Value
While the new price of $199 is $20 more than its predecessor, iClone’s expanded options and increased stability definitely deserve the increase. Along with the additional content that comes with iClone, they also provide one or two freebie models to download from the Reallusion site. Plus, the Clone Cloth options (mentioned in the Depth of Options section above) give additional value for those who are creative and want to make their own clothes.
For more options, you can purchase extended packs of G2 content, which are a bit more expensive than the previous models: whereas G1 content was usually about $10 a model, G2 models or clothes are usually $20 per model. Combo packs of models, clothes, and/or props tend to run between $50 and $100, which puts it in exactly the same price range as most Poser and Carrara model packs.
The particle effects generator can also generate a variety of different mist options, which can be very useful.
Final Comments
While iClone isn’t able to generate the photorealistic results Poser is capable of, iClone is noticeably simpler to use and would be a great starting program for many filmmakers who want to dabble in animation. Unfortunately, folks who want to work on offline machines and Mac users are still out of luck with this program. If these limitations aren’t an issue, I would definitely recommend downloading the free demo of iClone 2.0 and seeing if it would work for your needs.
Comprehension
8.5
Depth
of Information
7.0
Interest
Level
8.0
Reusability
8.0
Value
vs. Cost
8.5
Overall
Score
8.0
The
director of two feature length films and half a dozen short films,
Jeremy Hanke
founded Microfilmmaker Magazine to help all no-budget filmmakers make
better films. His first book on low-budget special effects techniques, GreenScreen Made Easy, (which he co-wrote with Michele Yamazaki) was released by MWP to very favorable reviews. He's curently working on the sci-fi film franchise, World of Depleted through Depleted: Day 419 and the feature film, Depleted.
