Hi Matt
I'll try to answer your questions for you.
1) Is iClone or CrazyTalk more suited for lip syncing a character to an audio recording? I thought CrazyTalk was but...
You can achieve great lip-syncing in either product so it's really down to personal preference and the type of projects you want to create.
2) How do I import a character I created in CC into Crazytalk? Is it possible?
In iClone characters are saved in the .iAvatar format. These can be simply dragged or imported into Crazytalk 8 Pipeline. Alternatively from Character Creator you can export an .iAvatar and import this into CT8.
3) Can someone point me to something that would give me a general feel for the pipeline I should be using? Should I be creating heads in CrazyTalk, then importing them into CC, then iClone? Should/Can I create characters in CC and import them to CrazyTalk?
If you want to create a 3D character using facial photos, then you will need to create the head in CrazyTalk 8 Pipeline and then transfer that to Character Creator / iClone. If you are not using photos to create your character, then you can do it directly in Character Creator using the available morph sliders and by editing of the texture maps.
Please take a look at the tutorial below which guides you through the process of creating a 3D head in CT8 and sending it to CC / iClone.
https://youtu.be/gDuno8Cd1_k4) What is each product best at / used for? Especially when it comes to lip-syncing.
It really depends on the kind of projects you want to create. If you only want a talking head to be animated, then Crazytalk will be ideal as it is simple to learn and use. If you want full bodied characters animated and want to create scenery and use props, then iClone 7 will be best to use. As mentioned in Question 1, both iClone 7 and Crazytalk 8 allow for automatic lip-sync creation so this gives you the option to use either product.
I hope this gives you a little guidance.
Peter
Forum Administrator
www.reallusion.com