Reach Targets can be either overlooked or a bit confusing for beginners as they are used for far more than just reaching for an object or item. One of the first problems encountered is the positioning of two hands on a shovel, weapon or other item. Since a prop can only attach to one hand, we use Reach Target dummies (Reach Targets) as the go between.
The Reach Target tool has been around for a long time through many versions of iClone and has seen some significant upgrades since its introduction. In the early days of iClone we had to make our own dummies but today’s Reach Target system in iClone creates dummies for us even if they are invisible when created. Visibility can be toggled, and a popup will remind you of that. The tutorials below will cover all this and more.
The Reach Target system steps in to not only link the second hand but also provides a method for us to place that second hand where we need it. As I said earlier there is much more to the Reach Target system than meets the eye.
As I alluded to earlier, two-handed animation is not necessarily the Reach Targets original task. It was just as the name implies a target for the character to reach something like a doorbell or light switch and lock on if needed. This also works for other two-handed applications like a steering wheel in an automobile. One hand is either attached to the prop or to a Reach Target and the other is attached to the other Reach Target which is attached to the prop.
As you will see the Reach Target Dummy is created with just a few mouse clicks within the Reach Target interface located in the upper area of the Animation tab. You need to select a character first then click EDIT REACH TARGET within the Animation tab. Below we will take a look at a couple of usage scenarios in the embedded tutorials and show some other examples of using the dummies.
Object Driven Animation
In this example we’ll be animating an alien pilot inside a cockpit to show movement of the joystick and throttle as you might expect from a pilot. In the tutorial I set up two target dummies. One for the joystick and the other for the throttle. This process is Beginners level with no difficult animation required.
I will be using a two headed iClone character which is actually two characters linked together using opacity to hide body parts of the second “head”. Don’t let this confuse you if you notice two characters in the Scene Manager. Refer to my previous article on Multi-Headed Characters for more information.
NOTE: I’ll be changing the texture of the dummies so we can see them easily. This is NOT a step you need to duplicate unless you want to see the target more clearly. Once you set them as a dummy (as shown in the tutorials) their visibility is toggled off and they will not render.
Reach Driven Animation
Similar to the object driven animation in the earlier tutorial we will use the dummy to drive the animation instead of an object in the scene. Object driven animation uses a prop to drive the character animation, whereas Reach Driven Animation uses the dummy itself to drive the reach animation.
In this case it will be a character reaching and pressing a button on a wall console. A move that can be smooth and adjusted with little effort with the Reach Target dummy. If you have never used this method before, you may be surprised at how easy it is to get a fluid movement with just the reach targets that you are grabbing or releasing while moving down the timeline.
Note: These types of actions can be accomplished with the new AccuPose feature for more advanced animations. I wouldn’t recommend using both at the same time as you have Reach Target dummies working against the constraints of the AccuPOSE system.
Examples
Now that you’ve seen how a couple of basic Reach Target scenarios work, we will take a look at a few examples of simple uses for Reach Targets. This tool can reduce animation time and give you more time for other tasks while getting a confidence boost as iClone does most of the work.
Baseball Batter
The baseball batter uses one Reach Target for the upper hand while the other hand is attached to the lower section of the bat. The dummy will keep the arm attached to the bat until released. This can also cause elbows to collapse if the character is too low poly. You might also have to make some adjustment to the position of the opposing shoulder in cases of extreme motion or bending.
You can see the dummy in place for the upper hand on the grip area of the bat. This dummy can be moved in any direction and the hand will follow and stay attached until released. The release can be animated in the timeline.
Two-Handed Staff Weapon
In this scenario we can use either one or two Reach Target dummies as it depends on if you are going to use the weapon to animate the arms or use a motion for animation. It is very important to make this distinction.
If you are going to use the weapon to drive the animation, then you can use two Reach Target dummies, but the weapon will remain in place and not react to any motions. To use motions, we need to only use one Reach Target dummy for the upper hand while attaching the weapon to the lower hand in the desired position.
TIP: If your Reach Target dummy is frozen in place it is because you did not attach it to the object you were reaching for or holding.
Remember, if you use a motion use one Reach Target. If you are using the object to animate, then use two Reach Targets.
Two Handed – Select Target and Keep Current Pose Method
This method was introduced in a previous update and is much simpler to set up for a two-handed object as it does not use dummies and can lock limbs into position no matter how much the body is distorted. The trade-off is you lose the ability to animate the Reach Target dummies if you need to make simple edits or move hand positions. Both serve important functions when needed.
Guitar Player
This one isn’t so simple but can be done depending on how accurate you want the animation to be. As far as anchoring the hand on the fretboard one Reach Target works great. Like all Reach Targets you can use two and animate the dummies, but I would prefer to have guitar motions driving the strumming hand and a Reach Target for the fretboard.
If you are looking for finger accurate animation, then good luck to you. I’ve never tried that as I’ve always had motions of some sort when needed but I would probably just move the upper dummy arbitrarily, if at all, to get some movement.
Two-Handed Sword
This weapon is a little different from others just like the guitar. It is a close to the body object that can cause limb distortion when too close. There is a sweet spot that you can find by adjusting the item distance from the body.
In this case I used only one Reach Target and all the two-handed “rules” we’ve explored so far apply here too. I’m sure you are tired of this but just to make sure… for motion use one Reach Target and use a motion for the other hand. For object-driven motions, use two Reach Targets and move down the timeline, then move the object both hands are attached to to animate the arms and upper body as demonstrated in the joystick and throttle tutorial above.
Steering Wheel
This example is basically the same as the joystick and throttle example too. The steering wheel is a separate object and both hands are attached via Reach Target dummies to their respective places on the steering wheel.
We then use the steering wheel to drive the motion of the arms and upper body. Since most of the body is stationary you can concentrate on animating the upper body with this method. Add a few head turns and bobs to add more motion.
Summary
The added benefit of Reach Target Dummies versus the Select Target and Keep Current Pose method is the ability to animate the dummies on the timeline as I mentioned in the tutorials above. This means if you have dummies attached to each hand you can move the dummies on the timeline and animate hand or limb position changes. This is generally not something most beginners need to know to get started but I wanted to make you aware of it. If this makes no sense to you now, that is probably because you haven’t needed it yet.
As for myself, I use it much more as an anchor than to animate a reach. There are far more scenarios for Reach Targets than I could ever list, and it is one tool that is hard to overuse. The only problem I can think of would be if, as I stated earlier with AccuPOSE, the targets and locks interfered with each other.
Do not forget to attach the Reach Target dummy to the object. It is easy to maneuver the dummy into place then forget to attach it. Also keep in mind that you can twist and turn the dummy to move the limb in more directions than forward, back, up or down.
Reach Targets have their uses and if you are still new to animation and iClone in general then these Reach Targets will become another tool in your animation toolbox.
Below you will find a tutorial from Kai if you want to look into more advanced usage of the Reach Target feature.
MD McCallum – WarLord
Digital Artist MD “Mike” McCallum, aka WarLord, is a longtime iClone user. Having authored free tutorials for iClone in its early years and selected to write the iClone Beginners Guide from Packt Publishing in 2011, he was fortunate enough to meet and exchange tricks and tips with users from all over the world and loves to share this information with other users. He has authored hundreds of articles on iClone and digital art in general while reviewing some of the most popular software and hardware in the world. He has been published in many of the leading 3D online and print magazines while staying true to his biggest passion, 3D animation. For more information click here.
