@enternityblue: It was a tongue-in-cheek comment. Blender is just not an interesting option for me. I have too much invested in iClone and hopping from one app to another is just a pain. I'm not interested in super-realistic rendering as it will not necessarily result in better stories. Instead of painstakingly listing what is lacking, I rather work with the renderer that is provided in iClone 7, which is pretty amazing if you spend some time with it.

BTW, I see that I should brush off my programming skills and supplement my retirement income with scripting...:cool:

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Yeah, I would love to do everything in iClone, but I am already needing to use Blender to make costumes and props, at some point you have to weigh each option, and Blender IS looking better and better as a complete solution. And trust me, I really want iClone to work for me, that's why I have so much invested in it already with Pipeline 7. I just hope something like the particle system doesn't become a huge expense, it wasn't a paid feature before, it was included, and now the update I can understand it will cost something, but I hope that cost goes to PopcornFX and they are able to give us the same tiered amateur/pro option they give other platforms. I am not trying to steer anyone to Blender, I just hope Reallusion doesn't price me out of the game here. If this plugin is high priced, it is another stone on the scale in Blender's favor for me. Note: I'm disabled on a very tight budget so it is a real limitation for me, not just that I don't want to pay a high price. I can afford the amateur fee, not the pro one. 

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My system: i7 3770 Gtx1060 6GB

This Video was posted on their Facebook page,


https://www.facebook.com/ReallusionSoftware/videos/868153510011713/

I actually think iClone has matured enough as a "Jack of all trades" - the latest version with the promised features and optional plugins has made an accessible 3D animation program for the masses.  Holding this unique position in the market does create a whole new set of challenges... particularly with the likes of Blender/Fusion/Sculptris etc. all capable of far more "Pro" results with the only expense being your time to learn them.  In my mind, the two features that make iClone stand apart - speed and character animation - are what they should put 90% of their effort into.  It's clear that 'bolt on' particle systems, facial mocap etc. are helping expand the iClone "system", but that same path is available to all Reallusion's competition.  The game industry has become too big to ignore, and being "the industry standard" for easy and natural character animation creation won't happen if the program is "OK at most things" but doesn't "excel" at anything.  The next version of Blender is going to shake up the industry in a big way - and I'm sure the day will come when some bright spark writes an "import iProject" script, or at least makes it easier to work with your FBX exports.  iClone would then be like an 'offline' - build your scene and animate your characters faster than any other system... then you import it to Blender for the 'online', where you 'sweeten' the animation with the vast array of tools available - high end particles and fluid simulations, PBR or Non-Biased rendering, 3D camera tracking and so on.  Best of both worlds!  I'm sure Reallusion is also aware that Adobe didn't buy Mixamo by accident... they will have a plan for it, and with their resources you can bet they could become the industry standard for "speed and character animation" in no time at all.  Just my two cents!

What would make me happy would be the possibility to import Houdini into iClone, which would require Alembic import of some sort.

As to what iClone should be, it's been a recurring discussion, and I believe not having the additional capabilities (as requested by users) would make it less interesting, at least for me. For years, Blender has been supposed to blow everything away and it has still not happened. There is an article that explains why that is (I don't know the reference right now). 

To be perfectly clear, I have nothing against Blender, and I wish them the best, they are Dutch after all...:P

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If making $, deductible business expense!

https://www.popcornfx.com/download/
25 euro for the personal edition. That's a good price if RL will sell it at this price range. They will sell more if they don't price it out of range for most iclone users.

This can't be more be expensive than the Indigo plugin, which was a total bust in real life application.

I made a comment on their Youtube video that I hoped it would be in line with the cost of the plugins for Unity and Unreal, and they 'hearted' my comment, so read into that what you will. It seems at least from their end that is the desire, but Reallusion may still want a slice of the pie. I thought with the open API thing that developers would be able to make plug ins on their own for iClone and things wouldn't have to go through Reallusion's hands and add extra costs, but I don't know if it will work that way. 



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My system: i7 3770 Gtx1060 6GB

Popfx is not in the same league as fume or houdini fx.  
They can't price it high its game quality.

Geeze, I almost hate to say it, guys, but this is one time I think you are under valuing this cost, by a LOT.

My own gut tells me this will come in around $200 (remember, I'm pretty good at pricing this stuff, having worked in the industry for many years doing exactly that).  If it's much less than that I would be AMAZED (and it wouldn't surprise me to come in slightly higher -- more than $300 is unlikely, though).

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Alienware Aurora R16, Win 11, i9-149000KF, 3.20GHz CPU, 64GB RAM, RTX 4090 (24GB), Samsung 870 Pro 8TB, Gen3 MVNe M-2 SSD, 4TBx2, 39" Alienware Widescreen Monitor
Mike "ex-genius" Kelley