Answers in Scripture

iclone and Character Creator Beginner Class is not for Beginners.  Parental Notes, Cautions, and Warnings

Notes about student prerequisite skills:

This course is advanced.  The student should have already been doing some advanced computer work such as Adobe Photoshop, building websites or other advanced software activities.  If they have designed something in Blender or other software, then this course will be a breeze.  This course is not for students that score high on video games but have never worked at the object level in a software package.  We may create a course for this student skill level in the future. 

Course prerequisites:  This can vary and here are some ideas on knowing if the student is ready for this content.  These specific software skills are not required, and are listed as example skills you should evaluate:

• Medium to advanced graphic arts knowledge such as Photoshop.  Ability to control layers, create masks, etc.
• Advanced PowerPoint knowledge, where they know how to add animations to slides, can sequence the animation order, and set timings.

Cautions about Money Money Money:

The animation endeavor is expensive.  Entry expenses and software to learn the basics are not that costly. The base software package will come with assets such as actors, props, terrain, etc. in order to learn the basics.  I will also teach students how to find additional free assets that can be imported into iClone.

However, as you get into this you realize there are additional software needs both within the Reallusion store, and from 3rd parties.  It is impossible to do this and create everything from scratch.  So, we purchase props from artists to use in the animation.  Or, a programmer has developed a nice Python script that does hand puppeting and you need it for an animation.   Or, the student gets into this and finds out fast that a motion capture suit costing $5,000 would be nice.  I think the course is best suited for students interested in computer programming and have an interest in animation.  Or, the student that likes to create content and has a high computer skill level.  Each of these students may then expand their skills to something with market value in the area of animation.

Warnings about student maturity:  

Reallusion has multiple stores integrated into their website. Hover over “Purchase” and you will see links to them.

• Software Store – Where you can purchase various components of their suite of tools.  
• Content Store – Where you can purchase official content assets such as buildings, props, etc.
• Actorcore – Where you can purchase characters, motions, props
• Marketplace – Where 3rd party content creators with approved accounts can place content for sale.  The majority of this content is fine.
  • However, and here is the parental warning:  iClone has started allowing porn related content into their 3rd party Marketplace store.    So, parents will want to monitor the students if they go into the marketplace.  Most of this content is blurred in the icon view.  However, the content is one click away to see the an image.  Here is a post I placed on the iClone feedback system requesting they restructure this content away from the general audience. I don’t know if they will review, ignore, or delete the feedback. 
  • In addition, characters in many cases are nudes.  So, yes the women have their God given breasts.  Thus far, they are not posting characters with gentiles.  In any case, this work will require some maturity on the part of the student to participate, and that is up to the parent to determine.