My wishlist for iClone and 3DXChange:

•Please, give us a 64-bit version of 3DXChange Pipeline, so we can load highly complex models (with larger textures) without worrying about “out of memory” errors (and without having to “patch” the software to make it address more memory). While you’re at it, please give us a Mac version of both programs, as well – I despise having to dual-boot my machine whenever I want to use iClone.

•3DXChange needs its very own Timeline, so I can fine-tune animations and motions (especially with regard to characters that are made up of smaller props) before applying them to iClone.

•Make the progress messages during file import in 3DXChange more descriptive; “Dump Material” doesn’t really tell me anything useful. Also, relocate this process to the background – there’s no need to tie up the UI with the import procedure.

•Please give iClone support for using an external rendering engine of the user’s choice via plugins (such as Octane, 3Delight, and mental ray), or at least give me the ability to render-out to RIB (RenderMan) files.

•3DXChange doesn’t always let me edit the position of parented objects in a scene. I should be able to edit objects independently of their parentage or attachment to the skeleton.

•Please let me edit the actual skeletal structure of my characters in 3DXChange; currently, I can edit bone assignments, but I cannot edit the “structure” of the skeleton itself, by dragging and dropping joints in the hierarchy or by, say for instance, right-clicking on a joint and saying, “Un-parent.” This would be especially handy for “robotics”-like models, where objects needed to move mechanically instead of deform organically.

•iClone and 3DXChange need their own version of DAZ Studio’s Shader Mixer, or Autodesk Maya’s Hypershade for creating advanced materials assets and shading networks. The two programs could share common shader networks, too, thus saving time and trouble.

•iClone should support “real world’ camera features such as shutter-speed (F/Stop), aperture, and angle of view, as well as fog, adjustable depth-of-field, lens flare, etcetera.

•iClone should also feature “real world” lighting effects such as volumetric lighting, fog, gobos, true refraction/reflection (as well as environment mapping), HDRI, ray-tracing, falloff distance, barn doors, god rays, light-linking, and glows.

•iClone characters should be able to react to (and “generate”) physics and fields, just like props can currently. Support for Bullet physics would be nice, too.

•iClone should feature some kind of hair-generation system, something like Maya’s “nHair.” Suggestion – it could be based off the current particle system.

•iClone should support a node-based workflow, with functional nodes interconnected in some type of graph interface, so that I could, for instance, connect a “File” node to a “Texture” node and then connect that to a node representing a “Spotlight,” resulting in the light projecting the texture onto a surface. Or, I could link a “Physics” node to an object, and then that object would respond to Physics interactions. Or, I could connect the “output” of a “Transform” node to the inputs of several bones or objects, such that when I moved the Transform node, the other nodes would move too. This is how Maya and a few other high-end packages work, and I think it would VASTLY extend iClone’s power and versatility if it worked this way, too. Granted, what I am describing here is only scratching the surface, but it would be a good start.

•iClone is badly in need of a “Graph Editor,” like Maya, Cinema 4D, Lightwave, and other packages have – that is, a way to manually edit animation curves based on keyframe data.

•iClone should be able to export camera, light, and locator data to Adobe After Effects, and should be able to render (passes, see below) to directly to Adobe Photoshop layers.

•Support for “render passes” would be fantastic, as would real-time adjustments of lighting during rendering, as would basic support for rendering out layered Photoshop files and using Adobe Photoshop plugins to add effects to final renders.

• Instead of having to “round trip” a project from 3DXchange to iClone then back to 3DXChange, iClone itself should support direct export to FBX format via Collect Clip. Come to think of it – why are 3DXChange and iClone even separate programs at this point? Since one’s functionality depends so much on the other, and since the Expression Editor seems to belong more to iClone’s feature-set anyway, and since editing things like Spring values, pivot points, etc., would seem to be more useful in actual animation scenarios, why not just combine the two packages into a single piece of software? In order to preserve Reallusion’s revenue model, “Standard” version of this new piece of software could work only with iContent, while the “Pipeline” version would support FBX files and Export Licenses. This would greatly reduce the learning curve associated with the software, simplify the ownership experience, and generally make the workflow a lot quicker and easier.

I like your list.

Some portions of it are coming in iC6, such as a graph editor, 3rd party rendering (only Indigo so far), improvements to lighting and maybe fog... we're anxiously looking forward to more "what's new" videos from Reallusion.

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Thanks! Right now the thing I want most is actual shaders that I can play with and assign; hopefully something like this is coming in iC6, what with Indigo being integrated and all. Crossing my fingers!!

the hair suggestion with particles might be a difficult one though, at least for real time.

I tried presenting an idea that could work real time, with strand hair - between cloth physics and strand hair - it may be easier on the cpu than particle hair.

there are limitations to how much can be done realistically simply because of the real time limitations and hardware available today.

I also agree with the multiple external engines, and I would think this would be a good thing for reallusion because they can sell a variety of plug ins - I try to stand in the middle of iclone where the consumer gets the best tools at affordable prices, and the company gets compensated for all the extra work so we keep them alive and healthy. It's not many companies that listen to their community like RL - so it's in our best interest to think of their well being too.

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Yes, I agree wholeheartedly. It's great when you've got a company that actually listens (hello, DAZ - pay attention!). One other minor thing I would like to see is the Expression Editor from 3DX to come over into iClone, so that we could actually access morph data from within iClone. That would be awesome. I also like your idea of PLUGINS. A plugin architecture could GREATLY increase iClone's usefulness, especially if they developed an open APU where devs could hook into the software at a very low level. As for your concerns about realtime, I get that. But, for me, realtime isn't much of an issue . . . I tend to prefer to roundtrip back to DAZ or Maya to do my final rendering and output, so realtime animation isn't that big of a deal for me. The main reason I got iClone was the animation features and the FBX import/export capability. Makes me wish more content in the store came with Export licenses!

i agree, it would be nice to have the best of both worlds.

In my case, I'm a noob ( and proud of it lol ) - so I like to experiment with eye candy for music videos.....to take a week to render 1 minute would kill me ( i don't want to wait a week to find out people thought my video idea stunk lol ) but on the same hand, if a video became popular - the option to render a high quality animation would not only be awesome, but needed.

things like this, I think are an opportunity for RL to pioneer ( AND PATENT ) new approaches to 3D workflows.

Keep up the awesome suggestions!

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Before we go all overboard and gaga, we have to somehow keep the essence of iClone intact. It's not a cheap version of Maya or any of the other high-end packages available.

The core functionality is animation and there are still improvements necessary in that area.

The graph editor suggestion has been made before, so we hope to see some of that in IC6.

I know node-based systems are all the rage, but they also have a tendency to make things overly complex. I wouldn't necessarily be in favor. I have Houdini, I love the idea of Houdini, but I can't work with it.

The reason to keep iClone and 3DXchange separate has to do with cost and the needs of various users. Not everybody needs 3DXchange functionality and it would probably double the price of iClone. iClone is also not a modeler and shouldn't be.

A plugin environment for renderers is being introduced in iClone 6, so we'll have to see what other options become available.

The physics plugin is already based on Bullet, I believe.

As to shaders etc. IC6 will support Substance.

If support for render passes etc. is introduced, their application should not be restricted to Adobe products.

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I said this in another post, the feature which matured into what we now know as the timeline used to be a separate plug in program, although free. Could you imagine setting up a great animation with a dummy model just to import it into iClone to see it sucks, then export the animation to fix the sucky part without the model that made it look sucky. Kind of pointless.

Subsequently, RL released 3Dxchange in it's place. It's logical to see why the two should be one, aside from price, it just makes sense let marketing figure out the most profitable way to sell it. Standard, Pro, Pipeline. Locked features ect. like Unity does.

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Hi to All,

I am a total newbie to iClone, just pre ordered V6 and first day with playing in 5.51 and loving it!
Coming from a video and F/X background, have also ordered Hit Film 3.

My simple request for the next release is KBD shortcuts for playing the Timeline.

Standard NLE transport keys are JKL ( J for Reverse; K for Stop; L for Play) with repeated presses affecting the speeding both directions.

Home and End keys

Markers in Timeline to quickly get to camera positions etc.

Single frame advance and reverse with Arrow Keys.

TAB for selecting next Object.

PAGE UP/DOWN to select next, previous Camera.

Sure would make the workflow a lot smoother, apologies if this has been covered already.

Loving the concept, used to play with 3Ds Max years ago, just getting back into 3D!

Cheers and Happy Days!

Serge

If animation is all you are looking at in ICLONE, I believe, you can export ICLONE animations to DAZ even now as BVH.