Have we covered the Carrara/iClone workflow?
BC Rice
Posts: 591
Not sure if it exists or if we've covered it.
I've only ever considered getting iClone if it was possible to build animations, save them as BVH/GFA files and bring those animation cycles into Carrara.
I know Wendy is always bouncing between the two.
Is this possible with iClone? I use Crazy Talk Animator Pro instead of Flash sometimes and enjoy it quite a bit for its easily engineered movement stuff and interface. But I don't have any interest in rednering 3D out of iClone.
Anyone know the verdict on this?
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Comments
I tend to only go from Carrara into iClone, quick rendering time for animation and bringing my own rigging to life main reason.
I did go the other way because I beta tested pipeline but usually have no reason too.
the bvh exports work better in studio on Daz figures but I still have issues no-one else seems to with pinned hips, I do not know what a GFA file is.
I can FBX export iClone figures into Carrara animated but really see very little need, if I had the mocap plugin and kinect I might export stuff more but I do not.
Genesis and most Daz/Poser figures work better imported from a Daz studio export, I do other figures particulary static models I rig myself from Carrara.
This is a fascinating subject that I'd love to get some more info on. I too have recently purchased iClone, CrazyTalk Animate Pro, popVideo Converter, and also the Kinect plug-in for MoCap (I still need the actual Kinect divice, however, yet another couple hundred bucks - sheesh). It is a software family that packs a potentially huge blast of fun, even though the output quality is extremely low. The facial animation and mocap are irresistable playtoys.
Though I plan on using the software products together as designed, I was also pondering the possibilities of building some rigs in iClone and bringing them into Carrara.
It's rare to have the opportunity to state that the above products I mention make Carrara and DAZ products look like they were made by AutoDesk. How often do we get to hear that?
you cannot build rigs in iClone, it is only an animator.
you can however import your Carrara built rigs, just to 3dxchane 5 pipeline, does not even need to be loaded into iClone, retarget them to use iMotions, import a motion then fbx export it back to Carrara with that motion.
likewise I imagine with the kinect mocaps.
I will admit I use mostly Daz content in iClone, not for art renders though, quick dirty animation!!
Wendy, ever tried your hand at getting iCone's facial animations into Carrara? Or is it just easier/better to use Mimic Pro?
it uses crazy talk in iClone that does not export as an iMotion
I have manually moved the bones to make facial animations but not patient enough to work out poses for phonemes, one could do a carrara mimic pro plugin nla clip if one saved poses for them and imported a Daz figure mimic track substituting the iClone nla clips of the same names seems too much effort for me but not impossible.
Check this thread. I talk about the iClone-Carrara workflow.
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/6124/P30
I use it only to animate in iClone and export it with 3dxchange pipeline in Carrara. Worth the trouble.
Okay, so you can bring the animation you create in iClone into Carrara? That's all I'm looking for with iClone. You do it using FBX?
That'd be great, because then I can just turn them into aniblocks and go. :)
I can't really tell by looking at iClone standard and pro if it's able to do what I want. I don't want to bring the physical model back into Carrara (via 3d exchange), I just want to bring in the BVH file. An FBX is like the whole rig right?
well I have never been able to do that.
I can bring in animated figures via fbx
but not to use as motions on others
not saying it cannot be done, I just do not know how.
bvh into studio is the only way but I myself get hip pinning issues, others do not seem to find this.
do NOT buy standard, a waste of money, I had iC3 &4 standard, very very limited, I only used it with iClone figures and imported props to do the occassional quick mostly speech based animations.
you need pipeline to export bvh and it will not work with standard, do not think even 3dx5 pro does, so get the Daz shop 3 in 1 bundle, it gets you the mocap free at the Reallusion price.
Okay I see. Watched a tutorial on it. Basically iClone needs you to build a skeleton for M4/V4 inside iClone, which means that you have to purchase 3D Exchange as well. I'm wondering if the cost of iClone + 3D exchange is much better than just grabbing Poser Pro, which I think also has a pretty strong animation interface.
yes you need 3dxchange pro to get ANYTHING in
and pipeline to get it out
if you are strickly doing mocap in Carrara, ipisoft or other software prob better
I render a lot in iClone, esp stuff I rig myself in Carrara, good for that as it brings my rigging to life which I cannot do otherwise.
Yeah, it's $700 for the 3 in 1 and that's on a 25% sale. I can't imagine it's worth it for the limited amount I'd be using it -- specifically for animations to be exported. $700 buys a crap ton of Mixamo motion. ;)
I think if I try out an animation specific program I'll just grab Poser Pro.
I would like to bring a few characters and animation from iClone 5 to Carrara 8 pro. I tried to accomplish this using the 3DXChange Pipeline FBX export, but my character appears balled up (and the skeleton doesn't look right) when imported into Carrara . Can someone (Wendy :-) ) shed some light on the proper workflow? What could I be doing wrong or leaving out?
Thanks for you time and consideration.
Nevermind. Wendy answered my question posted in the Reallusion forum. The problem was seen because I was using Carrara 8.1 Pro.
With Carrara 8.5 Beta I can successfully import iClone characters and animation from an FBX file created in iClone 3DXChange.