An Army of One created with ZERO Polygon Billboards in iClone6 (technically it is 36 polygons using the Boxes to move them in the demo)
The TGA Sequence starts everything. Then the Final Product can be created using Multi-Duplicate inside iClone6. Effectively creating a Crowd of Skeletons in this case, to use as a marching Army.
You can also use the same principles to create a ZERO poly Crowd. It may take longer to render when the pieces (Billboards) are duplicated, but it also ensures a clean crowd that can be blended together in future composites, or within iClone itself. Just keep in mind that a billboard always faces the camera, so it you want a person walking sideways to the camera, render that out as a side shot.
You can do multiple renderings and then place them strategically in a scene to do what a large poly character could never do.
One or more characters in a single rendering using whatever motions you want to apply to them is possible. A crowd in Bleachers, a Crowd on the beach, a milling of characters in a plaza, a set of transitioning and walking characters through town, etc.. It can all be done if you plan out your scene ahead of time.
A city scene may contain people hailing a Taxi, a walking avatar just passing by the camera, or a large department store crowd shopping. You get the idea, I hope.
P.S. I have seen and done characters using the Particle Grass, and a bunch of swaying characters in a scene may suit some, but this can result in a much more effective use of resources using built up overlays than any swaying grass can ever do,
You can build up as many motions as needed for each TGA rendering using collected motions, and have the Avatars walk, run, or greet others as they pass, so use the imagination given you by that desire to create and do something with it.
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