@Bellatrix
Think you mean, that Daz & co may solve our 3d problems better and faster. Yes and no. I tried all possible and known 3d software incl Carrara and all kind of games with editors. If you need easy and good auto-lipsync all games are for the bin. Daz has not bad lipsync, but you got a huge problem with physics, particles and so on. With Iray & co you get from Daz & co very good results - but that takes endless time. Additional the animation possibilities in Daz & co are very limited compared to iClone.iClone will still deliver best results for the hobby animator, that wants to make simple movies with speaking and moving toons and other avatars. More complicated movies with additional physics and particles and action will be a big problem to impossible, because with nearly no automation you run out of time, fast. If you got high-poly content, you should must use v5, because v6 likes to freeze up the whole computer, if you have too many Dazzies inside the project.
Go Unity and you will get all you need. PBR, automation, physics, vehicles and, and and. There you can work until v7 is finished. ;-)

indeed, I was also thinking of moving to Unity. Is it complicated?

You may find that a combination of the two will be more powerful than Unity by itself for movie making. That is, if you already have iClone like most of us here.

Most of the timeline editors available for Unity are not really designed for the type of character animation that iClone offers. Things like motion blending, cutting, integrated lipsync, and so on.

I did find one that was designed more as a character animator than a cut scene creator. It has an Alembic import option as well, which will be quite useful.

http://slate.paradoxnotion.com/

@stevevonder
You can take a lot from iClone to Unity and use it there. Unity is easy to use and any content has normally a demo scene included. Perfect for learing and combining of content. The problem is mainly finding the right content pack for your needs.
About one month of learning and trying in Unity ~ one year of fighting against issues and impossibilities of iclone.

I'm glad you found a solution and don't have to be bothered with iClone anymore.

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I'm glad you found a solution and don't have to be bothered with iClone anymore.

+1
Greets Postfrosch


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No madicloner, that is not what I meant.
You misunderstood the very clear purpose of this thread and my postings 

This discussion is not about Daz or Blender is better than iClone for iCloners
(Yes Unity is sexy so is UE Source FilmEngine all on my long candidate list)
There are enough threads about A tool vs B tool already
It would be totally on topic, to show your fav Unity addons that benefits iClone-type animators
(or start a fresh thread to talk Unity greatness)

@ everyone....
This discussion is CLEARLY about
Opening up Scripting & SDK = good for any CG "movie capable" tool
I emphasize again: GOOD for ANY TOOL - Unity Source Cry UE Maya Zbrush Modo Lightwave DazStudio Poser Carrara Blender FilmEngine
GOOD for their users. Functionality increase = productivity. Tool has longer life span.
Good for its developer's financial report. More sales more users more cash flow.
true for $4000 tool, true for FREE tools with $2.99 - $39.99 addons!
which, incidently, brings us to....
IClone is the only one in this long list of cinematic wares that does not have opened scripting/SDK !!!

IF you really want to see iClone become great one day - iClone 6.8 or iClone 7 or iClone 2022
Do yourselves a favor - keep this discussion moving forward (instead of backward or sideway or nowhere)
continue to show how similar PROSUMER tool benefiting from opening scripting/SDK !
Why not $3500 pro tools or game dev tools?
Because many iCloners are easily intimidated
(also myopic: mistaken addons-efficiency as technical learning curve when it actually means more FUN and EASE!)

But who cares about users fun or ease or creative productivity
This is a business
So..
from a marketing perspective...................
It's 2016 so about time iClone move on to Daz Studio grade prosumer!

Here's another example how open scripting = robust user growth (in every sense of the word)!



Who would've thought physics was possible in Daz Studio!
Thanks to again, one very high output maverick MJcasual
I never thought Daz Studio will get more than ONE dynamic clothing plugin too
By end of this year it will have THREE dynamic clothing plugins!
Thanks to?
Coders, again!
and, of course
Wise busine$$ attitude about Scripting and SDK....



  >>> Indie Generalist modeler-rigger-animator <<< Hardware: AlienWare i7-HK 32G GTX1080 2T-SSDs BenqSW320 Wacom-Intuous 3Dconnexion ||| Software: IC6 Pipeline - CTA3 Pipeline - ATK2 - Indigo ||| Zbrush4R8. Blender 2.79. DazStudio 4.9. Carrara. Poser. Octane.

Well, we cry for x years for scripts in iClone. We don´t get it - and RL is deaf to these cries.
They invest time and money in never wanted VR and 360 instead of reacting to real senseful things.
I know the scripts in Daz - and the additional particles, too. Both is only provisory. Use v5 and you get better particles, physics and facials. RL has not reacted to your cries for years - and I don´t see any sign, that this behavior will change. VR & 360 is now totally hip and fullymega important. Heaven knows for what, when these gadgets can only make odd looking footage because of lack of modern PBR and other great graphics technics of today.

Anyway: Fav Unity addons is the whole Unity system. Take the animated iClone content and use the Unity content like PBR, AI and scripts to make your movie. That´s it!
And I see at moment no other chance for us. At moment RL has very different goals like VR & co.

Your second topic regarding why scripts are important for movie making:
As long you make very simple clips with some avatars, that move a bit around and speak a bit, all is ok. It is not the big problem, pushing some buttons at the right time.
Your problems begin, if you have action clips and many avatars, that should do something. Then the button pushing over and over again gets fast really time consuming and annoying.
Linked to this problem are more complicated content like vehicles with driving and pathfinding. Most of us are "one man shows". All my projects from 2015 are at moment on ice, because I got not the time for the needed, repetetive actions of turrets, ships and so on.

Or in short: With "AI" scripts we can "simulate" our helpers and "movie crew" for bigger projects. Without, we can only make smallest and tiny projects with simple content.
That´s the sense of scripts - and the only chance, that professionals may take iClone serious in future. And professionals mean customers with a lot of budget..

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You got my vote too.

Done some LUA scripting with MOHO (Animation Master) to make my and others workflow easier.

Looking forward to the day I/we can do same in Iclone.

Chris.