Features that you could slap yourself for not figuring out sooner.

dracorn

NorthOf45 said:

Under Render Presets/Iray there is "Sun Dial Set". This will put a sundial control at the origin of the scene. The elevation and azimuth (heading) dials are controled from the "Sun Chain" node, or drag the "Sun" node around, but that only moves in a limited manner, so you need to be in the right position. In Environment, set "SS Sun Node" to "Sun Dial -> Sun Base -> Sun Chain -> Sun" node. Now the light will follow the sun dial settings.

Otherwise, the Environment will expect Latitude, Longitude, and time at the location of the render, which might not be what you want, and trying to figure out where and when you want to be could be a real pain.

I hope that's what you were asking...

Oooh - thanks for that one!  That's one thing that was bugging me about Iray and was so much easier to do in 3DL.  I will have to try this out.

L'Adair

dForm is a great tool. You can use it to make indents, or bring a bit of cloth out of some object, etc. But those dFormer field spheres can be a pain to work with. They load at a size to cover the entire object.

What I've recently discovered, though, is dForm uses weight maps. I don't know how long that's been the case, but with all the work I've been doing with weight maps for dForce, discovering I can use "Influence maps" instead of the spheres was a real game changer for me.

Linwelly

If someone could point me to a (not youtube) tutorial for weightmaps I think I could learn a thing or two. That is something still uncovered for me.

L'Adair

Linwelly said:

If someone could point me to a (not youtube) tutorial for weightmaps I think I could learn a thing or two. That is something still uncovered for me.

Not a complete tutorial, but I've got a post on using wieght maps with dForce. That might get you started: Medieval Cloaks, Part 3a

Linwelly

L'Adair said:

Linwelly said:

If someone could point me to a (not youtube) tutorial for weightmaps I think I could learn a thing or two. That is something still uncovered for me.

Not a complete tutorial, but I've got a post on using wieght maps with dForce. That might get you started: Medieval Cloaks, Part 3a

Thanks a lot! I bookmarked that and  will have a look in a quiet minute.

Linwelly

not sure if this had been mentioned before but I just found this nice little info from Mattymanx about Zeroposes in another thread. I though I add it to this collection

Mattymanx said:

» show previous quotes

DS has the ability built into it.  If you select the figure and then right click on the Parameter Tab, go to Zero and then choose Zero Figure Pose or Zero Selected Item(s) Pose.  The first zeros the whole figure back to their default pose, the second only affects the bones you have selected on the figure

scorpio

Linwelly said:

not sure if this had been mentioned before but I just found this nice little info from Mattymanx about Zeroposes in another thread. I though I add it to this collection

Mattymanx said:

» show previous quotes

DS has the ability built into it.  If you select the figure and then right click on the Parameter Tab, go to Zero and then choose Zero Figure Pose or Zero Selected Item(s) Pose.  The first zeros the whole figure back to their default pose, the second only affects the bones you have selected on the figure

You can also select the figure in the viewport and where the axis is theres a little man click on that and you get some options, this also works on seperate bones.

Petercat

scorpio said:

Linwelly said:

not sure if this had been mentioned before but I just found this nice little info from Mattymanx about Zeroposes in another thread. I though I add it to this collection

Mattymanx said:

» show previous quotes

DS has the ability built into it.  If you select the figure and then right click on the Parameter Tab, go to Zero and then choose Zero Figure Pose or Zero Selected Item(s) Pose.  The first zeros the whole figure back to their default pose, the second only affects the bones you have selected on the figure

You can also select the figure in the viewport and where the axis is theres a little man click on that and you get some options, this also works on seperate bones.

You have to be using the universal tool, Alt+Shift+U.

scorpio

Petercat said:

scorpio said:

Linwelly said:

not sure if this had been mentioned before but I just found this nice little info from Mattymanx about Zeroposes in another thread. I though I add it to this collection

Mattymanx said:

» show previous quotes

DS has the ability built into it.  If you select the figure and then right click on the Parameter Tab, go to Zero and then choose Zero Figure Pose or Zero Selected Item(s) Pose.  The first zeros the whole figure back to their default pose, the second only affects the bones you have selected on the figure

You can also select the figure in the viewport and where the axis is theres a little man click on that and you get some options, this also works on seperate bones.

You have to be using the universal tool, Alt+Shift+U.

Any of the translate tools

L'Adair

I'd really like to give credit to the person who first posted this, but I can't even find the post of the member who mentioned the original post…!

You can change the values in the various parameters by using arithmetic operators:

• Find the setting you want to change, for example, X Translate.
• Click on the actual value to turn the display into a text field. The value will be highlighted.
• Press the "End" key on your keyboard, so you're not overwriting the value
• Enter the operator followed by the value you want to modify by. Here are some examples, using the Scale parameter:
  • To scale a small prop up from 100% to 250% by adding the value, change "100%" to "100%+150"
  • To scale a small prop us from 100% to 250% by multiplying the value, change "100%" to "100%*2.5" (That's an asterisk as the multiplication operator.)
  • To scale a large prop down from 100% to 15% by subtracting the value, change "100%" to "100%-85"
  • To scale a large prop down from 100% to 15% by multiplying the value, change "100%" to "100%*.15" (That's an asterisk and the modifying value is "point-one-five.")
  • You can also scale that prop down using division, which comes in handy if you don't know the exact end value you are looking for. So change "100%" to "100%/X" where X whatever value you need. (That's a forward slash for the division operator.)
• I've tested all four operators, +, -, *, and /, to verify they work as expected.

What a time-saver!

Richard Haseltine

L'Adair said:

I'd really like to give credit to the person who first posted this, but I can't even find the post of the member who mentioned the original post…!

You can change the values in the various parameters by using arithmetic operators:

• Find the setting you want to change, for example, X Translate.
• Click on the actual value to turn the display into a text field. The value will be highlighted.
• Press the "End" key on your keyboard, so you're not overwriting the value
• Enter the operator followed by the value you want to modify by. Here are some examples, using the Scale parameter:
  • To scale a small prop up from 100% to 250% by adding the value, change "100%" to "100%+150"
  • To scale a small prop us from 100% to 250% by multiplying the value, change "100%" to "100%*2.5" (That's an asterisk as the multiplication operator.)
  • To scale a large prop down from 100% to 15% by subtracting the value, change "100%" to "100%-85"
  • To scale a large prop down from 100% to 15% by multiplying the value, change "100%" to "100%*.15" (That's an asterisk and the modifying value is "point-one-five.")
  • You can also scale that prop down using division, which comes in handy if you don't know the exact end value you are looking for. So change "100%" to "100%/X" where X whatever value you need. (That's a forward slash for the division operator.)
• I've tested all four operators, +, -, *, and /, to verify they work as expected.

What a time-saver!

You can put any DS script in there, and the return value will be placed in the box after hitting enter/tab.

fastbike1

@L'Adair  "You can change the values in the various parameters by using arithmetic operators:"

Why wouldn't you just type in the value you want? Once you click on the value, just type the number you want.

Syrus_Dante

@ L'Adair

I've tested all four operators, +, -, *, and /, to verify they work as expected.

Are you shure? I tried this lately with my current Daz Studio v 4.10.0.123 and there seems to be a bug with this.

If I use this on a property like Scale and type in "-20" behind 100% and press enter I get 0.0% as the result. I also tried 100%-20% same result.

I guess Daz Studio tries to substract the value of 20 from the real value of 1 this scale property has internaly.

I can confirm it works on translation properties like X tranlate with real values not showen as percent.

To me it seems Daz Studio can't do math with those sliders showing the value as percent. See Parameter Settings: checkmark: As Percent.

nicstt

fastbike1 said:

@L'Adair  "You can change the values in the various parameters by using arithmetic operators:"

Why wouldn't you just type in the value you want? Once you click on the value, just type the number you want.

Because I can revert it to the original value by using - \ or * + with the value I changed it by.

50.06464 + 180

230.06464 - 180

are simple examples

Linwelly

nicstt said:

fastbike1 said:

@L'Adair  "You can change the values in the various parameters by using arithmetic operators:"

Why wouldn't you just type in the value you want? Once you click on the value, just type the number you want.

Because I can revert it to the original value by using - \ or * + with the value I changed it by.

50.06464 + 180

230.06464 - 180

are simple examples

And that indeed can be very handy at times

Richard Haseltine

You can do stuff that isn't easy to do in mental arithmetic (for most of us). Even randomise - Math.random(). But ultimately, to quote a very great ...err. being "Use or do no use, there is no "why?""

L'Adair

Richard Haseltine said:

You can do stuff that isn't easy to do in mental arithmetic (for most of us). Even randomise - Math.random(). But ultimately, to quote a very great ...err. being "Use or do no use, there is no "why?""

LOL

Syrus_Dante said:

@ L'Adair

I've tested all four operators, +, -, *, and /, to verify they work as expected.

Are you shure? I tried this lately with my current Daz Studio v 4.10.0.123 and there seems to be a bug with this.

If I use this on a property like Scale and type in "-20" behind 100% and press enter I get 0.0% as the result. I also tried 100%-20% same result.

I guess Daz Studio tries to substract the value of 20 from the real value of 1 this scale property has internaly.

I can confirm it works on translation properties like X tranlate with real values not showen as percent.

To me it seems Daz Studio can't do math with those sliders showing the value as percent. See Parameter Settings: checkmark: As Percent.

I tested each of these, including percent, and had no problems. I was also using the latest beta. Oops. I think the release version of DS on my render machine is still 4.9… I can try testing there and report back.

fastbike1 said:

@L'Adair  "You can change the values in the various parameters by using arithmetic operators:"

Why wouldn't you just type in the value you want? Once you click on the value, just type the number you want.

There are many reasons typing in a value every time can slow you down. One reason, for example: If you want to increase/decrease by the default value, you click on the + or - of the parameter slider. But there are times when you want use a smaller or larger value. I like to rotate the dome in increments of 30. Using operators, I can add +30 to the end of the value, highlight and copy the +30, and in each subsequent change, just paste that to the end of the value.

Anothre example: One trick people use to render a scene faster is to light a scene well, then change Exposure in Tone Mapping to render the image darker. I've been doing that with a scene that uses the Fog System from Iray Storm, but with lights in many windows of the town in the background. I found I needed to bump the luminance way up to compensate for the Exposure, but those values aren't all the same. By multiplying the Luminance value by a set amount, the lights continue to have the same relationship as before. The same holds true for reducing the value when changing the Exposure for a bit lighter render.

In the end, though, it's all about what makes sense to you. If it's easier for you to just type in the value, (which is what I've been doing for years!) then that's what you should do. But if the need arises, you also know the operators will work.

3Diva

Fantastic gems in this thread! I haven't read the whole thread yet, but what I have read is really great. Lots of good tips here!

XtraDimensional

Anybody know of an easier way to increase or decrease the step size of the dials? Like, a script or something, maybe?

FirstBastion

Excellent thread of information

 

Cybersox

Hanabi said:

Anybody know of an easier way to increase or decrease the step size of the dials? Like, a script or something, maybe?

Besides simply making the parameter dial wider?  I run two monitors and find that just undocking and moving a dial over to the second screen at full screen width is the quickest way to get more precise control.  As for scripts, 3D Universe made a set of scene tools that includes the ability to adjust the sensitivity of the translate and rotate tools, but I'm not sure if that would work on anything else.

Taoz

 

Cybersox said:

Hanabi said:

Anybody know of an easier way to increase or decrease the step size of the dials? Like, a script or something, maybe?

 As for scripts, 3D Universe made a set of scene tools that includes the ability to adjust the sensitivity of the translate and rotate tools, but I'm not sure if that would work on anything else.

This one seems to be capable of the same (not sure if it works on anything else either).

https://www.daz3d.com/advanced-collective-transform-tools

 

 

vonHobo

Here are several products that I cannot live without:

Best lights for DAZ Studio:

https://www.daz3d.com/idg-easy-iray-studio

Third and first person cameras (as in games):

https://www.daz3d.com/kacc-character-cameras-for-genesis-8

Get two characters to look at eachother, character to look at object (indispensable):

https://www.daz3d.com/look-at-me-ii-pose-control

Speed up Iray DrawStyle for the Viewport and use less rescouces :

https://www.daz3d.com/render-throttle-for-iray

Parent a light to a figures head, eyes, body, etc:

https://www.daz3d.com/ptf-legendary-lights

AndrewJJP

Spot renders in gegeral, and in particular using them to correct poke through.

Render with pokethrough, then hide the offending item, and spot render just that area which is usually really fast. Composite in your image editor of choice.

Can also be used to correct all sorts of other things.

McGyver

The one feature I keep always forgetting about is the "Make Art Option"...

For some reason I always choose the "Crummy" option because I forget the "Million Dollar" setting is much better and makes you a millionaire.

They need to make a tutorial on how to use this feature... you always hear people talking about the "Make Art Button", but nobody ever mentions where it is.

kyoto kid

BlueIrene said:

Lots of things, especially things I briefly knew once, went 'Oooh!' about and then almost immediately forgot. The one that still niggles me a bit is grappling with the geometry editor, realising it would have solved so many problems when material zones weren't enough for my needs, then giving it up as 'too difficult'. I warily returned to it about a year later only to find that it held no difficulties for me at all. Maybe I was just 'ready' for it by then. I use it all the time now - editing material zones is as quick and simple as editing an e-mail.

Another 'why haven't I been doing this sooner?' thing is adjusting hair when trying to fit it to a figure before parenting. Viewing it in wireframe mode was the best I could come up with to enable me to see what I was doing with the scalp, until the day came (after many months of doing it in this dopey fashion!) when I realised I could select the material zones of everything except the scalp and hide them, quickly adust the hair (the scalp of which is now clearly visible) then bump the opacity of the material zones back up again. D'oh! :)

...I discovered that you could also delete portions of meshes that were not needed in the scene with it to save on geometry/texture load and reduce the number of ray bounces in interior scenes.

zombiewhacker

Courtesy of chevybabe25 in a separate thread:

If you right click on an image under the surfaces tab, you will see an option labeled "image editor" . when the image editor box comes up you will see to the right "instance tiling" . there you can change the tiling for each individual surface. 

Artini

Great thread with many tips on usage of Daz Studio.

 

tombraider4ever

Translucency maps - that they exist and the fact that I can make my own, all white, but grey - faded - on her nose, ears and hands to get rid of the, on my fav skin - red nose, ears, and fingers. The happiness of in some artworks I DON'T have to edit the nose, ears, fingers colors in my image editing software, or not so much. Have before I discovered this a few ws ago fixed that in every single artwork. The thing I would love to find out - when having a rim light behind/to the side of my character, the ears are still a bit red, and no matter how dark gray I make the tr map - of the face -  they are still a bit red. How can that be? Does the backside of the ears have skin on another map - G8.1? if so, what map?  If I can find this out, and where that is on that map, what to paint grey on the map that would be SO helpfull. The ears should not, if the light is not righ behind the character, be crazily bright red. If it should - still not my taste.

Could slap myself for not finding this out sooner lol, even w the ears still a bit red. 

Another obvious thing: that I can have a diffuse overlay - is that the word for it, with white, like 20%, to get the eye whites and the teeth more white, that I love. Was aware of diffuse overlay for a very long time but for some reason I did not think of using that for those areas.