Now that you are able to reuse components across multiple characters this is less of an issue than it used to be.
However, the fact that you cannot use: ccAvatar, ccProject, ccSlider, ccHair, ccCloth, ccShoes, and ccGloves sold by Reallusion goes back to my previous point.
I can purchase store content & content packs that include sliders and character presets but If I apply and use them with original creations I require an enterprise license in certain situations.
The value proposition for investing in the suite really depends on what your project usage requirements are.
The ability to reuse content across multiple characters is certainly an improvement and does address a core problem with the legacy licensing agreements.
There is still an opportunity to leverage the software to speed things along but you have to be very diligent when actually deploying content in a finished project.
Have you used any content whilst iterating and modifying your work that is subject to specific license restrictions?
It creates a layer of hesitancy and confusion at best and liability at worst.
Going back to the official response, Reallusion “offers its heartfelt appreciation… with this updated content license policy, we hope to benefit a broader range of users and move forward together in this increasingly competitive digital landscape”
Appreciation is nice, but money talks. The reality is that people that have previously invested in extended licenses are not being compensated.
The underlying message here is that we are targeting new users and those that have invested in this ecosystem prior are of lower priority now.
That’s fine I understand the financial motivations for this decision.
However, it does present a risk of pushing away the legacy user base in pursuit of new users.
My hope is that the needle can be thread in such a way that new users are brought in without losing too many existing users in the process.
For me personally, a goodwill gesture and store credit would have alleviated some of my frustrations with paying over the odds for content that is now cheaper and has the same usage terms as what I paid double for in the past.
Beyond content store licence changes I had a similar experience after investing in the 3DExchange Pipeline previously.
The end result is that I am less likely to continue investing in store content & plugins moving forward. I will still use the tools and suite when it makes sense to do so but I am far less likely to purchase store content moving forward.
Overall, I still believe there is currently room for Reallusion in my personal pipeline. As time goes on I feel like competing solutions are likely to close the gap.
If you’ve already invested the time to learn and leverage the tools then it makes sense to keep using them where applicable.
If you are a new user looking for software to create and modify character art then the other options available today are increasingly more enticing.
I would still generally recommend people explore the suite and if it is right for their project but any recommendation to do so comes with some serious caveats.
Ultimately, it’s still difficult to wholeheartedly recommend the Reallusion suite to new users.
I wish that wasn’t the case.