Reallusion iClone 5 Pro review

Reallusion is best known in schools for CrazyTalk, a package that turns custom images into talking 3D characters in minutes. iClone 5 isn’t quite so simple. In fact, it’s a comprehensive 3D modelling and animation package with a daunting set of tools, sliders and variables, which may put off some children (and educators).

It’s surprisingly easy to get to grips with, however. iClone 5 almost walks the user through the various steps needed to create an animation, with an intelligently ordered system of tabs, menus and tooltips. It comes with a large library of content to use, including static, video and animated backgrounds, 3D characters, models and various textures, all of which should keep students happy for some time to come.

One of the highlights is the ability to import an image of a face and map it onto any of the 3D models from the library. This can then be tweaked and refined to create a fully customised head for use in a project. Once the backgrounds have been loaded and the scene has been set, students can be directors of their own movie and interact with the model and all the elements in the scene in real-time. Extra cameras can be introduced, lighting changed, music added and the model animated using a “puppet” tool. The possibilities are vast.

Better still, iClone 5 Pro supports motion capture using the provided drivers and a Microsoft Kinect sensor. This opens up the program for a whole new area of work, giving students who may not normally have the ability to animate a 3D model the opportunity to really get involved. This is a fantastic resource for role play and can easily be used with younger children, who will simply enjoy interacting with

a virtual world.

Reallusion iClone 5 Pro is better suited to secondary school students, since there’s a learning curve and the presentation of the software can be quite technical. That said, it has a strong set of features and can produce some excellent results. It’s worth the money if you need a higher-level animation package.

Author: Jay Stansfield