>>>> Rogue Anime ... Top shelf - very impressed! Use this character in a tutorial to reveal your process for those like myself who have not achieved such excellent results! Thanks allot  ~V~  <<<<
Have to agree with you, I'm following Craig's excellent work  ....


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please be patient with me ..... I don't always 'get it' the first time 'round - not even the 2nd time! :(  - yikes! ... 

● MSI GT72VR Laptop, i7 7700HQ 4-Core 3.8 GHz 16GB RAM; Nvidia 1070, 8GB Vram ● iClone-7.93 ● 3DXChange Pipeline 7.81 ● CC-3 Pipeline 3.44 ● Live Face ● HeadShot ● Brekel Pro-Body ● Popcorn FX ● iRAY ● Kinect V2 ● DaVinci Resolve17 ● Mixcraft 8.1

Top shelf - very impressed! Use this character in a tutorial to reveal your process for those like myself who have not achieved such excellent results! Thanks allot  :cool:~V~

       Val RogueAnanda

68% of original size (was 741x21) - Click to enlarge

Here is another character named Julie. I have been experimenting with PBR, textures and lighting. 68% of original size (was 741x21) - Click to enlarge

Your comment  " ..... iClone is getting pretty complicated .... "
Yes, I noticed you've been a member here for 10 years - I bet you've seen big changes in that time.
Even I've seen big changes since I joined 3 years (at which time I didn't start creating anything).
And I really quite liked the look/feel of iClone 5 - the style of the User Interface somehow 'resonated' with me.
But yes, each section/feature of the current version is becoming more and more detailed - therefore more complicated for 'first time' users aa well as us 'older ones'. I've got a lot of catching up to do. But I want to concentrate on:
●1.  Importing and arranging mostly sketchup or DAZ sets & props
●2.  lighting the scenes
●3.  setting up camera angles
●4   animating avatar actors for the wide shots
●5   using 'live actors' keyed in for the closeup / lip-sync shots.
That's why I'm particularly interested in your approach, because we have things in common. :)
Anyway Craig - I don't want to side-track your thread here .... :satisfied:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please be patient with me ..... I don't always 'get it' the first time 'round - not even the 2nd time! :(  - yikes! ... 

● MSI GT72VR Laptop, i7 7700HQ 4-Core 3.8 GHz 16GB RAM; Nvidia 1070, 8GB Vram ● iClone-7.93 ● 3DXChange Pipeline 7.81 ● CC-3 Pipeline 3.44 ● Live Face ● HeadShot ● Brekel Pro-Body ● Popcorn FX ● iRAY ● Kinect V2 ● DaVinci Resolve17 ● Mixcraft 8.1

Yes, I have found that texturing is very important. I am still experimenting with different ways of getting that done. Someone just posted this https://material-z.com/  I have not used it or even tried figuring it out. 
The other thing is lighting and PBR stuff. I have not really got that nailed yet either but I think I am getting closer.
iClone is getting pretty complicated.
Craig 

@Craig .... nice approach here - I liked your 'first step' (the music)  :P

● Play appropriate background music for inspiration.
● Analyze script - Create Scene Shot list
● Organize File Management (setup a file structure on your hard drive to keep all the objects and projects you create)
● Draw storyboards
● Build 3d object in SketchUp: Group parts, Name parts, Create Assembly of parts, Name assembly, Save to SketchUp 2015
● Import to 3dExchange - Subgroup Parts, Smooth Parts, Export to iClone
● In iClone - Place the object in the scene, Texture, Light

I've only textured in sketchup so far, but seeing what sets and props you've created, (great look), - I'd like to try texturing in iClone - seems a whole big topic on it's own.
Thanks very much for sharing this .... 

◇◇◇ Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use. ◇◇◇  - Unknown

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please be patient with me ..... I don't always 'get it' the first time 'round - not even the 2nd time! :(  - yikes! ... 

● MSI GT72VR Laptop, i7 7700HQ 4-Core 3.8 GHz 16GB RAM; Nvidia 1070, 8GB Vram ● iClone-7.93 ● 3DXChange Pipeline 7.81 ● CC-3 Pipeline 3.44 ● Live Face ● HeadShot ● Brekel Pro-Body ● Popcorn FX ● iRAY ● Kinect V2 ● DaVinci Resolve17 ● Mixcraft 8.1

Here is my basic workflow. I will be posting a detailed Tutorial on the http://CLICS.online website in the near future.

The first step is very important. - Play appropriate background music for inspiration.

Analyses script - Create Scene Shot list

   Organize File Management (setup a file structure on your hard drive to keep all the objects and projects you create)

Draw storyboards

Build 3d object in SketchUp: Group parts, Name parts, Create Assembly of parts, Name assembly, Save to SketchUp 2015

Import to 3dExchange - Subgroup Parts, Smooth Parts, Export to iClone

In iClone - Place the object in the scene, Texture, Light

Craig .....
I am 'Maya', 'Houdini', '3dsmax' and 'Carrara' illiterate - along with any 'pragramming' ability..... (sometimes I wonder if there's anything I'm good at :crying: lol).
But this is really encouraging to know you've used 'sketchup' on virtually all your work here - (I'm not too bad with sketchup).. and surely this is encouraging to others who find Maya and the other Big Guns hard to master.
In particular that helmet of yours (referring to SU), is impressive. I guess some folk tend to associate SU with architecture (ie straight line work), but as you say, with 'plugins' more is possible. In fact a lot more really. TBO it's my 'go to' app for creating anything. With enough effort some really nice 'organic' modelling can be created. I find it extremely 'intuitive' to use.
I'm really really impressed with what you've shown here .... please post more and do keep us up to date with your project Craig !!!
Steve.

btw Craig ..... - your 'texturing' - is that handled in SU as well? - Would you mind telling us a little about that part of your workflow?


◇◇◇ You have to do what you dream of doing - even while you're afraid. ◇◇◇  - Arianna Huffington

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please be patient with me ..... I don't always 'get it' the first time 'round - not even the 2nd time! :(  - yikes! ... 

● MSI GT72VR Laptop, i7 7700HQ 4-Core 3.8 GHz 16GB RAM; Nvidia 1070, 8GB Vram ● iClone-7.93 ● 3DXChange Pipeline 7.81 ● CC-3 Pipeline 3.44 ● Live Face ● HeadShot ● Brekel Pro-Body ● Popcorn FX ● iRAY ● Kinect V2 ● DaVinci Resolve17 ● Mixcraft 8.1

I am using SketchUp for almost everything. There are a few plugins that I have purchased that give SketchUp some pretty powerful capabilities. There is also a boatload of free plugins that are quite useful. I have dabbled in other programs but I find that those have many features that I don't need. As a matter of fact, I have Maya, Houdini, 3dsMax, and Carrara. Each of those programs can run circles around Sketchup but at this point for what I am doing, I do not need them.  

Craig

@ckalan1
Hi again! ....
I was wondering how many (and which ones) of your sets/props you've achieved using 'sketchup' ....
I'd be really keen to know ....
Steve.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please be patient with me ..... I don't always 'get it' the first time 'round - not even the 2nd time! :(  - yikes! ... 

● MSI GT72VR Laptop, i7 7700HQ 4-Core 3.8 GHz 16GB RAM; Nvidia 1070, 8GB Vram ● iClone-7.93 ● 3DXChange Pipeline 7.81 ● CC-3 Pipeline 3.44 ● Live Face ● HeadShot ● Brekel Pro-Body ● Popcorn FX ● iRAY ● Kinect V2 ● DaVinci Resolve17 ● Mixcraft 8.1