Florian Salvesberger
Hi, my name is Florian Salvesberger. I’m a concept artist, 3D designer, and visual artist based in Vienna, Austria. My focus is developing concept artwork for characters, set designs, environments, props, and vehicles. I’m also a 3D generalist for hard surface modeling, 3d animation, and motion capture. Furthermore, I’m a tutor for CGI at the Werbeakademie Vienna.
Throughout my career, I’ve collaborated with diverse teams, including producers, game designers, and movie directors. By actively engaging in discussions and incorporating feedback, I am able to ensure that my work aligns with the overall artistic vision and project requirements. I’m driven by a passion for trying out different workflows and to simply create new things – I’d describe it as “Die Freude am Schaffen”, like “the joy of creating”. I constantly push my creative limits and embrace new technologies to stay at the forefront of CGI. Salve.vision is where I showcase my unique vision and how I deliver engaging experiences.
iClone Motion Director and Prop Interaction
As a freelance concept artist and 3D animator, I’m always on the lookout for tools that streamline my workflow and enhance the quality of my projects. Over the years, I’ve had the chance to experiment with various software solutions, and one that has truly stood out is Reallusion Motion Director and Prop Interaction for iClone.
Whether it’s for film, gaming, or virtual production, iClone provides a real-time animation experience that is both intuitive and powerful. Recently, I set out to create a medieval siege camp. My work features a scene bustling with activity, from soldiers sitting around campfires to knights engaging in a training duel. The challenge? Making the characters move and interact naturally while keeping the animation process efficient. This is where Motion Director and MD Prop Interaction came in handy. It allowed me to create such a complex scene in a very streamlined workflow. I took the soldiers from ActorCore, and with a little customization, now it looks different but unique.
Getting Started with iClone and Motion Director
For those unfamiliar with iClone, it’s a comprehensive 3D animation software that simplifies complex animation tasks. The Motion Director tool, in particular, allows for a game-like approach to animating characters. By using a game controller or even a mouse, you can pilot your 3D characters, making the animation process much more interactive.
For those who prefer automation, the crowd scatter system handles autonomous behaviors, adding realism to character movement with minimal effort. Seriously, I was completely stunned the first time I used it! To set up my scene, I started with a character asset from Reallusion’s library—specifically, a Royal Guard model. Placing animations onto the character was as simple as dragging and dropping pre-made motion clips onto the model. From there, I could tweak animations using the Motion Layer Editor, adjusting joints and fine-tuning keyframes for precise movements.
Making Interactions Seamless with MD Prop Interaction
One of the standout features of iClone’s Motion Director is its seamless integration with props. For instance, in my scene, I needed a knight to walk over to a chair and sit down. With MD Prop Interaction, this was incredibly easy—I simply dragged the MD prop into the scene, positioned it correctly, and selected the interaction type. The knight smoothly walked to the chair and sat down, with natural transitions and fluid movement. Additional animations, like glancing around or adjusting posture, could be layered on to make the scene feel even more lifelike. Imagine you‘re playing The Sims, but it’s like a “3D Artist expansion pack“ edition that is easy to use, fast and optimized for your 3D software of choice.
Beyond sitting, I used MD Prop Interaction for a variety of actions: soldiers inspecting a trebuchet, collecting firewood, and pushing carts filled with siege equipment. These small details added a sense of realism to the medieval environment
Bringing Crowds to Life with Motion Director’s Crowd Simulation
A siege camp wouldn’t feel complete without a bustling crowd, and manually animating every background character would be an overwhelming task — which can be fun of course — but, why make things more complicated than they already are, right? Fortunately, Motion Director’s crowd simulation tool made this process effortless.
Using the Crowd Scatter Tool, I was able to populate the camp with characters who navigated the scene realistically—avoiding obstacles, reacting to props, and moving dynamically. By setting up a NavMesh, I ensured that the crowd moved only within specific areas, avoiding walking over tents or other restricted spaces. For variation, the tool allowed me to randomize character appearances and behaviors, making the scene feel organic rather than repetitive.
Seamless Integration with Motion Capture and Blender
One of my favorite aspects of iClone is its ability to integrate with motion capture systems. If I wanted to refine character movements, I could easily apply mocap data and further tweak it using the Motion Layer Editor, saving time and ensuring realistic animation without the need for excessive post-processing.
I‘ve used my trustworthy Smartsuit Pro II from Rokoko, captured a few specific movements, retargeted them onto my knight characters — and done! It just works.
Once the character animations and interactions were complete, I exported the scene as an FBX file for further refinement in Blender. iClone’s export settings allowed me to customize the resolution and frame range, ensuring the right level of detail for both close-up shots and wide-angle scenes.
Final Thoughts
Reallusion’s Motion Director and Prop Interaction have revolutionized how I approach 3D animation. The ability to direct characters in real-time, automate complex movements, and seamlessly integrate with other tools has significantly improved my workflow.
Whether you’re an aspiring animator or a seasoned professional, these advancements offer an intuitive and powerful way to bring your projects to life. If you’re interested in exploring these features further, I highly recommend diving into Reallusion’s community and tutorials. It’s time to experiment, create, and push the boundaries of what’s possible in your 3D animations. Stay creative!
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