Skin Builder - Now Available [Commercial]

Zev0Zev0 Posts: 7,089
edited April 2014 in Daz PA Commercial Products

Hi Guys. Myself and Draagonstorm have been working hard on this project. It is called Skin builder. It is LIE based. Essentially you build your characters skin from the ground up. The aim was to develop a system where you can create any race you want, or even fantasy. Basically the script utilizes 4 different race maps which were carefully built (contains even tones and no burnt in specularity) that can be blended into each other to create the exact look you like all via an interface. Further more you can then adjust the tint to your liking. It also contains an SSS add\remove feature to your creations.

The project is developed on V5 UV mapping, which means it can be used on Both Genesis1 and 2, provided you have V5 for G1, since G2 comes with V5 mapping.

Here are some key features-

-Skinbuilder script only alters the skin, and leaves eyes and lashes alone, meaning you can combine lashes and eye details from any other set or via the sister scripts such as brow builder and eyebuilder (mentioned below)

-Has no Brows pre-made on skin maps, and brows are applied seperately via an interface called Brow Builder which overlays that onto the base. It's colour, strength and height can all be adjusted on the interface.

-Contains Eye Builder, where you can construct your own eye details and alter colors on sections via masks. Will contain a variety of styles such as realistic all the way down to Anime.

_contains Eyelash Builder, which allows you to apply a variety of styles and set its colour and opacity levels.

-Contains a Make-up Builder, where you overlay various make up on the face, adjust its colour, design and opacity levels.

-Contains Tanline Builder, where you can add various different Tan lines to any V5 skin set, and adjust it to your liking, not just ones made in skinbuilder.

Recently there has been an outcry for more enthic type textures, so hopefully this product will fill the void and cater for those who wish to create a very specific look or are looking for a bit more variety.

Below is an example of the 4 base maps (just the colour textures, no normals, spec and bump applied) that can be used as is, or blended into each other. In order for this to work, details in specific areas had to be identical\similar on each map which took a while to do lol. Overall I am very happy with how this turned out. Will update with more pic examples as things get finalized.

skin_builder.jpg
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Post edited by Chohole on
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Comments

  • KickAir 8PKickAir 8P Posts: 1,865
    edited December 1969

    Ooooo, sounds good! A significant improvement on the old Mil3 diffuse trick, lots of options. Particularly interested in this one:

    Zev0 said:
    Contains Tanline Builder, where you can add various different Tan lines to any V5 skin set, and adjust it to your liking, not just ones made in skinbuilder . . .
    Will this allow palms and soles to be left lighter, or not darkened as much? That's been a particularly frustrating realism issue.
  • Zev0Zev0 Posts: 7,089
    edited March 2014

    The ethnic skin has light palms and soles compared to the skin, as they should, so if you use just the ethnic skin at full, you get that result. If you blend the ethnic skin with the light and mid skin, depending on how much of the ethnic skin is visible, that amount of light dark soles and palms will show.

    To be clear, the product does not rely on changing diffuse colour, but by blending in different race group texture maps, which give more accurate results. It has a diffuse colour setter for those who want to tweak the overal tone of that blend, but isn't really needed. Diffuse colour changing is not enough on its own, which was the main method for changing skin tones. You have to have a base that is more toned towards the race you want at root. Each race has different details, like you mentioned ethnic groups have lighter palms and soles, and that is what skinbuilder creates. So skin builder creates that ideal base to your liking, and from there you build on that.

    sole_and_palm.jpg
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    Post edited by Zev0 on
  • RiggswolfeRiggswolfe Posts: 905
    edited December 1969

    This sound fascinating. So, if I am understanding right, I could use this to, at least somewhat, make custom characters? Skin wise at least? And will there be an M5 /M6 version coming?

  • scorpioscorpio Posts: 8,419
    edited December 1969

    This sound fascinating. So, if I am understanding right, I could use this to, at least somewhat, make custom characters? Skin wise at least? And will there be an M5 /M6 version coming?

    Ditto.
    Also does the V5 have shadowing under the breasts, or make up, at least if it doesn't it can be used on Genesis for males.

  • SimonJMSimonJM Posts: 5,982
    edited December 1969

    Interesting idea - look forward to seeing how it goes.

  • nobody1954nobody1954 Posts: 933
    edited December 1969

    Whoa, Nelly........ Thanks in advance.

  • Zev0Zev0 Posts: 7,089
    edited December 1969

    This sound fascinating. So, if I am understanding right, I could use this to, at least somewhat, make custom characters? Skin wise at least? And will there be an M5 /M6 version coming?

    Ditto.
    Also does the V5 have shadowing under the breasts, or make up, at least if it doesn't it can be used on Genesis for males.

    Has no burnt in shadows on breasts or the glutes. Made sure those were removed.

  • Zev0Zev0 Posts: 7,089
    edited March 2014

    This sound fascinating. So, if I am understanding right, I could use this to, at least somewhat, make custom characters? Skin wise at least? And will there be an M5 /M6 version coming?

    You can use this to make custom characters yes, however this is not a merchant resource so any skins you make cannot be sold or packaged with a character morph. In terms of a male version, we will see how well this does on market before we decide to go ahead with that.

    Post edited by Zev0 on
  • RiggswolfeRiggswolfe Posts: 905
    edited December 1969

    Zev0 said:
    This sound fascinating. So, if I am understanding right, I could use this to, at least somewhat, make custom characters? Skin wise at least? And will there be an M5 /M6 version coming?

    You can use this to make custom characters yes, however this is not a merchant resourse so any skins you make cannot be sold or packaged with a character morph. In terms of a male version, we will see how well this does on market before we decide to go ahead with that.

    I didn't think it was a merchant resource and sadly, I don't have the awesome skills to be a PA. :) I could maybe, MAYBE do lighting rigs and poses people would want. Anyway, this sounds cool. I'm quite curious to hear more about the eyebrow builder as that alone should make this very versatile.

    I do have another question: I notice a lack of very pale skins unless it is for vampire characters. Will that be doable with this set? I also want ethnic skins but see you have those covered. That first skin looks fairly pale. Basically I have been trying to make a redhead for a render I want to do but it is hard to find skin pale enough to work as a redhead. (Let's face it, for whatever reason redheads tend to be very pale, almost ivory, in their skin tone.)

  • Zev0Zev0 Posts: 7,089
    edited December 1969

    The pale skin is very pale. The product is still in developement, and if people don't feel it is pale enough, I can easily re-adjust its values:)

  • KickAir 8PKickAir 8P Posts: 1,865
    edited December 1969

    Zev0 said:
    The pale skin is very pale. The product is still in developement, and if people don't feel it is pale enough, I can easily re-adjust its values:)

    I'm looking at the four examples in your first post, and thinking that the first one with freckles made from the third one would be an awesome red-head's skin. And I certainly wouldn't mind an albino/vampire-pale skin in the mix, but not if it's going to bump the current palest texture.
  • Zev0Zev0 Posts: 7,089
    edited March 2014

    Let's see how things develop. I normally do a final review once all is done and then make changes if needed. As of now that pale tone works nice in renders.

    Post edited by Zev0 on
  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,583
    edited December 1969

    Fantastic idea and well-executed, looking forward to it.

  • SickleYieldSickleYield Posts: 7,639
    edited December 1969

    This sounds awesome. I'll buy it the second it's out.

  • ChronopunkChronopunk Posts: 292
    edited December 1969

    Pretty much an instant buy on my end, right here.

    Out of curiosity, let's say I wanted to use this to make a red or blue-skinned alien (a-la a Zeltron or Twi'lek from Star Wars) that had actual skin tones, rather than just being one uniform color. Could I theoretically do this by way of color adjustment here?

    How pale are we talking when you say "Very pale," btw? I actually have call for "hasn't seen the sun in a year" on one of my scene projects.

  • Dino GrampsDino Gramps Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Looking forward to this. It will be an instant purchase. I don't do that normally.

  • Zev0Zev0 Posts: 7,089
    edited March 2014

    @ Chronopunk. Can you post a pic of that starwars chick because there are multiple versions of her with different designs. Also by pale, I compared it with albino tones. It won't be white like that guy Powder, though I can make it that colour actually, then to give it more of a fleshy colour, you mix it with a bit of the light skin. Like I said, I will see how to set the skins at the end so people get the max flexability out of them:) To create fantasy colour skin you would essentially only dial up the Pale slider, and adjust the tint. Works well because the pale base has very little colour in it, and does not conflict with the tint set on that.

    Post edited by Zev0 on
  • ChronopunkChronopunk Posts: 292
    edited December 1969

    Zev0 said:
    @ Chronopunk. Can you post a pic of that starwars chick because there are multiple versions of her with different designs. Also by pale, I compared it with albino tones. It won't be white like that guy Powder, though I can make it that colour actually, then to give it more of a fleshy colour, you mix it with a bit of the light skin. Like I said, I will see how to set the skins at the end so people get the max flexability out of them:) To create fantasy colour skin you would essentially only dial up the Pale slider, and adjust the tint. Works well because the pale base has very little colour in it, and does not conflict with the tint set on that.

    This link right here pretty much sums up what I'm talking about in terms of "monochromatic." You can also find plenty of CG Zeltrons and Twi'leks that are essentially monochromatic skin - no blemishes, no subtle skintone variations, nothing that makes them look like normal people - but rather like plastic dolls. The characters in the movies are all body painted (case in point any Twi'lek), but even then, the artists paid attention to things like skin tone variations that even one person will have over their body. Freckles, for instance.

    Hope this helps explain my question better. :)

  • Zev0Zev0 Posts: 7,089
    edited December 1969

    Oh yes that can easily be done. Like I said, all you would need to do is dial up the pale skin tone, and apply whatever tint colour on top of that. I already tested making purple and blue characters and they came out very nice and natural looking:) But I shall post all these examples later down the line as well as what the script interfaces will look like and what they do.

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,244
    edited December 1969

    Can your skin overlay product be used with the skin produced by this product, to add freckles, moles, etc.

  • Zev0Zev0 Posts: 7,089
    edited March 2014

    Yes, in fact, this product is actually a type of "prequel":) So it will only work with Skin Overlay version that was made for V5\M5 UV's. Wont work with the V4\M4 version (for obvious reasons lol). So you would build up your base with this, then add the added overlays from there.

    Post edited by Zev0 on
  • Paula SandersPaula Sanders Posts: 321
    edited December 1969

    I use your skin products in photoshop on layers using blending modes since I don't render in daz I have just found I am more comfortable than manipulating via scripts or using LIE. Will this work using photoshop? I use photoshop to modify all my skin tones, brows, makeup etc.

    I love all your products.

  • Zev0Zev0 Posts: 7,089
    edited March 2014

    Thanks batesyboy:) And yes it will:) Basically the scripts is an automation of combining the layers in Photoshop manually. If you know a little bit about Photoshop, you can easily use the layers to build it in there as well.

    Post edited by Zev0 on
  • DkgooseDkgoose Posts: 1,451
    edited December 1969

    Looks awesome, will either buy right away or be put in the wishlist

  • FSMCDesignsFSMCDesigns Posts: 12,755
    edited December 1969

    Great looking concept. i assume it only works when rendering in DAZ and not luxrender since it uses LIE, correct?

  • Zev0Zev0 Posts: 7,089
    edited March 2014

    Works in luxrender. If look in appdata, it merges all layers as tif files I think. That can then be applied to your figure and rendered using lux:) I saved a material preset, sent to reality and it worked. Haven't tried sending with layers present still in LIE.

    Post edited by Zev0 on
  • JOdelJOdel Posts: 6,286
    edited December 1969

    This sounds great. Am particularly interested in the brow builder. Being able to match the brows to the hair you've already selected would be a tremendous help when character building.

  • DolbomirDolbomir Posts: 73
    edited December 1969

    ooooooh

    I've been looking for something like that for a while O.O

    both for ethnic looking skins and the brow capability.

    so..... are we there yet? are we there yet? ;-P

  • whispers65whispers65 Posts: 952
    edited December 1969

    Sounds fantastic to me. I was looking around for different skin type just today. So it'll be an instant buy for me.


    Now if it could only come with some basic tanlines. :)

  • Zev0Zev0 Posts: 7,089
    edited March 2014

    It does come with tan lines which are applied on the skin separately:)

    Post edited by Zev0 on
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