Why do I say this? >>>>  'iClone' is to 'Animation' as 'Hitfilm' is to 'Editing'
Well these are my thoughts ....
It's the 'instantly engaging' aspects that make both of them 'appealing' ...

If you were a 'serious editor' producing 'professional content' - then Hitfilm Express (the 'free' version), would not likely be a serious consideration. There are many 'more professional' programs out there for achieving much better results ....
BUT ... let's face it - 'Hitfilm' is 'easy to use' - and DOES produce - well, 'results' - even if not professional.
So I was just chasing some feedback from *any* who may already use 'hitfilm' OR EVEN the 'more professional' compositors.
And here's why....
It seems (to me) that the most 'economical' way into 'planar tracking' is with the 'free' version of 'hitfilm' - combined with the modest $49 BORIS 'planar tracking' plug-in.
Well is this 'to die for'? - (well, OK, let's not get too carried away - but you know what I mean)...
I'm open to be corrected on my thinking here for sure - and ..... I 'don't bite'  ........

It's a sad reality that "as your project grows and your 'creative conscious' wants "more" or "better" (to quote a reliable source),  that yes, better 'tools' are sort after. It's all too easy to 'make mistakes' by purchasing the wrong software. (Perhaps more correctly, 'inadequate' software - and sadly, I've made my share of mistakes) .... 
You don't always know 'what' it is you need when first embarking on all of this.
● Is it like 'journeying in the dark'? - yes - because you can't 'see' clearly' at the outset exactly where you're going.
● Is it like 'negotiating a mine field'? - yes - because if you make the wrong move (or purchase), it can backfire in your face.
● Is it like 'navigating through a maze' ? - yes - because the wrong choices can lead you down dead ends with your workflow....
And it seems the more you try to 'cut corners' (budget wise) - the more potential problems you're likely to face.

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

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 don't know much about HitFilm, but I remember I had asked Wildstar about his experience with it, and he had mentioned that it has an issue with opacity maps and iClone avatars. 
I recall he alluded to the fact that it was a deal-breaker because the hair looked bad, so he didn't see using HitFilm as a viable rendering tool.

Thanks Tony .... I'm going through quite a 'downer' lately   - the past 3 months has been 'exhausting' to be honest ...
I'm just wanting get my 'tools of trade' done and dusted, as in *finalized* - it's been mentally taxing...
Been trying to do all this 'on the cheap' - and paying the price in other ways ....

Edit: I found the thread you were talking about Tony ....
@wildstar " ..... about hitifilm, fusion, element 3d , there is important information. this engines

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

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

Having joined a local film and video club about a year ago I purchased Hitfilm for editing and creating special FX which is what I was interested in learning, I would say it is very similar to aftereffects but without the cost and the added ability to edit a whole film/project, in one place, I would also say you can get pro results with it but as with anything you need to put in the time to learn things. Now I am starting to use Iclone and Hitfilm together which is great and normally work on most of the club projects on the special fx side if needed as most other members use other software which does not have the capability or is out of their comfort zone to learn another program.

I did my own version of a vampire scene we shot at the club one-night using Iclone for the first time to see if it could work, I used Iclone for the 3D opening/closing shots and the setting, then rendered them out and brought into Hitfilm for the edits and special Fx, the main shot of the whole story was just two guys walking forward against a black background, opening a coffin and turning around to look at the vampire. I think there were five versions created and shown on another evening, My version went down extremely well with lots of interested folk asking how it was done.
Yer Tiz       https://vimeo.com/262349868
     

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
View my latest Iclone project THEY ARE HERE Renegades versus the overlords 

I used Hitfilm pro but I use it mainly as an editor. So I export my Iclone session In PNG and edit them together in HF.  It is a great software, but not as easy as I thought.   For me there is one feature that is missing. EDL export. There no serious editor that don't need this feature .I already mentioned this. They are opened to add the feature but the problem is that HF is not only an editor but it also does VFX and more so it makes thing more complicate. This is my number one concern.  The other bug for me is when working in VR the text fonts look really bad.   

I love Hitfilm and I will probably keep updating because the community is great, I also bought Mocha VR which is the VR mocha pro plugin. I haven't had the chance and time to use it much yet but I knew that this tool was needed to clean up VR footage so I bought it.

Start using HF express and go from there , you might fall in love with HF. 




Ryzen R9 5950x, RTX 3090, 128Gb Ram ,2 x 2 TB Samsung 980 Pro M.2 SSD

Horror Stories in VR
Immersive Sound VR
Immersive Sound VR on Oculus TV

@jfrog - yes well I think 'Hitfilm' is targeted at 'Indie film makers' - which is fine. - Actually, digging a bit deeper,  I've come to realize there's quite a few things that Hitfilm can do .... (again, the iClone analogy). One feature I'm particularly interested in is the 'planar tracking' ability using the Boris plug-in. I'll look further into this ... btw - I've found that there's some distinctive differences between the 'express' and the 'pro' versions of hitfilm, and thanks to the following video - those difference have been made 'clear' .....
(Even though you can purchase 'add-ons' with the free version, there's some *core features* that only the pro version has).  (Thnx jfrog  )
This video is a bit 'full-on' - but if you can ride it through, you'll get to appreciate the different features of 'express' vs 'pro'.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UFYHiP3odK8


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

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

A while ago we had a discussion about Hitfilm and while it is capable as a compositor with an emphasis on the visual aspects of film, I found it lacking as an NLE.

The biggest drawback  for me is the lack of audio tools, one of the reasons I keep using Vegas. I have used Vegas for a long time and I find the basics quite easy.

While searching for some comparison between Vegas and Hitfilm, I found this in a discussion at the FXHome forum:

 Now. I've edited in Vegas since 1999 and used Hitfilm since 2013. So. 

Vegas is a superior editor. Editing in Vegas is smoother, faster and easier than Hitfilm. Vegas still has the best audio toolkit of any NLE. If your primary need is to cut video (say you cut multicam events) and you only need color correction and simple 2D titles Vegas might be a better idea.

Hitfilm Pro is a fantastic layer based VFX and compositing program with a basic functional editor. If you need complex compositing, advanced VFX or 3D animation, Hitfilm is probably your choice.

Vegas and Hitfilm have an integration function. Clips can be sent directly to Hitfilm from Vegas and the Hitfilm clip replaces the Vegas on the timeline. Hitfilm projects can be loaded into Vegas and the Editor Timeline will be treated as a single media clip. Works pretty well, but note Vegas will need to proxy the Hitfilm clip before it can be used. Depending on the complexity, this can be a few seconds to "I should have just rendered in Hitfilm."

Think that's enough to help you choose. Both are excellent software. If you were to choose only one, in general I'd recommend Hitfilm Pro. Hitfilm's VFX capabilities mean it can do things Vegas just can't at all. Your editing experience won't be quite as smooth, but the sheer power of Hitfilm is hard to beat. 

For the record, I generally do my primary editing in Vegas and use Hitfilm for VFX shots. 

---

@animagic .... yes - good info there .... I'm coming to similar conclusions. Audio isn't really an issue for me since that's been done first - and now the visuals are being created to match. Yes, I do like the 3D aspect of hitfilm PLUS it allows for the Boris Match Move plugin - though not all features of 'Hitfilm pro' can be purchased as 'add-ons' - but most can.
I think those points mentioned in the 'discussion' you've posted here are very true - (only finding this out over the past couple of days)
Thanks heaps for that animagic .... more 'pieces' of the puzzle ....

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

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 the end you don't need anyone's permission or 'okay' to use something, so go for it!
I just myself like to see what limitations are there, up front, that way I don't devote time and energy to a m'eh result.
The soup of knowledge has not one ingredient, so try out and see what works and what doesn't. 
As far as a downer, embrace the downer...that is the best time to trial new ideas, you can only go up from there! 

Ani’s quoted post sums it up. As an editor hitfilm is just there, as a compositor it actually is quite great if you take the time to learn it. It can be very frustrating at first. I’m friends with quite a few “proper” filmmakers and it’s a pretty decent split of who is using after effects and who is using hitfilm. The allure with hitfilm is it gives close to after effects quality for basic composting without the crazy learning curve of AE and the crazy price tag. But for editing... it isn’t much at all. There a reason it plays very nice with Vegas. They’re really supposed to do different things. But... you can use HF as a NLE. Just not a good one. There are tons of HF tutorials out there, so get ur feet wet and see if you like it. It may grow on ya. And you don’t have to sell a kidney to pay for it like AE

My "NEWEST" Latest  Movie Made With Amaaaazing iClone


—> High Noon”ish” in Narrow Valley<—