Creating fast motions in Iclone 5 is a Slam Dunk!

So, I've been away from the program for sometime due to some minor computer related problems and I've just started experimenting on my favorite feature in Iclone 5, making fast easy motions even without Mo-cap. This version of Iclone is animation friendly the new timeline allows you to put motions together fast and easy .In fact  my only dislike about Reallusion's Iclone 5  is that the pre-made hair for characters just doesn't cut it, not even for non - real characters. I anticipate that after a few more tests that I will finally start on a long thought out project which should be fun as well as laborious. I'll keep you posted...  Until the next time keep Slam Dunking!

Reallusion Iclone5 software - Could this be the one 4 me?

So I've been testing out Reallusion's Iclone 5 3D animation software and I'm quite impressed at it's capabilities. For a software at an upgrade price tag of $99 it's hard to pass on it. I've enjoyed the previous 2 releases but admittedly found them to be behind the times for an animator due to a very restrictive timeline. Well in IC 5 there have been major improvements to the timeline as well as some brand new features like; Physics, human IK, kinect motion capture plug-in (which i have not used yet), Toon Shading and motion puppeteering just to name a few. The motion and animation tools are a welcome sight and are extremely easy and more fluid to use. I'm actually confident that i can now complete a project utilizing iclone5, as the stiffness and clumsiness now seem to be a thing of the past. It's not perfect and still could use a few minor additions, but it's well on the way to being a viable product and the quality of video's from its user base should dramatically improve. Here's a short clip to show some of the improvements in Reallusion's iclone5.

Urban Living

Render testing continues and its producing some nice results but I haven't gotten exactly what I'm looking for. Simplfying the scene in Iclone 4 while increasing texture resolution works fine but sometimes taxes the system, so the testing goes on until the next time...

Rural Render

Been doing some more test rendering with some new techniques and it's getting close to something workable. Patience has never been a strong suit of mine, but designing a set teaches me to take your time and watch out for the details. Sometimes the small things make a big difference in how the shot is viewed. This is the latest test and I was able to narrow down the number of software's used to achieve the results shown above. Until the next time...

Alley Shock render!

With this latest still I'm getting better results as I continue to workout an efficient workflow. Its coming along and probably won't be too much longer before we get the look we're after. Reallusion's Iclone 4 still shows a lot of promise and will remain in the pipeline for now . Once you understand your tools you can then design your masterpiece, so this period of learning and experimentation will payoff in the end. Until the next time...

Shadows, lighting and texturing

Welcome to 2011!  Been away for awhile, but I've been in deep learning mode. You see in trying out different animation and modeling softwares I find that they all require different ways of working to achieve a good render. I decided to study them each in detail and take from each one some things that will help me achieve a highly detailed render without waiting days to see the output. For this test i focused on Shadows, lighting and texturing and was  able to abstract a little from Poser, Carrara and Iclone  to come up with a proficient workflow and a manageable file size. Its going to take a steady workflow to achieve proper renders before starting on my upcoming film: "A Peace Discovery". Thanks to Kurzal for use of the antique dresser and corner closet. Click picture to see full rendered still.

More to come soon!