animation/.claude/skills/iclone-video-mocap/SKILL.md

name, description

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description

iclone-video-mocap

Advise on Reallusion iClone 8 and the Video Mocap plugin (AI body mocap from video) — filming rules, generation settings, mocap cleanup (Motion Correction, Curve Editor), face layering with AccuFACE, FBX export, and integrating the result into ariki-game via tools/cc_retarget.py. Use when the user asks how to do anything in iClone/Character Creator, wants to record video for mocap, or wants an iClone export playing in the game.

iClone 8 + Video Mocap (advisory + ariki-game integration)

Jeremy uses iClone 8 (Windows) with the iClone Video Mocap plugin — Reallusion's cloud AI body-mocap from ordinary video (QuickMagic-powered, launched Oct 2025, requires iClone 8.63+). This skill answers "how do I do X in iClone" and "how do I get it into the game".

Reference files (read the one that matches the question):

• references/video-mocap-plugin.md — Video Mocap product facts, pricing (~$2.50–3/generation, points), full 5-stage workflow, filming rules, known bugs, AccuFACE.
• references/iclone8-core-animation.md — motion clips/layer keys, Edit Motion Layer (IK/pins), Reach Target, timeline ops, Curve Editor filters, Motion Correction, face animation, characterization, FBX dialog options, hotkeys.
• references/export-pipeline-to-blender-godot.md — iClone/CC4 FBX+BVH export details, soupday Blender Tools, retargeting to simple rigs, FBX→GLB→Godot, pitfalls checklist.
• references/ariki-integration.md — the game-side path: tools/cc_retarget.py (CC_Base_→Quaternius), ClipCatalog discovery, dance JSON, end-to-end recipe.

The 60-second mental model

• iClone animation = Motion Clip + Layer Keys (layer keys live inside the clip and can't leave it). Pose edits go through Edit Motion Layer (hotkey N, HumanIK IK/FK, pinning). Foot/hand locking via Reach Target; foot-slide fix via right-click clip > Motion Correction (flatten between iterations). Jitter fix: right-click clip > Sample Motion Clip to New Layer, then Curve Editor (F12) Smooth / Butterworth / Optimize filters.
• Video Mocap = separate plugin panel: import video → trim to ≤60 s region → Full Body / Upper Body (+ Includes Fingers) → cloud generate (5–8 min, costs points) → Apply Motion to selected character (check "Apply reference video" for rotoscope cleanup) → clip lands in Content Manager > Motion > VideoMocap as rlMotion. Body only — no face; layer AccuFACE/LIVE FACE for talking.
• System: iClone is 60 fps internal, cm units, Z-up; CC3+ characters bind in A-pose; FBX axis conversion comes from the Target Tool Preset. Constraint keys (Reach/Link/Look At/Path) need Animation > Flatten All Motion with Constraint before export.

Filming rules that make or break Video Mocap (advise BEFORE recording)

Eye-level static camera, single continuous shot; whole actor in frame the entire time; one person; textured clothing that contrasts the background; avoid flips, jumps, fast spins, hand-occluding poses. Money-saver: stack several motions into one ≤60 s take with ~2 s gaps — one generation fee, split into clips in iClone.

Getting it into ariki-game (short version)

/Applications/Blender.app/Contents/MacOS/Blender --background \
  --python tools/cc_retarget.py -- \
  --src "<iclone-export.fbx>" --out assets/quaternius/dancegen/<pack>.glb --name <ClipName>

Export from iClone with preset Blender, range All, Preserve Bone Names (CC Base) ON. The tool maps CC_Base_* → the shared 65-bone Quaternius skeleton, strips the mesh, and the GLB is auto-discovered by ClipCatalog as <pack>/<ClipName> (dirs: kevin/, mixamo/, dancegen/). Details, dance-JSON format, and the unvalidated A-pose caveat (first export needs an arm-orientation QA; workaround: FBX Advanced > Use T-Pose As Bind Pose): references/ariki-integration.md.

Cross-cutting gotchas

• iClone 8 has no animation-only FBX export (CC4 does: FBX Options > Motion) and no BVH export (CC4 4.4+ does). No native glTF anywhere — route through Blender or Godot's ufbx.
• Marketplace content needs a per-pack Export License to leave via FBX/USD; your own recordings/characters don't.
• Video Mocap: keep plugin ≥1.02 (pre-1.02 double-charged points on re-open); Loop-enabled clips silently discard motion-layer edits — Flatten first.
• MixMoves is gone in iClone 8 (Motion Director replaced it); AccuLips only works on CC-Standard/Gamebase characters.
• ariki side: ASK Jeremy before launching the game; never use *RM/root-motion clip variants in dances.