No because the file formats change in the new version to accommodate new features and improvements. This makes the files incompatible with the older version.

iClone 7 and 8 share many file formats such as iProp and iAcc but once files are saved in the new version they also become incompatible with the older versions.

                                                                

Peter
Forum Administrator

www.reallusion.com

Thanks Peter, but the point is that in previous releases, if a character - for example - was “cc3” base mesh then it would open in any program that supports cc3 base meshes.

So Camilla and Kevin are cc3+ base meshes. IClone 7 supports cc3+ base meshes. So Camilla and Kevin should work in iClone 7.

As you said, they use new “Extended Facial Profiles” - meaning they have new Blendshapes, right? And so THAT is the only reason they can’t be opened in iClone 7, yes?

It has always been the case that when a new major version is released the previous version can't open files generated or saved in the new version.

For example, iClone 7 can't open iClone 8 files, iClone 6 couldn't open iClone 7 files, iClone 5 couldn't open iClone 6 files and so on.

So to clarify, Character Creator 4 did not introduce new CC4 Base meshes. Kevin and Camila are CC3+ Base characters just carefully modelled for ultra realism and they use the new extended facial profiles for detailed and expressive facial animation.

                                                                

Peter
Forum Administrator

www.reallusion.com

It's a necessary difference.
My take is it's a CC3 plus character compatible with only CC4.
But true updated CC4 character is yet to be release fully.

I could be wrong but if one accepts this then confusion is less.

For me New Version and Compatibility are different.

This is crazy. Way to confuse customers, Reallusion!

Why didn’t they just call this a CC4 character, seeing as how it can only be used with cc4?? Even with there being no “difference” to the format, there clearly IS a difference, as they aren’t compatible with CC3.

No, it's just a cc3+ saved in a format that CC3 doesn't recognize. There are no differences between the models, so it isn't a new generation.

What I'm saying is that if the file can only loaded in CC4 and iC8, it's effectively a CC4 generation.

Animating now to life itself --Walt Whitman 

Until Peter replies himself
Someone from RL , maybe it was Peter did say that it's CC3 plus character but due to different ways of saving and compatibility it is not backward compatible.

Forgive my simple answer but this was the context i perceived from that reply.

So its CC3 plus character in other format and maybe there is possibility of new improvement in this in future releases.

Gnight.

Let me see if I have this right?
CC4 Camila is a file in the CCAvatar format.
It exists in iClone 8, so iClone 8 can load this format.
Character Creator 4 identifies it as a CC3+ character, but this does NOT mean the file can be loaded into CC3.
For one thing, iClone7 is forbidden access to iC4's Character folder.
For another thing, iC7 doesn't even display a .CCAvatar file on the Desktop among its loading options.
Even if you copy/rename CC4 Camila.ccAvatar to CC4 Camila-Copy.iAvatar, and move it to the Desktop, iC7 "failed to load the file."
I think it's germane to also point out that if you take an iAvatar and give it Extended Expressions in CC4, the result is invalid for iClone 7.
Therefore, for all intents and purposes, I suggest that CC4 characters de facto exist.
Perhaps Peter can clarify.


Animating now to life itself --Walt Whitman