iClone Motion Capture: Workflow Guide for Reallusion Users

Motion Capture in iClone 8: What's Available

iClone 8 by Reallusion has become one of the most capable real-time animation tools available outside of dedicated game engine environments. Its integration with motion capture — both live capture and pre-built mocap libraries — makes it a strong choice for animators, filmmakers, VTubers, and game developers who prefer working outside of Unreal Engine or Unity.

This guide covers iClone 8's motion capture capabilities: the AccuFACE face capture system, Rokoko and other body mocap integrations, importing FBX motion capture from professional libraries, and building a complete character animation workflow in iClone.

iClone's Native Motion Capture Features

AccuFACE: Face Capture in iClone

AccuFACE is Reallusion's built-in face capture system, integrated directly into iClone 8. It drives the facial rig of Character Creator 4 (CC4) characters using input from:

• iPhone ARKit (via the Live Link Face connector): The most accurate input path. Uses the 52 ARKit blend shape coefficients from iPhone's TrueDepth camera.
• Webcam: Markerless face tracking via standard camera, lower accuracy than ARKit.
• NVIDIA Maxine (AI-based): Uses GPU-accelerated AI for facial feature extraction from webcam input.

Setting up AccuFACE with iPhone:
1. Install the Live Link Face app on your iPhone
2. In iClone 8, go to Animation → AccuFACE
3. In the AccuFACE panel, select iPhone as the input source
4. Enter your PC's IP address in the Live Link Face app settings
5. Enable streaming in the app
6. In iClone, the selected CC4 character's face should mirror the performer's expressions

AccuFACE drives the full CC4 facial rig: eyes, brow, jaw, cheeks, and mouth morph targets. The output can be recorded directly to the iClone timeline as animation data.

Motion Live: Body Capture Integration

iClone's Motion Live plugin ($99, sold separately) provides the framework for connecting external body capture devices to iClone in real time. It supports:

• Rokoko Smartsuit Pro: Full body inertial capture streamed directly into iClone via the Rokoko integration
• Perception Neuron: Integration through the Motion Live plugin
• Xsens MVN: Supported via BVH stream or the Motion Live framework
• Leap Motion / Ultraleap: Hand tracking integration
• iPhone / iPad: Body pose estimation from the Motion Live iPhone companion

Motion Live workflow:
1. Install Motion Live plugin in iClone 8
2. Launch the Motion Live connection in the plugin panel
3. Configure the device connection (Wi-Fi port for Rokoko, BVH stream for Xsens)
4. Select the target CC4 character
5. Press Record — the body capture data is applied and recorded in real time

Motion Live handles the real-time retargeting from the capture device's skeleton to the CC4 character automatically.

Importing FBX Motion Capture Into iClone

Professional motion capture animation packs in FBX format import directly into iClone 8, giving you access to libraries like MoCap Online's catalog without any hardware investment.

Import Workflow

1. In iClone 8, select your CC4 character in the scene
2. Go to Animation → Import BVH / FBX Motion
3. Navigate to the FBX file in the import dialog
4. In the import settings:
5. Target: Select the CC4 character
6. Bone Mapping: iClone attempts auto-mapping from the source skeleton's bone names to CC4's skeleton. For standard biped FBX files (MoCap Online format), this typically maps successfully without manual adjustments.
7. Root Motion: Choose whether root translation drives the character's position or is ignored
8. Click Apply

The imported animation applies to the CC4 character and appears in the timeline as editable motion data.

Bone Mapping Adjustments

If the import produces incorrect poses (limbs pointing wrong directions, spine collapsed), the bone mapping needs adjustment:

1. Open the Bone Mapping panel after import
2. Manually assign source skeleton bones to CC4 target bones for each unmapped joint
3. Save the mapping as a preset for future imports from the same source skeleton

MoCap Online's FBX files use standard biped bone naming that aligns closely with CC4's conventions, reducing the need for manual remapping.

The iClone + MoCap Online Workflow

MoCap Online animation packs include iClone-compatible FBX and .iMotion format files. This makes the integration direct:

1. Browse the motion capture animation library and select a pack
2. After purchase, download the iClone format from the pack's download page
3. Import into iClone 8 via Animation → Import Motion
4. The motion applies to the CC4 character with correct bone mapping pre-configured

Packs available in iClone-native format include locomotion sets, combat packs, sports performance, daily activities, and more. Download the free animation pack to test the import pipeline before purchasing.

Editing and Combining Mocap in iClone

iClone's timeline and Motion Layer system allow non-destructive editing and layering of mocap data.

Timeline Editing

After applying a mocap animation, the motion data appears as editable blocks in the iClone timeline. You can:
- Trim the start and end frames to isolate specific clips
- Loop sections to extend short animations
- Blend between two different mocap takes on the same character using the transition blend handles

Motion Layer: Additive Editing

Motion Layer allows you to add corrective keyframes on top of existing mocap data without destroying the underlying data. This is useful for:
- Adjusting hand positions on a grip animation to match a specific prop geometry
- Adding a head look-at on top of a walking cycle
- Exaggerating or reducing the intensity of existing mocap motion

In the Motion Layer panel, select a bone, go to the timeline frame where a correction is needed, and set an additive keyframe. The keyframe is stored as an offset on top of the mocap base.

Scene Manager Blending

For complex character performances that combine multiple mocap sources — body from a professional pack, face from AccuFACE, hands from a separate capture — iClone's Scene Manager handles the asset organization. Each motion component stays on separate layers in the timeline, making replacement and adjustment non-destructive.

Exporting from iClone for Game Engines

After composing and editing the animation in iClone, export to FBX for use in Unreal Engine or Unity, or export directly via the Unreal Live Link plugin for real-time engine preview.

FBX Export

1. Select the character and timeline range to export
2. Go to File → Export → Alembic / FBX
3. In FBX export settings:
4. Enable Bake Animation (bakes all motion layers to keyframes)
5. Set frame range
6. Choose skeleton type (Auto, Biped for Maya/3ds Max compatibility, or CC4 native)
7. Import the resulting FBX into UE5 or Unity using the standard animation import workflow

Unreal Engine Live Link (Real-Time)

iClone 8 has an Unreal Live Link plugin that streams the iClone scene into an open UE5 session in real time. Characters animated in iClone appear live in UE5, with all material, light, and environment data transferred. This is useful for virtual production workflows where iClone handles character animation and UE5 handles rendering and scene composition.

Unity Export

iClone exports Unity-compatible FBX with pre-configured Humanoid rig mapping. Import into Unity and set Animation Type to Humanoid for automatic avatar configuration.

iClone vs. Unreal Engine for Motion Capture Workflows

FAQ: iClone Motion Capture

Do I need a motion capture suit to use motion capture in iClone?
No. iClone can use motion capture from multiple sources: FBX imports from professional libraries (no hardware required), AccuFACE with an iPhone (no hardware cost beyond the phone), webcam face tracking, and eventually body pose from an iPhone camera. Hardware suits add quality and live capture capability but aren't required for production animation.

Which mocap suits work with iClone?
Rokoko Smartsuit Pro II via the Motion Live plugin is the most seamlessly integrated. Perception Neuron and Xsens also integrate via Motion Live. Any system that outputs BVH can be used for offline import even without live integration.

Can I use MoCap Online packs in iClone?
Yes. MoCap Online packs are available in iClone-native format (.iMotion) for direct import, as well as FBX which imports via the standard iClone FBX motion import. The free animation pack includes iClone format files for testing.

How does iClone handle the combination of face and body motion capture?
In iClone 8, face animation (from AccuFACE or FBX) and body animation occupy separate motion tracks on the character in the timeline. They compose cleanly — changing one doesn't affect the other. You can swap body takes while keeping the same face performance.

Professional Motion for Your iClone Productions

Whether you're creating an animated short, producing VTuber content, or building a real-time virtual production, professional motion capture animation elevates the result. MoCap Online's library includes iClone-native formats for direct import with zero retargeting friction.

Browse the motion capture animation library for packs covering every character animation category — locomotion, combat, expressions, sports, and more. Start with the free animation pack to test the iClone import workflow, and visit the animation blog for iClone workflow guides and production tips.