VOICEPEAK and iClone 8 lip sync: making a 3D character talk, with plenty of paid extras

Note: This article was published more than a year ago.

• VOICEPEAK, iClone, and related plugin versions and interfaces change. Check official release notes and compatibility tables.
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Let us make a 3D character speak with VOICEPEAK and iClone 8.

Briefly, iClone 8 and Character Creator 4 provide real-time 3D animation and character creation.

Even if Reallusion's iClone 8 and Character Creator 4 initially look appealing, I would hesitate to recommend buying them.

A 50%-off coupon or bundle discount makes it look as though around $600 buys a perpetual license.

But doing what you actually want means spending, spending, spending, and buying more extras.

If spending around $2,000 is acceptable to you...

...then you are the kind of buyer I would recommend it to.

It can be difficult to know which purchases from the different stores are needed for a task. Without buying additional options, you may not even be able to choose a satisfactory hairstyle.

I once bought what I thought was a hairstyle and found it was only sideburns. Assume almost anything you want to do will involve another purchase.

I think the software is good, but go in expecting that $600 will not get you very far and that you may need to spend around $2,000.

The 3D character speaks

Now let us give a character speech with VOICEPEAK and iClone 8. Create the voice in VOICEPEAK.

Related product listings: Find VOICEPEAK speech-synthesis software on Amazon (Ad)

I use an elderly man in a Hawaiian shirt obtained through an earlier free giveaway. There are occasional small giveaways, but nothing seems as substantial as Epic's monthly free Unreal Engine assets. Choose Audio File from the animation creator script. There are several ways to import the audio. That is it. He speaks like this, and detailed adjustments are possible too. Rather good, is it not? More advanced plugins such as AccuFACE, which can use a camera, are available, but naturally cost extra: several hundred dollars.

Next, I added some facial expression. The expression asset is very convenient, but it is a paid pack with a name beginning with Soul. I think it was around $100 or $200.

Now add motion. Yes, that costs extra too. I forget the bundle price. Some items are free, but the useful ones tend to be paid, and the bundles and discounts make it confusing. Purchases are added to Content automatically.

It is software where you keep paying to gain more capabilities. I think it is good software, but the process makes me feel rather sick. Creating voiced 3D animation this easily is impressive; it is the relentless extra cost that bothers me. For anyone who loves paid upgrades or finds that system motivating, I can heartily recommend it. Pay, pay, pay; upgrade, upgrade, upgrade! UE5 or Audio2Face could probably achieve something similar, but their setup looks complicated. I have already spent money on iClone 8 and cannot bring myself to stop. The end.

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