Streamline Your 3D Character Workflow with Free CC Character Bases

Overview

Reallusion offers five free Character Creator (CC) base characters designed to accelerate 3D character workflows. These bases are optimized for use across major 3D software packages including Blender, Maya, ZBrush, Unreal Engine, Unity, and others.

Each base is available in three common file formats (OBJ, FBX, ZTL) with high-resolution textures, ensuring compatibility with both real-time engines and offline renderers.

The free assets can be used for personal and commercial projects, including filmmaking, animation, gaming, 3D printing, and education.

Step 1 — Registration and Download

1. Go to the official Reallusion Free CC Base page.

2. Register or log in to a Reallusion account.

3. Download the CC Base Character Pack.

   • Includes five character bases:

     • Realistic Male

     • Realistic Female

     • Cartoon Male

     • Cartoon Female

     • Neutral Base Character

Step 2 — File Formats Provided

Each character is included in:

• OBJ: Universal static mesh format, ideal for modeling, sculpting, or texturing workflows.

• FBX: Fully rigged format compatible with animation pipelines (Blender, Maya, Unreal, Unity).

• ZTL (ZBrush Tool): Native ZBrush format for high-resolution sculpting and detailing.

Additionally, each comes with high-resolution textures (typically 2K–4K maps).

Step 3 — Importing into Your 3D Software

Blender

1. Open Blender.

2. Go to File → Import → FBX (for rigged characters) or OBJ (for static mesh).

3. Adjust scale to match your project (FBX is often in centimeters; Blender defaults to meters).

4. Assign provided texture maps in the Shader Editor (albedo, normal, roughness).

ZBrush

1. Open ZBrush.

2. Import the ZTL file directly.

3. Use subdivision levels for sculpting.

4. Add details such as wrinkles, pores, or stylized exaggerations before exporting for retopology or rigging.

Unreal Engine / Unity

1. Import FBX files into your project.

2. Ensure that skeletons and rigging are recognized by the engine.

3. Assign provided textures and connect them to physically based material shaders (PBR).

Step 4 — Workflow Integration

• Character Customization: Use Blender or Maya for retopology, clothing, accessories, or facial blendshape creation.

• Sculpting & High-Resolution Detailing: Refine in ZBrush using the ZTL files.

• Rigging & Animation: FBX files are already rigged, compatible with Motion Capture and animation libraries (Mixamo, iClone).

• Rendering & LookDev: Apply advanced shaders in your DCC or game engine, adjusting subsurface scattering (for skin) and specularity for realism.

Step 5 — Commercial & Educational Use

The free CC Bases can be used for:

• Filmmaking & Animation: Create base characters quickly and focus on performance, storytelling, or stylistic modifications.

• Game Development: Prototype or finalize characters with consistent topology and rigging.

• 3D Printing: Export static OBJ files for high-resolution 3D prints.

• Education: Practice sculpting, rigging, and texturing with production-quality base assets.

Step 6 — Next Steps with Character Creator 4 (CC4)

While the free bases are standalone, Character Creator 4 expands capabilities with:

• Parametric character generation (realistic or stylized).

• Integrated facial rigs and animation pipelines.

• Asset management for clothing, hair, and accessories.

• Direct compatibility with iClone, Unreal Engine, Unity, Daz3D, Maya, and 3ds Max.