How to Make Good Use of Reallusion Stores & Content

One problem that faces any animator is content. Props, terrains, characters, and all those things that go with making an animated production. For a lot of animators, it seems there is never enough content anyway, whether it was purchased, freebies, or homemade.

It wasn’t that long ago that there wasn’t much content available for animators in any form. There has long been content for image renders, but in times past and even today, a lot of those assets are too poly-heavy to be used in animation. The computational overhead would bring a lot of computers to a crawl. A workable framerate would be almost impossible to achieve.

A lot of early iClone users learned to make content for their projects. Reallusion was a leaner company as most are in their early days, and the focus was on software development. They still managed to provide a lot of great content but as I stated earlier, there is never enough.

Flash forward to today where there is a staggering amount of content available for iClone. Reallusion, by itself, is releasing more content on a regular basis than I can keep up with as a writer.  Reallusion content has always been professionally made with best practices and has proved to be exemplary in visual quality and construction.

In addition to the Reallusion Content Store, there is the Marketplace that is open to third-party iClone content developers. These assets run the range from professional to budget-friendly. There is also a rating system for the content developers and their products by users who have purchased any of those products.

Then there is ActorCore, a website full of characters and motions that can give a boost to any project. Professionally produced content from animators… for animators is a core strength of Reallusion content and ActorCore is at the forefront.

In terms of general content available, you can storm a castle, fly into space, have a talk show, a hospital drama, a daytime drama, a daytime hospital drama… the possibilities are almost endless.  

There is so much content available currently that it can be a bit confusing to new users as to which store to use and what their purpose is. The Software Store, Content Store, Marketplace, and ActorCore all serve different purposes so let’s take a look at what these stores provide.

The Software Store

This is where you purchase software applications like iClone, Character Creator and Cartoon Animator (2D).

Bundles & Specials:

• iClone Unreal Live Link – a cinematic pipeline from iClone to Unreal Engine. Don’t panic over the listed price. The plugin was designed for large studios so there is a free Indie Live Link program that you can use if you qualify. Annual gross revenue from design work must be less than USD 100,000. You can get more info at the bottom of the live Link page. There is also a free 30-day trial.
• Animation and Film – 3D Animation & Character Creation
• Ultimate Digital Human – Realistic Character Creation
• Draw to Animate – Works with PSD Tools and WACOM

The Content Store

The Content Store really must be seen to be believed. There are so many professionally produced assets from Reallusion and select developers that it is difficult to convey in words. Just to say it has characters, props, and other 2D/3D assets is a vast understatement.

It is a vault of 2D and 3D goodies that can improve a project and remove the burden of asset creation allowing you to focus on animating and telling a story.

There are themes, genres, and one-off custom creations that you can use in your next production from a children’s cartoon to a historical documentary. The Content Store contains a huge inventory and mixture of assets that meet just about any need.

Actorcore

ActorCore is another store loaded with content and bills itself as a “One-Stop platform for 3D motions, characters, and rigging due to its vast amount of assets available for immediate download”.

Not only are there 3D motions and characters, but there is also the free character auto-rigger, accuRIG. This free download is a powerful character rigging tool that allows you to map out or create enough bones to get quality animation.

Features of ActorCore:

3D Motions:

• ActorCore provides a vast library of high-quality 3D motion assets suitable for various applications, including games, films, interactive projects, architectural visualization (arch viz), training, simulations, and digital twins.
• These motions are meticulously designed to meet different demands and themes, ensuring the best quality and accessibility.
• Whether you’re animating characters for a business simulation, a training program, or a cinematic project, ActorCore has you covered.

3D Characters:

• ActorCore’s 3D characters come in different styles, catering to diverse needs.
• Photorealistic People: These characters are created from 3D scans, resulting in highly realistic human models.
• Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Historical, and Toon Figures: These characters are crafted using Character Creator, offering versatility and creativity.
• The characters are animation-ready, and you can easily import them into your preferred application with specific download formats for optimal rendering quality.
• They feature color and material variations, allowing you to customize skin, hair, outfits, and accessories to create unique actor styles.
• The character rigs are complete, ensuring realistic animation from head to toe. With consistent facial topology, you can edit expressions and control lip-sync.

3D Viewer:

• ActorCore’s 3D Viewer offers complete customization for mobile viewing, web embedding, and content sharing.
• With the preview window, you can easily assemble uploaded characters or try out motions in ActorCore, and enjoy the best viewing experience with a customized camera view, light setting and motion list.

Smooth Transitions and AAA Motion Production:

• ActorCore employs a specially designed motion system for seamless transitions between primary and secondary stance modes.
• Each motion pack undergoes a strict design process to deliver the best quality and meet project expectations.

Multi-Platform Support:

• ActorCore’s massive 3D character animation library is compatible with all major 3D programs.
• You can easily retarget motions to selected characters and find step-by-step guides and tutorials for each program.

ActorCore is compatible with Unreal Engine, Unity, Maya, MotionBuilder, Blender, 3ds Max, Cinema 4d, Nvidia Omniverse, and, of course, iClone, Character Creator and Cartoon Animator.

The Marketplace

A lot of what I wrote earlier about the Content Store is also true of the Marketplace with the content of the marketplace being produced by users and third-party content developers. In no way does this mean the quality of assets is inferior to the Content Store, they are just sourced from the public instead of in-house.

The Marketplace contains over 200,000 assets from budget-friendly to high-end assets and everything in between. The marketplace also operates as a community store that has a rating system for vendors and products so you can have an idea as to the quality of the product and read or leave feedback.

There are so many talented developers in the Marketplace that it can be hard to choose what to download. Some people draw inspiration from the characters they see in the Marketplace and create stories to match those characters.

One of the advantages of using the Reallusion Marketplace is the access to free trial content. You can select Trial Content from the Marketplace, download them via the Content Manager to try before purchasing. If you are satisfied with the trials, then you can directly add them to your cart for checkout.

You can think of the Marketplace as a huge world bazaar stuffed full of 2D and 3D assets of all sorts from all sorts of places and creators.

Reallusion Prime

Reallusion Prime is not a store but an annual subscription service that provides access to a library of digital assets, including characters, animations, props, and other 2D and 3D animation assets, which users can use in their animation projects.

• Membership Cost: For an annual fee of $99, you gain access to a range of perks and discounts.
• 15% Off Storewide: As a Prime member, you enjoy an extra 15% discount on all your purchases throughout the year. This discount applies to both software and content available in Reallusion’s online stores, including the online Software Store, Content Store, Marketplace, and ActorCore.
• Bonus Points: When you shop in any of the Reallusion stores, you receive 500 Bonus Points each month. These points can be redeemed for future purchases.
• Renewal Offer: When it’s time to renew your membership, you can do so for just $79/year.
• Wide Selection of Assets:
  • 2D & 3D Animation Software: Access professional animation tools with perpetual licenses (no subscription required).
  • Branded Content Assets: Explore a wide variety of 2D and 3D assets.3D Motions, Actors & Auto-Rigging: A one-stop platform for all your 3D needs.
  • Community-Created Asset Creations: Discover content from the developer community.
• Flexible Subscription: You can cancel your Prime membership anytime if needed.

Reallusion Prime provides substantial savings, exclusive offers, and a wealth of creative resources for animation and content creation. Subscribing to Prime can significantly enhance your budget and creative toolkit.

Not long ago Reallusion launched an authoritative structure Reallusion Workgroup for small studios or enterprises to no longer have to share private account credentials among teammates. The solution involves designating managers and administrators responsible for licensing and purchasing software and assets for the staff. They also require the capability to allocate and oversee licenses while maintaining control.

With the Prime for Team plan, contractors are able to deliver their work in a secure, private environment, ensuring confidentiality. This plan is specifically tailored for collaborations, to accommodate two versatile usage scenarios: outsourcing services and group projects. Whether you’re leading a seasoned production house, steering a startup studio handling client productions, or seeking collaboration with contributors for your creative ventures, Reallusion Workgroup is a helper to elevate your entire production process.

Summary

There is no way to properly convey the sheer amount of 2D and 3D content available in the Content Store, Marketplace, and ActorCore. All the stores are setup for easy purchase and download with assets being available through the Smart Content Manager for iClone and Character Creator or formats friendly to most of the industry-leading 3D software applications.

If you are undecided about purchasing a Reallusion product you can rest assured that a lack of content will not be a problem and for some can be a deciding factor when looking for animation tools.

FAQ

Where can I download Reallusion content assets?

You can download assets from the Reallusion Content Store and Marketplace, which offer characters, motions, props, and environments for tools like Character Creator, iClone, and Cartoon Animator.

Are Reallusion Marketplace assets safe to use?

Yes. Marketplace assets are reviewed by Reallusion and sold by verified developers, ensuring compatibility with Reallusion software and reliable downloads.

What is the difference between the Reallusion Content Store and Marketplace?

The Content Store features curated content packs created by Reallusion and certified developers, often sold as bundles and supported with official customer service. The Marketplace, on the other hand, is a community-driven platform where independent creators sell their own assets directly to users. Marketplace items are typically sold individually and may include trial downloads, while the Content Store focuses more on professionally packaged asset collections.

Can you try Reallusion Marketplace content before buying?

Yes. Many assets in the Marketplace offer a trial download feature, allowing users to test content before purchasing. This “try before you buy” approach helps creators evaluate whether an asset fits their project before committing to a purchase.

Can you sell your own assets on the Reallusion Marketplace?

Yes. Creators can become Marketplace developers and sell their own characters, motions, props, and other digital assets to the global Reallusion community.