I didn't know Houdini could be had for free or in HD for a bit.  Another modeling option then.  What to do... How responsive is the UI?

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ya know, after playing around with several animation softwares, i've come to the conclusion that iclone really does have a unique look, i do hope they don't change that look when trying to add more options to it. I'm noticing it especially because of going through all these different renders and tutorials, many of the bigger softwares aim for realism, and realism has a limit....real lol.... , there is something about the way iclone glows and smudges colors and the environments that the other software don't have. I say this because when we say that Iclone should be made better, but maybe the correct term is different, because iclone looks great now in quality.... , sure , i'd love more features to look like lightwave or maya , but i hope they don't lose that iclone feel in the process, it really is quite unique. If anything one thing I'd like to see is maybe a bit of an increase in polygons in their characters so we can add more detail, it's hard to take characters to higher levels of quality without it. you can do a lot with the bump maps but even then the uv mapping can put a limit on that too. would be a nice option especially now that it's going 64 bit .

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Overall I'm quite happy with the character detail Iclone has. Got to remember if you are aiming for photorealistic characters, then you also need photorealistic backgrounds, sets etc or it all looks mismatched.

The main thing I'd like to see improved on IC avatars is the detail in the facial expression. At the moment it lacks a lot, very similar to the characters from the game 'The Sims'. The mouth could do with a lot more control points, in particular when it comes to smiles - quite frankly it's very difficult to achieve a smile that looks right. Secondly the eyebrow/upper eye area movement just doesn't look right.

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Making 3D Movies is just a hobby for me but at this point I’ve played with iClone and DAZ3D equally as much. Here’s my thoughts:

DAZ 3D There’s no question that with some finesse one can produce their own photo realistic, super-hot fantasy girl. After that, with a little patience you can generate some seriously impressive pictures. Even the animation can be made to look quite nice. The problem is that it takes for freaking ever to set things up and you can watch glaciers move in the time it takes to render output.

iClone With a little getting used to you can setup new characters and sets in a couple of hours. Granted the characters may not look quite as real as the one’s in DAZ but with a little tweaking they’re not too shabby. I haven’t found where anyone has done it yet but with eXchange 4 you’re supposed to be able to import photo-realistic characters from DAZ.

Granted DAZ3D the application is free. However, there’s no avoiding dropping some coin if you want to make anything in it. You’re still going to have to buy characters and sets and prop’s etc. So when you really start to get into it, it’s not really any more economical than iClone.

Having played with them both equally as much the past few months, I’m going with iClone over DAZ3D.

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I also have to agree.

DAZ models are great (not just the pretty girls mind you), but the software is kind of a drag. DAZ Studio is limited unless you buy a ton of plugins, and Carraraa is still kinda glitchy.

You can make some decent models in iClone and can import mostly anything if it's not too high of a polycount. iClone also has some nice material options too.

Mixing iClone and programs like Zbrush or 3D Coat, you can get some really amazing results.

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from what I can gather (I can't even figure out how to load the default models in Daz3D, it seems to have an awkward interface), Daz3D is more of a figure posing program (like Poser), whereas iClone is a movie production program. So naturally iClone's models aren't going to be as detailed as a program more aimed at static posing.

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Poser and Daz go beyond posing. Although DAZ suffers from a nonsensical structure of its assets and a wonky interface, it is suitable for filmmaking too.

...and you might be surprised at how heavy a polycount iClone can manage on some machines. I still find that the major caveat is texture weight. The same goes for 3D exchange. Objects that crash with their original textures intact, load up just fine without them.

That's sums it about up for DAZ. I'm not sure about the filmmaking part. I remember it being touted as Poser replacement after some row between DAZ (or Zygote) and whoever developed Poser at the time.  What a disappointment that has been.

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The first thing to consider is whether you want to pay for temporary software or not. RL seems to be implementing a new license scheme that essentially makes your license temporary (limited to 5 install/uninstalls)...among other things. Software usually has a perpetual license. The problem with install limits is many fold: computer death, hardware upgrades, infection issues, etc can all cause you to have to re-install software. People who used Antic's software learned the hard way that temporary software is not worth the money.

Granted, iClone is not under the new licensing scheme of CrazyTalk Animator..., yet. But, this seems to be the way RL is going. And having to buy another license (I don't care how much it is discounted) to install to a laptop is not attractive. Neither is the necessity of being online to install the software (this is a major security issue).

See the discussions:
https://forum.reallusion.com/Topic75417-161-1.aspx
https://forum.reallusion.com/Topic69118-251-1.aspx
https://forum.reallusion.com/Topic74594-253-1.aspx

If none of the above bothers you and you don't mind:

Operating creatively in a closed system where the full functionality of character animation is limited to RL content only (lip sync).

Being limited to RL's low resolution characters in order to take advantage of things like lip sync.

Being limited to low resolution assets in order to take advantage of iClone's render speeds.

Basically, being limited, then iClone might be a good option.

Before the licensing policy changes, RL's products were attractive b/c of ease and speed. If, in the future, iClone is licensed like CTA I will not be upgrading. Until I know for sure what iClone's licensing policy will be, I will not be investing in any new assets.

As mentioned before in this topic there are many alternatives. Most likely they will cost you. But, at least you'll be purchasing licenses that are perpetual and worth the virtual paper they are printed on. And what you pay for in plugins you'll make up for in inexpensive Poser/DS content (not to mention options, variety and choice of content and content vendors).

In fact, the options are getting richer:

With puppeteer, lipsync and Animate (plugin), DS can do decent animation.

With plugins Daz Studio can lower the resolution of Poser/Daz character/content for faster renders.

With plugins these characters can be exported to most programs that accept collada or fbx, in many cases keeping the textures and rigging in tact.

I believe someone is working on a GPU based renderer for DazStudio...this means near real time rendering (even with high resolution characters).

If you have a GPU, blender, Houdini, Cinema 4D, Lightwave, Xsi or Maya you can probably already take advantage of using your DS/Poser content with an internal or third party GPU Real time renderer

I like DazStudio because it makes it easy for me to port characters and content to other programs. If ever I become proficient animating in a professional application or a game engine, I can bring my legacy DS content with me to that app (high resolution and decimated versions).

As games become more HD and more people invest in GPUs, the low resolution look will quickly become dated.

As systems become more open source and options expand, most want to patronize companies that make it easier for them to learn and grow. I will drop companies that try to box me in, make life more difficult (or expensive without value added) and limit my options.

Just a thought.

I believe someone is working on a GPU based renderer for DazStudio...this means near real time rendering (even with high resolution characters).

@Gdai

As quiet as it is kept, for clips that don't require shadows and intricate lighting, Daz's current open GL actually renders faster than a comparable scene in iClone. However, if I had to choose one of the two, I'd select iClone any day - many of its capabilities often go untapped.