I bought into the RL iclone program about a year ago. Learning iClone can be difficult. The program is full featured and new things are coming all the time. This is good and bad, because the iClone is not a friendly interactive experience. By that I mean you can't just play with it and learn it like so many other software.

RL has not been able to make alot of changes in the GUI, because they are bringing so many new features. I would rather have the new stuff for sure.

This is the place to start for learning information.

http://www.reallusion.com/iclone/iclone_training.aspx

The Manual is what you need... download it from here:

http://file.reallusion.com/ic/iClone5_Pro_manual.zip

The most important information to help you learn iClone is this manual.

It is approximate 800 pages and it can be very tedious trying to follow the sections, especially if you think you can just read and learn.

I gave up trying to to learn by feel and experience. I have been working through the manual and performing the discussion points like in a workbook. Learning this way, building familiarity with all the screens, and how everything functions within iCLone. There are days when I repeat sections of the manual and go through the examples systematically several times...again and again.

I spend a couple hours each day doing this, and steadily I am learning the iClone well enough to have enough competency to build limited projects.

The video tutors are good information, but they cover the information very quickly. I have watched some videos many times and never understood well enough to actually use what I was supposed to be learning.

When I went to studying the manual and doing the examples carefully, many of the video tutors began to make sense. Important, studying with the manual was far and away the best way to retain the knowledge and apply it than using video tutors.

There is also an online manual with search points, which is good. Yet, it is really just a reference document to my way of thinking. The Online document and the manual are really very well done for the most part, but what is really needed is an interactive workbook to have a very competent learning experience. Maybe, someone with years of iclone experience and a good teaching background at some point will pick up the gauntlet and build that kind of tutor.

Additionally, I have made projects as I learn new things from the manual that include those things I have learned. I have always been the kind of learner that worked with things as they related to my interests. THat way I was more absorbed in the process of learning.

There are many iclone forum members that are always interested to help you as well. The forums search will probably expose many of your issues.

In summary to best learn iClone I suggest:

Study the iClone manual and work the examples in the actual iclone program as you go.

Refer to the Online help if you must, for quick references and to search for quick fixes

Most video tutors are OK, and may help some, but for most part they show you what can be done. I regret to say this, because so many have put so much work into the video tutors.

I wasted several months viewing videos and learned more in one week studying the manual and doing the examples, and doing little side projects from what I had learned. It isn't difficult working through the manual, but it isn't mapped out for you like a carefully planned leaning text. Just start at the beginning and stay with it. You will get there.

This video is excellent for newbs just starting with iclone. The important thing is you can start with one position poses and using the timeline in a simple manner create smooth transitions from pose to pose without going into the tedious process of learning motions and all the tools. Learning motions is not that difficult, but easy either. You can create some videos almost instantly using poses and the timeline, which will more gently move you into learning iclone.l

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQLGTISEQQY&feature=share&list=PLEciDktzy6ivuaK83pf44n2EbQE57GVHE

Some good advice!

sjonesdc

STILL LEARNING!!!

Excellent advice!

Also check-out the Wiki, you might find something helpful there.

Cathy

Just click on the graphic to go there.

My 2 cents...

Create a movie... start with a real project.
Think about a story, something that should last at least 5 to 10mins.
Create your story-board, conceive how to create in iClone what is in your mind.
Work out each movie part, like a real storyboard, and try to add for each new scene something new.
But always at increasing step of difficulties!!!
Which means: makes the first scenes easy... maybe some pre-built 3D scenes, a couple of Avatars, some basic movements, some basic speech, play with some basic particle and atmosphere, play with cameras.
Then move on, think about something more complex and do it,e.g. paths linked to props/cameras/Avatars (how to create path ? Well... try!!!)
Move the avatars... become familiar with teh various animation tools.
Next step, a complex terrain... how to do it ? Are you ok with the pre-rendered terrains or do you want to compose something new ? Water ? Sky ?
Next step, physics... try to create something dynamic, using some basic physic...
.. and so on.

Moreover... forget about creating the movie in one signle iClone project... too complicated and too limited: IMO, the best way is to create single footages and then compose them in a NLE.


My PC:
OS: Windows 10 Pro English 64-bit / CPU: Intel i7-9700 3.6GHz / MB: ASUS ROG Strix Z390  RAM: 32GB DDR4 2.6GHz / HD: 2TB+3TB  /  SSD: 2x512GB Samsung 860 EVO + 1x2TB Samsung
VB: Palit GTX2080 TI GamingPro 11GB / AB: embedded in the MB and VB (audio from the MOTU M4 I/F) / DirectX: 12

My 2 cents:

Very first: Get a roughly idea what you want to film. F.e.: Shoot outs; explosions; fights; simple discussions; environments like houses, trees, city, village; clothes of your avatars and so on.
And what ever you want to film: Keep it SHORT. The big newbie project is nearly always the canceled project.

THEN: Get into iClone and check, what you have and if you are already able to manage to film your ideas.
Make some first tests (very important), check if you have already all your props, clothes, avatars and so on.
Don´t try to get the best prop and best texture. Improvise!
Be satisfied with that, what you got or what you can get without great problems and fast.
Every hour that you invest in finding the best prop for you is an hour in which you can´t animate.

THEN: You know, what you have and what you CAN make.
Now you know, what you are allowed to write in your script.

THEN: After filming you need to download sound effects, music and get a video cutting software. Best is Sony Vegas.


Five additional hints:
1. Make "progress" projects: F.e. "Scene with standing avatars, moving cars and so on", "Scene with standing avatars, moving cars and so on + speech of avatars + idle moves of avatars". Else you have in worst case an unbelievable complex project that is no fun, to edit and revise.

2. You can easily assemble props, if you attach them AND choose "position" or "position and rotation". Then prop#2 has the same position like prop#1 and you can move it fast to the desired x, y, z position.

3. A,s,d,f and so on are the cam short cuts. You will have to "fly" around a lot, to find all the errors in your 3D world.

4. Youtube is your best friend. There are tutorials for all on youtube. Watch them and learn of them.

5. As newbie ignore real physics like fancy clothes or ragdolls for cool falling. Use instead finished moves and finished "physical props" like destructible walls and similar.

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Fragen bezügl. meiner Vergangenheit oder irgendwelcher Zusammenhänge in meinen Posts - bitte PM.

I agree with this. I avoided the manual at first, because software manuals are notoriously poorly written. I esp. avoided it after learning it was 800 pages!

But two days ago I broke down and had a peek. I was pleased by how much faster I was able to assimilate the material.

If anyone else is daunted by the 800 page size, I will let you know that it's not what it seems. The pages have very little text, mostly white space & illustrations, so it's not as bad as it sounds.

There are the typical annoying software manual quirks (such as "press this button" but you later learn the button does not exist), but overall it seems to be the best way to learn iClone.

Good luck to all,
Bud





- - - - - - - - - - - - -
iClone 6.21
Character Creator 1.2
3.07GHz Intel Core i7 machine running Windows 7 Pro (v 6.1.7601 SP1)
6GB RAM
EVGA GTX 970 (2 gig video memory)

I have just taken the current free version of Iclone and have now downloaded the Iclone pro manual.

Is there sufficient material on the free version to start learning in accordance with the manual or will I have to buy further material to proceed?

The iClone5 Trial includes all features but is time limited. Make sure you download the resource pack so you have the extra content available and you'll be good to go.

                                                                

Peter
Forum Administrator

www.reallusion.com

You will have to bear with me, I have downloaded Iclone 5 pro again because it said that the resource pack was embedded.

Where is the resource pack and how do I access it?

Here is the link to the IC5 resource pack:
http://file.reallusion.com/IC5_Enu_Resource_Pack.exe

It's strange that there wasn't a link to it on the iClone Trial page, even though it says: "Trial users need to install the Resource Pack".

- Keith