DAZ to iClone workflow?

FirePro9

I have been learning to animate with DAZ, and now wanting to learn to make interactive demos/games, I just bit the bullet and purchased the iClone Animation Pipeline package.

I am trying to visualize my workflow process and have a couple newbie questions about the DAZ to iClone workflow:

1.  Given that materials are highly dependent of the shader-rendering engine combination used, should I worry much with how materials look in DAZ and just deal with them in iClone?

2. I do like the iRay rendering engine and have a video card that handles it well, so should I take my iClone animation efforts back into DAZ for rendering?

My end result is to have both rendered animations and the ability to move the content to a  game engine to allow for end-user interactivity.

Thanks! 

Chohole

There are threads around the forums with some tutorials which may help you.   THis thread first post gives an index of those which have been aded so far.  

http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/53984/animate-daz-with-iclone-6-reference-guide#latest

will2power

I think the answer you're seeking is going to come from the style of render that you want. Without knowing your specific tastes, you're not going to really get a good answer because it's too general. No one's going to say that one Renderer is better than another, or rather we all have our own preferences, and you shouldn't let that affect what you like. It doesn't matter what I think or anyone else thinks if you look at the render and you're not satisfied. When you talk about workflow, there really is no set way of doing it. You're just going to have to find what works for you and refine it until you have a process you can live with or that blows you out of the water!

I might start with making the suggestion that you actually take a few of the characters you intent to work with and import them into Iclone 6. Set up your scene how you want it, and try the render. Then I suggest you take those same elements into DAZ and try to accomplish the same thing. Look at the animations side by side and try to keep track of things like how long it took to render, what problems you encountered and your comfort level with doing each thing. Evaluate each route you take and its outcome. By the time you finish, you'll have a definite idea of what you like and don't like and what works for you and what does't. 

FirePro9

Chohole, thanks for the link to the iClone getteing started tutorials, they will be useful.

Will2power, thanks for the feedback, have to agree with you. Will have to do comparison renderings and see the results vs. the time and effort for each.