Hello. Recently, I revisited iClone and was pleasantly surprised by the improvements in version 8. As an animator accustomed to various 3D software and primarily game engines, iClone now feels more intuitive and adaptable to my workflow.
Also, for years, I was a Daz enthusiast. However, I drop it due to frustrations with its IK system and the underwhelming release of version Genesis 8.1. Now, with my renewed interest in iClone, I was wondering if I could check again what Daz can offer in terms of animations. I know it's not the best tool for that, but still... Just as a hobby.
So, this is my rocess so far:
- I've attempted to animate a pair of Genesis 8 figures in several contexts: conversations on a sofa, hand-in-hand walks, and even dancing.
- I utilize 3DXchange to convert the Genesis 8 figure into an iAvatar file (is that the correct term?) and subsequently import the same figure into iClone twice. I make sure it keeps its original bone structure.
- Animation is done in iClone, with significant emphasis on the IK system.
- The animations are exported in FBX format. I've experimented with various output types: Unity, Unreal, and Cinema 4D. Some times I have to export figure by figure, other times the outcome is a single FBX containing all the figures.
- Each variation is re-imported into 3DXchange. I ensure the correct root bone is designated and then export as a BVH file. Given the preserved bone structure of Genesis, no further steps are needed here.
- I then import the results into a properly configured Daz scene (with limits turned off for all figures).
- Issue: Every time, I encounter the same problem. While the animations are accurate, both figures always appear at coordinates (0,0,0) or just slightly moved, meaning they don't retain the correct world positions. I ensured the root motion isn't reset during iClone export. In fact, the Cinema4D FBX in 3DXchange displays both figures in the right world positions at 3DXchange.
- I even tried to use Blender for the last step instead of 3DXchange, but the resulting BVH just doesn't work correctly in Daz (limbs extremely deformed).
All of this doesn't ocurr if I export from iClone other animations for wathever character to Blender and Game Engines. Only Daz...
Has anyone encountered and resolved this issue? I've found several tutorials about importing iClone animations back into Daz, but they primarily address single characters and don't touch on this specific situation.
I'd be grateful for any insights or solutions. Thank you in advance.
PS. Sorry to put this here instead of the Daz sub, but it seemed dead...