Archive notice: This article was originally published on December 3, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
New features in iClone 3
Compared with its predecessor, iClone 3 included a wide range of new features. Creating scenes and actors had been simplified to the point that almost anyone could use it with ease. The new Play-to-Create film control allowed actors and vehicles to be directed in real time with a mouse or keyboard, just like in a video game. A multi-camera system with flying- and walking-camera recording, together with an expanded lighting system, enabled more spectacular image sequences. Movements could now be edited directly within the scene.
The new DramaScript function allowed interactions between actors and objects to be predetermined. Other additions included a landscape designer for creating custom vegetation, tools for building 3D scenes with terrain, sky and water, spectacular weather effects, and dynamic clothing that responded realistically to each situation or action.
Machinima and filmmaking
“Machinima” was a current trend in the international creative scene. The term, formed from “machine,” “cinema” and “animation,” described a new art form attracting large numbers of artists who were producing clips that previously could only have been made in major film studios. Instead of software costing thousands of euros and specialized equipment, creative users needed only iClone 3 and a reasonably fast PC to realize their ideas without limits.
Web video, podcasting, mobile phones and more
iClone 3 was not limited to producing elaborate 3D films. For web designers, it included export functions for transferring virtual web assistants created in the software to a website. Users could also enhance mobile phones with animated MMS files, exporting iClone animations in 3GP or MPEG-4 format. Caller identification for friends, relatives or business partners could be personalized by creating a 3D character from a photograph of the person and loading it onto the phone.
Games, comics, virtual learning and training
For professional and hobby game developers, iClone 3 offered a new way to create game characters with different body types, personalized faces, and facial and motion animation. The motion editor allowed movements to be adapted specifically to each game. Comic artists could design an unlimited number of characters for their comics. iClone 3 could also be used in business, for example to enhance PowerPoint slides with talking 3D characters, voice recordings and audio files.
The new iClone 3 was available immediately from retailers for €79.99.
