A new product by Apparition/Alley called Casting "Extras".  Never since "Citizen Extra" by Reallusion have we seen low poly characters that can help to fill up your scene that can use all the standard iClone animations.  However, with Casting "Extras",these avatars not only utilize all iClone motions, but they can be facial animated as well!  Best of all, the poly count is around 9,000 per character.

Our first grouping is the "Military" Theme, and is the first of many to be released.

The Casting "Extra" Military is being released as three packages - please see below.  For a limited time, you can purchase all three packs for the price of two. 

Green Camo - Available HERE.

Brown Camo - Available HERE

Grey Camo - Available HERE

And the 3-pack Combo - Available HERE

Formal Affair - by Apparition

Remember, these are low poly characters (10,000 polys and below) and can be fully animated both with regualr iClone motions and facial motion.

Available HERE

Next in the series of Lo-Poly characters of "Casting Extras" is Medieval.  These characters are around 10,000 for male and 9,000 for female.  The hair poly has been reduced, as have the hat accessories to make these characters as efficient as possible.  And, there are 11 assorted female and 11 assorted male characters (children, teen, older).

Remember that all can be fully facial animated and use all standard iClone motions.

Casting Extra "Medieval" by Apparition & Alley - Available HERE

RL released a special price on the 100 years war content pack awhile back and I didn't buy it. It didn't make sense trying to produce battles scenes with regular poly characters, horses, props and stuff.  The iclone 64bit may change that, but it hasn't yet.

Your low poly characters open up a whole new area for producing casts of thousands.. LOL

22 medieval avatars and the look very good, good enough for not-so-close camera shots even if they are low poly.  I'm not talking about close ups of course, yet they may be better than I realize. 

I like the fact you included some kids and old people too.

I like these avatars...and I likey de pricey.  :D (smiling chinaman) 91 cents apiece.

CASTING EXTRAS - Biblical Lo Poly by Apparition/Alley

10 Females, 11 Males and 3 Variations of Roman Soldiers.

Male and Female are around 8500 - 9000 polys including hair and/or headpieces which are accessories.  Roman Soldiers with accessories are around 12,000.  The helmets, spear & shield are 8 - 900 each - remove accessories and soldiers are around 9,000.  Soldier leg shields/sandals are accessories also.

Available HERE.

I'm a bit confused about your comment on randomizer and customizer. Maybe you could re-read the second paragraph and make it a bit clearer.  I'm not sure I understand that bit.

You mentioned the heads for these characters were created G4 and G3 could be used.  So, if I have G3 and G4 heads I can apply them without increase in poly count?  If this is as you say that means all my inventory of G3 and G4 heads will work and not change poly count.  What about the hair?  Maybe a little explanation would help me on this.

These low poly characters look as good as many higher poly count avatars.  This means we don't have to worry about poly counts as much building videos, scraping here and there to drop a few polys to get more in a scene. I like that very much!

One thing, you didn't mention, which is really a good observation on your part.  You haven't made the clothes lilly white, pristine looking.  I am sure when people took a bath about once a month their clothes were just about as dirty as they were. LOL

Good stuff, you have really opened up a new door.  By that I mean, with you low polys that allow for facial and body animations I can do so much more... as I please with my characters. He He, I can also slip some lo poly into some closer scenes if I do it right, and let the characters do some talking as well.  :w00t: 

Keep up the good work.  I am looking to do a sci-fi space thing in the next month or so.  It would be fun to have some off-world low poly characters.  Maybe, you will think about that.

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I pasted this from your marketplace ad.  I didn't want to re-write all that stuff.

Casting "Extras" is a new product by Apparition/Alley. The Citizen Extra product by Reallusion was a great product in it's time, but is outdated and only provides for very basic modern day clothing, with no option of facial animation. These characters work with all iClone standard motions, along with the facial animation and puppetry. They can each speak and be animated independently. And, Apparition has been able to reduce the poly count of each character to under 10,000 polys for the males and under 9,000 for the females. Hair has been reduced as well - some hairs on males & females will bring the count slightly higher.

This is the fourth Grouping in the series called "Biblical". These Low poly characters include 24 avatars, as you see in the pictures. Pack includes 10 female, 11 Male and 3 Variations of Roman Soldiers. Multiple variations in faces and body size are included. For variety, simply apply the Facial "Morph" selections, use the "Detail" selection and adust facial features or manually select the various sliders to change the look. Also, use the randomizer. Please note that if you should use the face mapping customizer, the head will be transformed into a G5 head and the polycount will go up by about 4,000. The heads were generated in iClone 4, which keeps the poly count down. Therefore, I would strongly suggest you do not use the customizer, if you plan to use a high number of these avatars and you want to keep the scene simple. All G3 heads from iClone 4 can also be used, without increasing the poly count.
The males and female characters are 8500 - 9000 polys each including hair and accessories and the Roman Soldiers including shields, speers and helmets are around 12,000. With no accessories, Romans are around 9,000. All headpieces are accessories that can be removed. Hairs included and are reduced poly hair and included in the poly counts.

1)  Randomizer - With a lo-poly character selected, you can select "Head" from top menus, and then using the randomizer on the right, there is a sliding scale which you can select the percent of "variation" you want to make to the head and then select "randomizer" and it will change the head to look somewhat different.  Additionally, you can select any head part, i.e. nose, chin, cheeks, etc. and make changes to the head.  Additionally, you can select the "Detail" button, and make more detailed changes.  And, lastly, you can select the "Head" button on the right, and then pick "old" or "slim" or "round"....etc. - all of these help you to make different looking faces from the same basic face.

2)  All head generated in iClone 4 are lesser in poly count.  So if you apply heads generated there, or heads purchased that were generated prior to iClone 5 - they will maintain the lower poly count.

3)  Re general modern characters - that is the next pack release....hopefully in the next few days.

4)  Hair on these characters has been poly-reduced by Apparition.

Apparition and I are open to all or any comments here.  One of the big problems with iClone up til now is the inability to have multiple characters in a scene.  One workaround has been pop video - which is still a good option, and Warlords crowd props which were first on the scene, are excellent for adding the look of large crowds.  I highly recommend these.  But, I believe that a good scene can benefit from the high poly close up characters, along with the lower poly characters we are producing....and the prop crowd characters by Warlord to fully give the illusion of large numbers of characters in a scene.  Any and all comments about the types of characters required here are fully appreciated.

Females are under 9,000 polys, males under 10,000.  Hairs have been reduced in poly.

25 characters included in this pack.

Casting Extras - Modern/Casual - by Apparition/Alley

Can one change the faces, outfits and motions?????

I created the faces in iClone 4, saved them there and with iClone 5 open, and adding the new lopoly character to the scene, I then just selected the head and imported it.

The heads on the characters can be manipulated with the Randomizer, or any of the facial feature dials to make cheeks wider, hollow, etc.  Also, you can use the morph tool to change up the faces.

Maybe I will create a bunch of iClone 4 heads to add to the grouping.  Or, if any other developers in the Fashion Alley store want to create some heads in iClone 4 to be compatible with these characters, that would be great also.  The only thing you can't do is map a new face on these heads as iClone converts the head to a G5 head which immediately increases the poly count by about 4,000 and sort of defeats the purpose of the avatars.  But iClone 4 heads that would be purchased and installed in iClone 5, will retain the lower poly count (I just double checked this).

Yes you can change the clothes by launching the upper or lower (many only have uppers) in your photo program and then paint over the existing textures.

Again - these avatars use iClone standard motions and facial animation and the puppetry feature.

Well done ! :)

Casting Extras - China/Asian

These characters all around 10,000 poly with accessories.  Hats are optional accessories.  22 characters total - 11 each of male and female.

By Apparition & Alley

Available HERE

Choirs & Grads - Available HERE

And Western Lo Poly Characters - Available HERE

Check out all the Lo Poly "Casting Extra" packs available - See HERE

I have purchased this pack and its stunning for what it is. Im very pleased with it.

Although..... I notice you say 22 characters. I can only get 20 in the downlod. Did some miss???

I just checked and the product page is showing 22 characters.  In Check detail, this is what you should have.

The males and females are each numbered 1 - 11 in their names.  Maybe check to see which ones you are missing or try downloading again.

This pack includes following items:

Hi Alley, I just did a recap and the ones mising are Male 3, 10 and 11. There isn't a facility to redownload as they didn't download initially so Im stuck. Do you have the facility to enable this.

Many thanks. Nice work.

Armstrong.

I just did a test download.  There were in fact 22 characters installed.  Here is the log it produced.

Would you mind checking this out again using these instructions?  If this does not work, please email me at alley@iclonelley.com and I'll send you the characters.

Thanks! :)

I'll add a promo still to the Creation of an Architecturally accurate Chinese Village etc etc.

Every face counts. 

Best wishes...
Armstrong.

"Native Indians" by Apparition & Alley - Available HERE

"Secret Societies" by Apparition & Alley - Available HERE

These are lo poly characters from 8,000 to 10,000 average polys, including accessories of torch, magic wands, capes, etc.  They accept all standard motions and facial animation.

Warlord and Apparition & Alley have collaborated on a new Casting Extra Pack called S.W.A.T.  Warlord has created an amazing "Lo Poly Weapon Pack" to compliment the Lo Poly characters by keeping their poly count quite low and still allowing multiple characters in each scene.  Weapons are around 500 polys or less.

Warlord's Lo Poly Weapon Pack - Available HERE

And by Apparition - Casting Extra - SWAT - Available HERE

Also, Convenient pre-package combo - Available HERE