggregating real-time mocap hardware/gear (Xsens, Rokoko, Perception Neuron, Leap Motion, iPhone LIVE FACE, Faceware, AccuFACE) into one unified real-time recording panel | Body+face+hands (via gear) | Live hardware streams | Hub + per-gear profile purchases |
| **Motion Director** | Gameplay-style interactive character locomotion/control system inside iClone (WASD-style driving, not video mocap) | Body locomotion | Keyboard/gamepad | Built into iClone 8 |

Video Mocap deliberately does NOT do faces — official workflow layers AccuFACE (or iPhone LIVE FACE) on top for talking animations.
Sources: https://www.cgchannel.com/2025/10/reallusion-launches-ai-motion-capture-service-video-mocap/ , https://www.reallusion.com/iclone/motion-capture/default.html

## 2. Video Mocap — Identity, Versions, Requirements

- Exact name: **"iClone Video Mocap"** / **"Video Mocap Plug-in for iClone"**. Tagline: "Precise AI Mocap from Any Video".
- Technology partner: **QuickMagic** (AI mocap provider); processing is **cloud/online** (upload video → AI conversion on QuickMagic cloud → download motion). Not local; no GPU requirement for generation itself.
- Requirements: **iClone 8.63 or above**, **Windows 10 & 11 only**. Plugin itself is a **free download**, installed/updated via **Reallusion Hub**.
- Version history: launch ~v1.0 (Oct 2025, alongside iClone 8.63); **v1.02 (announced 2026-02-26)** — urgent fix for task-status-refresh bug that caused re-submission and **redundant point charges** after closing the app; also added diagnostic logs and auto-recovery of task statuses from local video/motion files. Users on iClone 8.71 + plugin 1.02 reported in forum (Mar 2026+). Manual page shows revision date June 8, 2026.
- Official manual root: https://manual.reallusion.com/iclone-video-mocap-plug-in/content/welcome.htm (sections: Workflow, Full Body, Upper Body, Import, Edit, Generate (purchase.htm), Apply, Save, Adding Facial Expression (talking-animation.htm), Video Guidelines (rule.htm)).

Sources: https://www.reallusion.com/iclone/video-mocap/download.html , https://discussions.reallusion.com/t/urgent-update-video-mocap-1-02-fixes-task-status-refresh-bug-to-prevent-redundant-charges/16659

## 3. Pricing

- Current metering (product page + manual, mid-2026): **5 points per second of processed video** (AI / Bonus / DA Points), **100 points = US$1.00** → **$0.05/sec, max $3.00 for a 60 s task**. Deduction order: **AI Points → Bonus Points → DA Points**.
- At launch (Oct 2025) press reported a flat **250 DA Points (US$2.50) per task** up to 60 s; the Apr 2026 beginner article still says "$2.50 per motion". Flat-250 vs 5/sec discrepancy: pricing appears to have moved to per-second metering; treat exact figure as ~$2.50–3.00/generation [UNVERIFIED which applies at any given moment].
- Points sources: **DA Points** ($10 / $50 / $100 packs, min $10 spend) or **Reallusion AI Cloud subscription** AI Points (FREE $0 = 500 pts; STARTER $11/mo = 1,100; STANDARD $35/mo = 3,500; PRO $95/mo = 9,500; annual −20%). AI Points are universal across AI Studio, Video Mocap, Headshot image gen. DA:AI = 1:1 value.
- Fully licensed iClone users get complimentary Video Mocap generation coupon(s); one coupon = one task regardless of duration. (Launch promo advertised "100 free AI mocap generations" limited-time; one forum user mentions losing "5 complimentary generations" — exact freebie count varies by promo [UNVERIFIED].)
- Failed tasks: Reallusion support has refunded points for failed tasks case-by-case (forum evidence). Verify tasks/transactions: https://kb.reallusion.com/Print53250.aspx

Sources: https://manual.reallusion.com/iclone-video-mocap-plug-in/content/purchase.htm , https://ai.reallusion.com/plans.html , https://www.cgchannel.com/2025/10/reallusion-launches-ai-motion-capture-service-video-mocap/

## 4. Workflow (official 5 stages: Import Video | Edit Video | Generate Motion | Apply Motion | Save Motion)

### 4.1 Import Video
- Open the plugin from iClone's Plugins menu after Hub install [menu path UNVERIFIED, standard for RL plugins].
- Import via **"+ Add Video"** button or drag-and-drop into the panel.
- **13 supported formats**: `.avi .flv .m4v .mkv .mov .mp4 .mpeg .ogv .webm .wmv .3gp .asf .dv .mxf`.
- Source video duration: **1 s – 15 min** accepted; **processing region must be 1–60 s** (longer videos auto-trimmed or must be trimmed). Max file size **400 MB** (else reduce bitrate/rescale/compress/trim). Resolution: **≥720p recommended; 4K accepted but may hurt performance**. FPS not specified.
- Task queue: up to **100 videos**; batch generation: up to **10 tasks at once**. Statuses: Unprocessed → Trimmed → (processing) → Applicable / Error.

### 4.2 Edit Video panel
- Drag playhead to preview; drag **Start Time** / **End Time** handles to set the processing region (timecode MM:SS:FF); drag the whole region to shift it with fixed duration; **Reset Range** restores full span; **Apply Settings** confirms → status "Trimmed".
- **Detect Actors** button: when multiple people are in frame, click it and pick the single target actor in a frame where they are clearly visible. **One actor per task**; for group scenes, duplicate the task per performer and select a different detection each time.
- Trim out segments where no person appears (hurts AI quality).

### 4.3 Generate Motion
- Choose tracking mode: **Full Body** (default) or **Upper Body**; optional **"Includes Fingers"** checkbox in both modes for finger capture.
- Full Body: whole body must be clearly visible throughout. Upper Body: designed for framing cut off below the pelvis (sign language, instrument playing, speech); everything below the hip is ignored/not generated.
- Submit → upload → cloud processing, typically **5–8 minutes per task**; progress monitored in the task list. Insufficient points → "Add Funds" / "Cancel" dialog.

### 4.4 Apply Motion
- Select completed task → **Apply Motion** button (bottom-right), or double-click the task, or right-click → **Apply Motion**.
- Motion is saved as **rlMotion** to a preset folder and applied to the **currently selected character**; if none selected, **a dummy character is auto-loaded**. Auto-retargeting adapts the motion to any iClone/CC4/AccuRIG standard character body type.
- **"Apply reference video"** checkbox: loads the source video as a 2D background object in the viewport behind the character for frame-by-frame comparison during cleanup.

### 4.5 Save Motion
- Auto-saved to Content Manager **Animation > Motion > VideoMocap**; default disk path `C:\Users\Public\Documents\Reallusion\Reallusion Custom\Animation\Motion\VideoMocap`. Folder button changes path; Reset restores default. Right-click task → **Find Motion File**. Thumbnail from Edit Video frame (Quick Thumbnail on) or posed character (off).

Sources: https://manual.reallusion.com/iclone-video-mocap-plug-in/content/video-mocap-workflow.htm , .../import.htm , .../edit.htm , .../purchase.htm , .../video-mocap-full-body.htm , .../video-mocap-upper-body.htm , .../apply.htm , .../save.htm

## 5. Official Video Guidelines (rule.htm) — filming rules

- **Camera angle**: flat/eye-level. Overhead or elevated angles make the result lean forward/backward.
- **Camera motion**: static camera, single continuous shot, no cuts/switched shots; only minor shake tolerated ("Counteracts camera shakes" is marketing — keep it steady).
- **Framing**: entire actor (or pelvis-up for Upper Body) visible for the whole clip; "any body part that moves out of the frame will present a problem". Actor not too small in frame; size consistent (no zooms/dollies).
- **Clothing**: avoid solid colors and colors matching the background; patterns/texture are fine.
- **Background/lighting**: clean and bright preferred, though the engine tolerates dim light, busy backdrops, patterned clothing.
- **Motion restrictions**: avoid very fast motion, violent shaking, acrobatic flips, vertical actions (pull-ups, jumps), and ungrounded-feet activity (swimming).
- **Occlusion**: single person only; avoid limbs intersecting other actors; avoid hand-occluding poses ("running fingers through hair").

Source: https://manual.reallusion.com/iclone-video-mocap-plug-in/content/rule.htm

## 6. Cleanup / Post-Processing in iClone (official recommended tools)

Artifact → tool mapping (from Reallusion Magazine + 80.lv + tutorials):
- **Foot sliding** → **Motion Correction** tool (Motion Correction for Sliding Issues, iClone 8 manual) + **Reach Target** to lock/release foot positions; also Foot Contact tool + iClone footstep visualization. Official tutorial: "Mocap Motion Fix – Eliminating Foot Sliding | iClone 8 Tutorial" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8yeA-DJ0ds).
- **Sudden elevation changes / abrupt vertical pops** → dedicated fix tutorial "Fixing Sudden Elevation Change"; edit hip height in Curve Editor.
- **Depth misalignment / motion offset** → **Auto Motion Alignment** / Root Alignment.
- **Jitter/noise** → **Curve Editor** smoothing.
- **Sudden body twists / rotating limbs** → Motion Layer editing with HumanIK controls.
- **Hand/gesture errors** → iClone gesture tools / hand pose library.
- **Missing or garbage frames** → rotoscope against the 2D reference video and bridge with transition curves.
- The auto-loaded reference-video background is the key rotoscoping aid — compare character to footage in real time.
- **Gotcha**: if the applied clip has **Loop** enabled, motion-layer edits "spring back" (looped frames reference the source); **Flatten** the motion clip (or disable Loop) before keyframe editing (forum-confirmed staff answer).
- Tutorial course hub: https://courses.reallusion.com/home/iclone/pipelines/video-mocap-plug-in

Sources: https://magazine.reallusion.com/2025/10/29/iclone-video-mocap-converts-videos-into-editable-3d-motion/ , https://80.lv/articles/getting-ai-mocap-ready-for-production-with-reallusion-s-iclone-8 , https://discussions.reallusion.com/t/cant-adjust-motions-after-applying-from-video-mocap/16711 , https://manual.reallusion.com/iClone-8/Content/ENU/8.0/51-Animation-Timeline-Editing/Motion-Correction-for-Sliding-Issues.htm

## 7. Adding Face (talking animation) — official 7-step layering with AccuFACE

1. Apply Video Mocap body motion + reference video. 2. In **AccuFACE VIDEO mode**, load a speech video framed on the actor's head (RL strongly recommends **separate recordings for body and face**). 3. Connect AccuFACE in **Motion LIVE**, enable **"Audio for Viseme Track"** (auto voice clip). 4. Preview + record facial clips via Motion LIVE. 5. Align viseme/expression clips to the motion clip on the timeline using the reference video. 6. Verify sync in playback. 7. Save to Content Manager custom library.
Source: https://manual.reallusion.com/iclone-video-mocap-plug-in/content/talking-animation.htm

## 8. AccuFACE (face-from-video) — key facts

- Motion LIVE gear plugin; **iClone 8.6+**, Windows 10/11 64-bit, 8 GB RAM, **NVIDIA RTX only** (20/30/40/50 series + RTX Pro; driver 520.46+ or 572+ for RTX 50) — local GPU inference, no cloud, no AMD/Intel support. $499 MSRP (frequent discounts).
- Input: live webcam (min 1280×720@30fps; 720p/30 optimal) or video files (**AVI, WMV, MP4, MKV, MOV**). Captures up to 60 fps facial data; single-pass audio + face capture; **AccuLIPS** refines lip/tongue; output framerate-independent (24/30/60 fps).
- Calibration: guided process (live mode) or pick calibration poses across video frames (video mode). Refinement controls: **Strength Balance** (per-region), **Smooth Filter**, **Denoise**, **Anti-Interference** (cross-region triggering).
Source: https://www.reallusion.com/iclone/motion-capture/accuface.html

## 9. Known Limitations & Community Issues

- Hard limits: 60 s/task, 1 actor/task, no face capture, cloud-only (needs internet + points), 400 MB file cap, 10-task batch cap.
- AI-typical artifacts acknowledged by Reallusion itself: foot sliding, depth misalignment, unnatural twists, jitter — cleanup is an expected part of the workflow, not an edge case.
- Failure modes: subject leaving frame, background-matching clothing, fast/occluded motion, spins with limb occlusion, airborne/ungrounded feet.
- Forum-reported bugs: (a) pre-1.02 task-status refresh bug → duplicate charges (fixed in 1.02); (b) failed tasks bricking the queue — Error tasks with retry/delete greyed out and Generate Motion disabled for all new videos; support refunded points but the user had to hand-edit plugin task files to recover (https://discussions.reallusion.com/t/video-mocap-problem/17173); (c) Loop-enabled clips blocking motion-layer edits (see §6).
- Community consensus: results are solid for grounded, single-person, moderate-speed motion; twitchy feet and torso rotation remain the main manual-cleanup costs, consistent with other AI mocap (DeepMotion, Plask).

## 10. Best-Practice Tips (Reallusion Magazine "Video Mocap for Beginners", Apr 2026)

- A mid-range phone (Samsung A54) or 1080p webcam (Logitech C922) on a tripod is fully sufficient; ordinary home lighting worked.
- Rehearse, then **overact** mundane motions; record multiple takes.
- **Stack multiple motions in one 60 s clip with ~2 s gaps** between them — one generation fee yields several clips to split in iClone.
- Pre-trim in an external editor; use real props to anchor hand positions and prevent hand drift.
- Use Upper Body mode + Includes Fingers for seated/talking/instrument performances.
Source: https://magazine.reallusion.com/2026/04/13/video-mocap-for-beginners/

## 11. Brief Comparison

- **vs Motion LIVE hardware**: Motion LIVE = real-time, suit/camera hardware ($$$–$$$$), no per-use fee, best fidelity and long takes; Video Mocap = offline, zero hardware, ~$2.50–3/clip, 60 s cap, cleanup required. Reallusion positions them as hybrid-complementary (ActorCore packs + hardware for hero shots, Video Mocap for bulk/reference-driven motion).
- **vs free/DIY (Rokoko Video free tier, DeepMotion, Plask, open-source VIBE/4DHumans pipelines)**: those export FBX/BVH requiring manual retarget; Video Mocap's differentiator is native rlMotion output, auto-retargeting to CC4/AccuRIG characters, the in-viewport reference-video rotoscope, and direct access to iClone's correction toolset — then FBX/USD export from iClone to Unreal, Unity, Blender, Maya, MotionBuilder.

## 12. Primary Sources

- Product: https://www.reallusion.com/iclone/video-mocap/ | Download: https://www.reallusion.com/iclone/video-mocap/download.html
- Manual: https://manual.reallusion.com/iclone-video-mocap-plug-in/content/welcome.htm (+ import/edit/purchase/apply/save/rule/talking-animation/video-mocap-full-body/video-mocap-upper-body .htm)
- Magazine: https://magazine.reallusion.com/2025/10/29/iclone-video-mocap-converts-videos-into-editable-3d-motion/ , https://magazine.reallusion.com/2026/04/13/video-mocap-for-beginners/
- Press: https://www.cgchannel.com/2025/10/reallusion-launches-ai-motion-capture-service-video-mocap/ , https://beforesandafters.com/2025/11/08/iclone-video-mocap-converts-videos-into-editable-3d-motions/
- AI plans: https://ai.reallusion.com/plans.html | AccuFACE: https://www.reallusion.com/iclone/motion-capture/accuface.html
- Forum: https://discussions.reallusion.com/t/urgent-update-video-mocap-1-02-fixes-task-status-refresh-bug-to-prevent-redundant-charges/16659 , /t/video-mocap-problem/17173 , /t/cant-adjust-motions-after-applying-from-video-mocap/16711
- Courses: https://courses.reallusion.com/home/iclone/pipelines/video-mocap-plug-in | 80.lv: https://80.lv/articles/getting-ai-mocap-ready-for-production-with-reallusion-s-iclone-8