The iCrowds 2.0 add-on arrives in Blender to tackle crowd creation in animation and architecture. Developed by the team behind iCity, it offers seven distinct systems for generating characters, combining autonomous behaviors with manual placement. It's a tool designed to add life to urban scenes, video games, or events, working seamlessly with iCity or as a standalone solution.
Simulation mechanisms: from autonomous agents to guided flows ðŸ§
The add-on separates its functionalities into dynamic and static systems. The dynamic ones include a City-type simulator, where agents make decisions based on needs like hunger or sleep, moving through the scene autonomously. Other systems direct people flows using curves or attraction forces. For fixed scenes, it allows distributing audiences in stands or characters on surfaces, handling up to 100,000 agents with high and low poly models.
Your city needs citizens, not just cobblestones and streetlights 😄
With iCrowds 2.0, there's no excuse for deserted squares or ghost stadiums in your renders. The City system ensures your digital characters have more initiative than some acquaintances, going for a virtual coffee without you telling them. It's the way to fill that 3D scene without having to place ten thousand fans manually, one by one. That said, watch out that they don't all pile up in the same digital burger joint.