Here is my Turn Table video:



WIP:
Preface:

Headshot Plug-in is half off right now for Reallussion's 20 year anniversary is why I bought it.
https://www.reallusion.com/event/20-celebration/default.html

75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge

I have owned Character Creator for almost 3 years, however I purchased the Headshop Plug-in on Nov. 8, exactly 1 week ago from today:

75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge

Prior to purchasing Headshot plug-in, I had only purchased characters or used the characters that came with CC. Using already existing characters worked fine, although there were a few drawbacks:
1. Since animation is just a hobby for me, it became expensive having to buy new characters just to see if an idea is worth pursuing.
2. I was limited to characters that other people had created.

Headshot Plug-In is a "Must Have" if you are creating characters yourself. I used to spend very little time in CC3 and most of my time in IClone prior to purchasing this plug in. The characters created using the Headshot plug-in are much more realistic than what was previously available. For someone like me who is not an artist, now I can browse photos on generated.photos or I also have an account with depositphotos.com where I purchase 100 images for $100, so essentially one dollar to create an ultra realistic character.

I just wanted to explain my "experience level" in Character Creator has been greatly enhanced in the span of a week. A week ago today I posted the question on the forum about the learning curve for the Headshot tool, and I was told I could pick up enough to get up to speed almost instantly and then can learn more with as much effort as I want to put into it. Their answer was correct. 

End Preface. 11.15.2020

Introduction:
As a man trying to "Stylize" a female character, I have about as much experience in this as I did when I wrote my book 'Pregnancy: The third tri-master and what to expect'.  Women are a mysterious creature that I admit I know nothing about, but I do have a lifetime of observing them from a far so maybe I got some things right. 

Created Character using Headshot Plug-in:
75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge

Originally I had a problem where the hair appeared on the forehead out of place, so I had to change the face mask to "Hair Part on Right:"

75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge

Next I combined two hair meshes to create the hair. Since I was using two different hair textures, the hair colors didn't match up exactly, especially around the pony tail it looked greenish to me.

75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge

I noticed the green around the pony tail in IClone actually, so I used the Adjust Color feature of the Modify Tab. This could have been performed in CC equally as well.

75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge

I may have made a few other adjustments before I remembered to take a screen shot for WIP. I did the best I could to match up the colors of the two hair meshes. I am a little color blind, but it mostly only affects certain dark greens look black or gray to me.

Since I used two hair meshes, I originally just hid the top part of the pony tail inside the characters head. As the turntable spun the physics in the hair caused hairs to start popping out of the characters neck.

75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge

To solve this, I used the scientific method called trial and error to figure out which opacity map worked best to show the pony tail and hide the non tail part of the pony tail.

My first attempt at changing the opacity hid too much of the "knot" part of the pony tail. More trial and error led to this opacity for the non-tail part of the pony tail.
75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge


This seemed to work. There is a little bit of hair sticking out of the pony tail, but that is kind of the way pony tails work I think.
75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge


The character from the headshot had kind of greenish-brown eyes, but I went with blue eyes for the character (like mine).
75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge

I watched a video today on how to edit eye-lashes, which I didn't do for this character. I see women pay like $80 for eye lashes, and I bet very few men have ever made a decision about if they found a woman attractive or not based on her eye lashes. Some men may have strict eye lash criteria, but I bet most just hope they have the same number of eyelashes as they have eyes. It is on my to do list to learn eye lash adjustments, I just have too many projects as it is. The Headshot Plug-In does a good enough job for me I haven't had to make many refinements.

I did notice the eye-lids while closed do not look natural if you freeze a frame on a blink, which again is not something I am concerned about for people that can notice flaws for a frame or two.

I only purchased a couple of props for this because I do not have as many female accessories as I do for male characters. I first tried a free earring, and it looked OK in CC, however in IClone the physics enabled ear ring didn't seem to understand gravity so I spent $4 on these earrings, and the necklace was another $1.50 or $2.00 if I remember.
75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge

Clothing
I used the Professional Outfit Slacks for her pants. The only modifications I had to make were a couple of Conform modifications as the shoes stuck through the pants.

For the shirt I used the Plain Base - Camisole Base and I used a stock photo that I had previously purchased for a floor for another project. I could spend more time on the UV map and line the back of the shirt up to the front, but it still looks good to me.

75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge

Shoes
I don't remember if these shoes came with IClone, or some pack I purchased included them. These shoes came with a yellow sole, which I didn't think matched the black and white of the way she is dressed. I used the adjust color and changed the sole to be closer to an off white.
I had to perform a couple of Conform adjustments for the shoes also as in IClone I noticed her foot was a little large for the shoe (Cinderella?).
Conform with a slight increase in size and 'Calculate Collision' took care of it.

75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge

Nails
If you are observant you may have noticed the blue toe nails to match her eyes and earrings. 
I recently purchased Skin Gen Premium, and I don't know if these features are part of the standard Skin Gen, or the Premium, but I activated the editor on this tab on the Modify Tool window.

75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge

After the texture opened in my default image editor (Paint.Net), I saved the file as 'Nails Image.png'.

75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge

To paint the toe nails and finger nails, I used my website PixelDatabase.Net (not trying to plug it here, just showing how I did it).

PixelDatabase.Net
https://pixeldatabase.net
A Free Online Image Editor (end plug)

On my site I selected the Nails Image.png, and typed in the following query and hit apply.


The above query swaps the red value with the blue value for pixels where Red + Green + Blue is less than 600, since the background of the image is 647.

75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge

I hit apply, and downloaded the image, and applied it as my new Skin Texture for the Nails.75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge

I do not know if women even wear blue nail polish outside of Smurf land, but it was an adjustment that took less than a minute to do and the results looked good to me. After I did the nails I had to redo my Turn Table video because I noticed the gesture of the hand didn't show off the nails. What's the point of having painted nails if they are going to be off camera. For that reason my character probably shouldn't have underwear since it doesn't show.

I will probably do some more to my character when I start using her in some animations. I am just thrilled at how easy it is to create characters thanks to the Headshot Plug-In. I really didn't have the $99 to spend now since I am not working much lately, yet Character Creator Headshot Plug-In makes creating my own characters very inexpensive and simple.

The only problem I had with the Headshot tool, is I have purchased a few stock photos and I forgot to search for neutral expressions and / or photos without too much of a smile. Real world models and people tend to smile for photos, and the characters created end up looking like the joker. It isn't the tools fault, I just have to remember to not buy smiling photos or AI generated images.

No Smiling Allowed (bad source photo)
75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge
Smiles are usually good, not for Headshot tool or its like a bad plastic surgery job. Instructions warn you about emotions, but like a hot stove you have to touch one to remember it.

I hope to learn more about how to use Character Creator as now my limits are my time and imagination.

I still remember when pong on a TV impressed me. Character Creator 3 impressed me more than Pong! (40 years goes by fast).

About 3 years ago I started searching for software to do mouth movements, which I now know are called visemes, and now I consider myself an animator.

Ironically I found the courage to ask my last client for a raise after learning IClone. It wasn't my 20+ years of programming and database experience. I have yet to be paid a dime as an animator, but the confidence it gave me paid for all these toys (the raise I got was $10 an hour!).

Thanks Reallusion!
75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge









Creator of the free website:
PixelDatabase.Net
A Free Online Text Based Image Editor
75% of original size (was 675x19) - Click to enlarge