Please correct me if I am missing something...

When a boned object (character or prop) is imported into iClone, you can use the Edit Motion Layer to adjust the bones of the object. During this point you have access to the regular Rotate, Translate and Scale function but unlike when you are working with the object as a whole, you cannot see the values associated with a bone's Rotate, Translate and Scale function...all you see is the visual results. In most cases this is acceptable but for some objects, especially props, being able to enter in the value as opposed to ball-parking it, is highly desirable.

This is made worse by the fact that you cannot tell which values have been key framed. When editing the Motion Layer for a character, the Motion Layer track of the time-line can be expanded to get a more detailed indication of which parts of the body are key framed but even that is a summary. For example, the Motion Layer track indicates RFingers (right hand fingers). Does this mean as soon as you change one finger bone the whole set of fingers gets key framed or only the bones actually changed will get key framed? If only the changed values then how can you tell which bones were and which bones where not key framed.

For props it seems to be even worse because the Motion Layer does not expand to provide further details. Thus either a frame is key framed or not but what details are key framed is not indicated.

Lastly Key Frame indication (for both bones and whole objects) only shows what key is yet framed, not what is key framed. For example, if you rotate the Torso of a character the corresponding frame will become key framed. But the same will happen if you move the Torso or scale the torso.

Can we get more transparency on bones and key frames? I would suggest:

1. Tracks should break down all they way to the individual bones (not just bone groups) and then be further divided into Rotate, Translate and Scale. This would clearly indicate what is key framed.
2. Bones should allow the entry of Rotate, Translate and Scale using text boxes (same as is available in Modify | Transform) for regular objects.

"We often compare ourselves to the U.S. and often they come out the best, but they only have the right to bear arms while we have the right to bare breasts"
Bowser and Blue, Busting The Breast