Can a character remove clothing in animation?

Eg. take shoes, a coat and shirt off and leave a trail of clothing?

iClone or crazy talk?
there would be ways to do it, soft body physics for example and attaching then unattaching shoe props

Short answer, no.


Long answer, with a combination of material animation, careful key framing, props, transform controls, *morphs*, angles, and physics....(whew). Yes, you can achieve real time on screen clothing removal.

While this can enhance a scene, the amount of work involved in creating a detailed un-robing of an avatar isn't really worth the time it takes to get it perfect. Remember that film making is often about creating illusions (especially animation films) in the audiences minds. Often times the viewer will detail a scene through perception with very little visual data.

If I am assuming you are using iClone then
export your uppers lowers and shoes in 3Dxchange as obj
reimport as props
use a collision item lined up with the upper of your avatar with static physics
apply physics to the upper softbody self mesh so it slips away off the body over the static prop which is made invisible, turn opacity down on your figures upper at this point too
line lower up with figure
scale it down along z axis on timeline for dropping pants add a second invisible softbody mesh and make that visible later and lower and first one invisible for pants on floor to step out off.
place shoe mesh on floor by feet invisible
make avatars shoes opacity invisible as you step out and prop shoes visible.