Hi Mawag01,
YES, this is definitely possible with iClone as you can import and export models and characters in and out of iClone via our 3DXchange5 software, which is iClone’s converter and exporter.
3DXchange supports OBJ and FBX formats for interoperability. So you need both iClone5 + 3DXchange5, to import and export to external 3D tools.
That import and export is possible, I saw in the video. But the video showed, that the head is made of trigons. And I want to know, if a head, formed by photos, can be exported with quads with an edgeflow, showed in the tool for moving parts of the face?
I mean the tool showed at the time 8.55 of the video. Here are only quads. But the UV-Map showed triangles at 8.15 min. ???
Hi Mawag01,
Ok. I understand now what you were asking. Unfortunately, at the moment we are not able to export anything with quads because everything that is imported into iClone turns into triangles. However there are tools that convert triangles to quads but I understand that they don’t do this very well. iClone6 is in development right now and this is definitely something we can mention to the developers here.
Another work-around would be to convert directly to Dynamesh in ZBrush, that way one would not have to worry about the topology at all when sculpting.
Tutorial # 3 - Customize your iClone Character
There are many different options for creating and customizing your characters in iClone5. This tutorial will teach you how to take any iClone character and completely change it into your own unique creation by using the powerful character modification tools. Learn how to change facial and body proportions and textures, create unique clothing and hairstyles, and much more. This tutorial is essential for learning about the various options you have for characters in iClone5.
Tutorial # 4 - Create Instant Facial Animations
One of the coolest features with iClone 5 is the ability to create realistic facial animation in literally minutes! This tutorial will give you the low-down on how to do this. That’s not it though… iClone 5 allows you to make much more detailed edits to your facial animation to create subtle nuances in expression and give you complete control over your characters facial movements.
Tutorial # 5 - Use Advanced Facial Animation tools in iClone
In this facial animation tutorial, you will learn all about the powerful features of the iClone’s facial puppet and others tools that can help you bring your character’s expression and speech to life. You’ll get a walkthrough of audio lip-syncing and how to refine it, as well as how to add emotions using various facial animation options.
Tutorial # 6 - Create quick Body Animations with iClone
iClone’s Body Puppeteering panel offers a unique and easy way to animate your characters with highly-customizable animations. You can preview your motions in real-time and make minor adjustments as the animation loops. The Body Puppet panel also gives you the ability to mask out body parts, and layer different animations for different parts of the body on top of each other. You can easily create, blend and mask animations to create truly unique motions in minutes.
Tutorial # 7 - Easily Modify Body motions in iClone
The Motion Modify option is a new feature with iClone 5.5 that allows you to modify postures and animated poses of your character after the motion clip has been recorded. This tutorial will teach you how to use this tool to make subtle and unique custom adjustments to motions from the motion library, and from motions created with iClone’s real-time body puppet tools.
Tutorial # 8 - Intro to Kinect Motion Capturing with iClone
iClone5 offers the most affordable and intuitive, motion capturing solution in the industry. Now you can simply use your body to control virtual actors, in real-time, with motion smoothing optimizations. Lightspeed your animations and create realistic-looking motions as now you can literally control actors with your body movements. All you need is iClone5 PRO, the Mocap plug-in and a Microsoft Kinect sensor camera. You can use the Kinect for Windows camera or the Xbox Kinect camera with the additional AC/<st1:stockticker>USB</st1:stockticker> adapter.
Tutorial # 9 - Kinect Motion Capture refinement with iClone (Human IK and Direct Puppet)
Turning your Kinect motion captures into refined motions is easy, thanks to the powerful animation tools within iClone. In this tutorial, you’ll learn the proper way to capture your motions and save them for further editing. From there, you’ll discover how simple it is to use the Direct Puppet tools in combination with some initial pose adjustments to make your motions truly exceptional in just a few minutes.
Tutorial # 10 - Tutorial # 10 - Intermediate Kinect Motion Refinement (Looping and Motion Layer Editing)
There are many more options for your to refine your raw motion capture data aside from using the Direct Puppet tool. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to use a fundamental skill to add detail to your motion with Motion Layer Editing. This involves placing keyframes and using the Human IK tool within iClone to modify your motions. You’ll also learn how to prevent foot sliding, which is a common problem with raw Kinect mocap data. Finally, you’ll see how simple it is to create a good looking looping motion, which you can extend however long you’d like.
Tutorial # 11 - Advanced Motion Capture Refinement with iClone
By now, you’ve learned how to use the Direct Puppet, Motion Layer Editing tools, and breaking clips to allow for different body alignments throughout motions in order to prevent foot sliding. This tutorial will go through much of the same techniques, but in addition will demonstrate how to make edits to produce a great side-facing motion. The important techniques for how to remove wrist flips in your animation are also explained here. For slow motion emphasis on your motion, you’ll also learn how to use the Time Warp feature and how to Insert Frame. Finally, some Kinect mocap motions may result in your character ending up at a different place on the screen, which can cause trouble for looping motions. Here you’ll learn how to fix that with the Align to Root feature.
Tutorial # 12 - Consolidate all iClone Motion Data for Export.
iClone provides the ability for users to consolidate all of their motion data, including body, facial, spring, accessory, and constraint animations into a single MotionPlus file. In this tutorial, we’ll start out by assembling a monster character with both puppet and spring accessories, then go about using iClone’s various real-time facial and body animation tools to create a quick yet comprehensive animation. From there, it’s all about saving the iMotionPlus file from the timeline, and exporting it with your character to Maya, Unity 3D, or any other CG or game software you use.
iClone has a library of literally hundreds of motions that you can apply to your characters with a simple click. In addition to that, there are thousands more available in both the Content Store and Marketplace, as well as other external marketplaces around the web. The thing about motion clips is, with a little creativity, you can do all sorts of cool things to them to customize them and make them unique. In this tutorial, we’ll learn about a couple of simple motion clip editing techniques, and how they can really enhance the energy and uniqueness of your motions. By using these techniques together with some simple camera work, you can make your motions much more dynamic and attention-drawing.
iClone6 is due for release in December 2014 with enhanced visual quality, a flexible UI, and streamlined plug-in configuration in future updates.
This new iteration comes chalk-full with lots of new features that are a direct result of months of collaboration with awesome 3rd party developers like; Indigo RT for super rendering quality, soft cloth, wind behavior and multiple textures by Nvidia***8217;s PhysX , SpeedTree and Allegorithmic***8217;s Substance.
Enjoy this sneak peek video and check out the iClone6 website for more up to date information:
http://www.reallusion.com/<wbr>iclone/14-ic6_preorder/index.<wbr>html[FONT=microsoft jhenghei]
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IClone 6 looks interesting. But I have questions… Will upcoming IClone feature professional full export import ability? The 3Dexchange intermediary step seems weird (and no offense, dumbed down). Never come across pro level 3D app that has no internal export import and needs a totally separated program to do such basic things.
Another thing - can’t imagine typical modellers foregoing Zbrush’s far nicer preview lighting/shadow/material and high resolution modelling for IClone’s game res lighting/material just to animate with no real-time blendshape editing! What…just to play with physics? Or look Ma I have a rigged character?
Hmm I’d rather stay here and torture myself with Transpose Master…or have fun with MoveTopology chunks of hair… :lol:
No modellers can live without modelling tools at their fingertips. If there’s IClone-GoZ that packs up existing maps, plus real-time glass and water yeah I’ll totally consider it.
Hello Metafly,
And thank you for the questions. We are here to answer them.
iClone6 will continue to require its import-export tool 3DXchange5 but at the moment it will only be for import as the export function would still have to wait until the next iteration of 3DXchange. The difference between iClone and other industry standard applications is the wide spectrum of users that iClone encompasses. iClone is designed for Expert, Pro-level, intermediate, beginners and no-experience users in mind. Many of these novice users have no need for full import-export capabilities, but they do want to take advantage of iClone’s lighting speed animation capabilities. The same can be said for Expert users, who already have high-end software like ZBrush, that do a much better job at creating characters and models from scratch. iClone is not designed to model anything from scratch as there are existing tools that already do a wonderful job at that.
Naturally, this does not make iClone a competitor. Because it isn’t. iClone is a companion tool that allows Expert-level modelers to bring in their creations to animate on the fly. That is why iClone is slowly turning into an industry favorite Pre-viz tool that allows you to bring in your work from other applications, for quick and easy motion building.
Modelers indeed could never live without amazing tools like ZBrush, and thus iClone is not designed to replace that. But iClone is designed to take out some of the “torture”, as you say. Albeit in other areas like facial and full-body animation.
Thank you again!
Hi thanks for responding… (MetaFIREfly not a meta-fly LOL)
Anyway yes you’re right IClone is not a Zbrush competitor, they’re like grapes and apple… Zbrush is a modeller with some animation abilities but even IClone pro has no one vertex deform basic tool - and can’t export on its own…
That’s what I meant when I say I would rather torture myself with Layers and Transpose Master and Timeline than torturing myself exporting stuff to an IClone intermediary exporter and then exports to IClone just to…? Compile layers to blendshape in real-time?
A separate exporter is regressive whatever the rationale, period, particularly for notoriously manual export averse species of Zbrushers. Nowadays pros or artists tend to go for totally-open “super applinked” apps. Big picture view is…even the most proficient and disciplined Zbrush masters would bypass UV and multi-map export to external apps if they could. See the earlier response in this thread? Typical Zbrusher…
IClone can be interesting though for those easily satisfied with the available IClone models and props. I doubt typical morph-crazy originality-obsessed Zbrushers would be. I know I won’t be. I know I will always have a morphing and painting need when I animate. I know how much file transfers and clicks I can bear before my creative enthusiasm gets killed. Understand why most Zbrushers with animation interest tend to go for modelling-animation-rendering package with instant vertex manipulation right at their finger tips. Like Modo or Max or Maya. (gee all M!) Modo has direct link with 3Dcoat. Max has direct link with Zbrush. Zbrush has direct link with C4D and so on. That’s how things work in the non-consumer zone… Errrrrr wait am I being clear…? 
Hello MetaFirefly,
Apologies for misspelling your name there. Yes, you are correct that iClone has no vertex deform tool because as I mentioned before, iClone is not designed to do that.
Just to give you a little background info here; when iClone was originally started it was all about quick drag & dropping items and motions. This allowed for a huge group of people that really had no experience in animation but often had a vision, or a story to tell. iClone allowed them to do just that…it was a gateway for them to enter the world of 3D without feeling intimidated. Eventually, our developers started delving into options that would allow users to customize their own animations. With this came the automatic lip-syncing feature which can be used with just the power of your voice. Then we had the body-puppeteering panel that allowed us to not just control the tempo of an animation, but to also start mixing & blending 2 different animations into one. Slowly after, we started playing with more advanced animation features like the DIY Kinect Mocap system. Now, none of these systems were perfect but they did accomplish what they were designed for— to open the world of animation for more users.
The issues that we often have is how to cater to such a wide spectrum of users without disappointing? This is difficult as different users have different needs. This is one of the reasons why we have the iClone 3DXchange tool as it allows more advanced users to import and customize their characters and props, prior to working in iClone. Some users might want to scale their polygons for real-time animation, others might want to modify their material channels. And even others might look to just instantly characterize their characters for use with iClone’s universal character system. Now the thing is, that a large community of iClone users are not looking to import or export. They don’t really need all these advanced features in their iClone application. So why have them pay for things that they don’t really need? (FYI - iClone is extremely affordable) Some users might not need the import/export features, but they are looking for ways to quickly animate their characters. Which brings me to my original point on iClone’s main purpose… which is to provide users with a super fast way to animate. With this being said I could ask any Maya, Max or ZBrush user how long would it take to create a 120-second facial animation? 5hrs? 8hrs? 1 Day? With iClone it can be done in less than 15 minutes. Even if you go into the nitty gritty of refining all the phonemes, it would probably take you 25 minutes tops. The same can be said for its body animation. This is the power of iClone.
Now, some people might state that it is time consuming to use a 3rd application to convert. But the truth is that 3DXchange was carefully designed to streamline just that. If your character has already been properly rigged in let’s say Maya, then converting it for use in iClone is almost instant. As 3DXchange already has presets for Maya, Max, Daz 3D and others. It’s one-click characterization does the job in 2 quick steps.
Also, it’s good that you mention that most Pros and Artists tend to go for more modern “super applinked” applications because this is exactly in the direction that the new iClone6 is going! iClone6 is now centered around the concept of making it more plug-in compatible with other industry-standard tools. A good example is the new IndigoRT plug-in for iClone6. http://www.reallusion.com/iclone/14-ic6_preorder/visual.html
Another awesome plug-in that will soon be available for iClone6, is the new Noitom Tech Mocap plug-in. This plug-in will interface iClone directly with Noitom’s body mocap systems in real-time. Allowing for precision mocap with up to 30 independent body sensors. This will really open the floodgates for some awesome DIY animations!!
In our roadmap we also have a new facial plug-in being developed with one of the world’s-leading facial mocap companies. But we are currently keeping this under wraps for now. 
With all this, its not surprising to see more and more iClone users start using ZBrush, and more ZBrush users learning about iClone. Because in the end, there is no definite one tool or package, but instead an arsenal of tools in any professional’s toolset.
Thank you for the interest MetaFirefly. We are always grateful to have the chance to explain what iClone actually is, and where it is going.
Hi Oxidus
Glad IClone is moving towards professional end of its broad user base. Indigo sounds like a good choice. High-end mocap is very good for marketing too!
My needs are mostly basic though, namely adding blendshape layers on the fly. I hope one day IClone will either have some kind of basic Move Topology tool, and GoZ, and ship with an “Exchange Master” with import/export in the top menu!
All the best!