Discarding Unnecessarily Simulating Frames

iClone is a real-time engine that requires playback time in order to simulate Physics, Particles and Speedtree Wind for export to video and image sequences. These warm up frames would usually be cut out in post-processing. In the example below, warm up time is cut out for the particle effect.

1. Create a project with physics soft cloth effect.
   
   Playback and you will see that the actor and the soft cloth simulation starts at the same time. However, the warming up (falling cloth) is unnecessary for the final video.
   
2. Proceed the either of the two methods below:
   • In order to remove the warming-up frames for the soft cloth, you can postpone the talking and performance of the character.
     
     However, this method is time-consuming, especially when there are many object performing or animating from the start frame.
   • Alternatively, you can simply add new empty frames ahead of the start frame by moving the playhead to the start frame and execute the Insert Frame feature.
     
3. In this case, the Insert Frame method (120 frames = 2 seconds) is taken as an example.
   
4. Open the Render panel and activate the Discard Simulating Frames box in the Output Range section, set the frame number you want to discard (in this case, 120)
   
5. Export the project as a media. Playback to view the result; the warming-up frames are removed.