ZDG random Daz Studio discoveries and questions.
ZarconDeeGrissom
Posts: 5,412
I will start here as Novica did with her first Art Studio thread. A basic discoveries, and many questions of a beginner to CG. I have been involved with Daz Studio for less then a year, and have never seen anything before Daz Studio 4.6, and have difficulty following tutorials for former stuff. Also as a new user, I would like to focus most of my efforts to the new stuff (G2M/G2F), rather then get bogged down with Pre-Genesis content.
Now for the sake of the community, I would appreciate if people that post in this thread keep the images "Family Oriented". For example as I found out yesterday, a skirt over a reflective polished stone floor, just dose not work even with black underwear. The reflectivity of floors has got to be dulled considerable. I will allow the No-Gen gray Genesis to be posted, as long as the poses are not "Suggestive". However if a figure in the scene has skin tone, the figure must be wearing something over the chest, groin, and back-side.
And be careful of the camera angles, Lets not be looking up the skirts now, lol.
As a disclaimer, I apologies if I sound like I dislike something because I talk about some limitations I discover along the way. I will point out that some of this is beyond the control of the "Product Creators", as CG is a very complex working of shader codes, and software interfaces. As some one new to CG, and unaware of exactly how the gears work under the hood of Daz Studio (I want to use it, not write the code for it), I tend to feel taken for a ride when I think a product can do something and there is nothing I can find to clarify the limitations of what I want to do with the product I'm about to buy. And that is part of the reason the Forum is here, To Ask Questions.
Arguably speaking, Protein molecule shape simulations are much simpler then creating 3D figures (including outfits). I jokingly refer to the Protein simulations as "Scribbles" after a cartoon episode "Trouble with Scribbles".
(part 1 of 2)
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I was mostly hesitant to start my own thread, as I would feel "Obligated" to post something or visit every single day for the rest of time. I am retired, have many hobbies, and tend to make my own schedule as life happens. Electronics, Amateur Radio, SKYWARN, and Classical Music Composer to name a few hobbies of mine. Life tends to throw curve balls, and there will be days that I can't make it to the form for whatever reason. Please don't keep that from you making a post here.
As I have no experience with Studio prior to 4.6, there are lots of interfaces and stuff that the new layout tends to hide from people new to CG (like me). So I welcome input, advice, and especially screen-caps of where this stuff is and how it is supposed to work.
These threads are specifically for the topics they cover, and a great place to get advice and answers for the topic of the thread.
(I'll add some links her in a bit for other threads with beginner stuff, like the Uber Lights, UE2, etc)
Somethings to Consider when starting to learn CG (guilty of not reading this my self, yet)
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/10835/
Tutorial Uber Area Lighting: The Basics
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/14536/
UE2 AKA, Learning UberEnvironment 2 Return To Topic
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/5320/
DzLights 101, More then just the Menu Lights.
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/43303/
A step-by-step Guide to get you started with Dynamic Clothing by MacSavers. Thank you so much :cheese:
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewreply/737036/
Making a face morph in Daz Studio, where to start?
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/40556/
The ZDG Test Chamber v2.0 – UE2
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/47738/
Build it yourself instructions, and links to the free stuff used to make it.
Studio Photometric lights 101, Iray and 3delight. (Menue lights in Studio 4.7 and later)
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/55127/studio-photometric-lights-101-iray-and-3delight/p1
Some do try to search for the answer to there question, and get search results that only mention the question in passing without providing the answers. Resulting in yet more confusion with people new to CG. That is why some of my posts tend to be long winded at times, I want to help others new to Daz Studio as much as myself with this fun and complex hobby/job.
"O" and I had a thread where I posted various simple texture images.
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/40627/
It kind of got distracted, and I have not gotten around to adding any new texture patrons of late, I intent tho.
I'm to lazy to bother with an "Invited Guest" list, however that works. I'll just say, lets keep it civilized, and post your input/advice here if you wish.
(End of part 2 of 2)
So let the mass confusion begin, shall we.
A few months ago, I was harsh and direct about not knowing what was used in product preview pictures in the store. I don't even remember what threads that was in, as it was "to many cups of coffee ago". Since then, I have noticed a considerable effort by Product Creators to provide what info they could about the creation of the "Promo Pics". That at least has been an enormous help to new people like me, and I know I'm not the only one. Thank y'all very much for giving me an idea of what hair or cloth set I see in the Promo Pic that I want and cant find.
Some of us are brand new to to Daz3D, and have never seen this stuff before. So when we see something in a Promo picture, chances are we have no clue what the product is that was used.
http://www.daz3d.com/emmaandjordi
http://www.daz3d.com/enchanted-pixie
http://www.daz3d.com/fisty
http://www.daz3d.com/fwart
http://www.daz3d.com/ignisserpentus
http://www.daz3d.com/lyoness
http://www.daz3d.com/sabby
http://www.daz3d.com/silver
http://www.daz3d.com/tengu23
I know the questions will continue as for what this or that is in a picture, the Effort to answer the questions is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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Is Sabby separate or same vender as FWart? thanks DestinysGarden for answering that.
(edit 2)
I notice more and more with listings of items used, and a Thanks to Daz3D is in order for making the option available.
I reordered them into alphabetical order, and I'll add them as I brows the store.
To start with, Why I am hesitant to use "Victoria 4 for Genesis 2 Female" product.
http://www.daz3d.com/free-3d-models-and-content/victoria-4-for-genesis-2-female
It goes back to the V4 adapters for Genesis(1). Thanks Novica for clarifying it.
DAZ Studio Beginner Tutorials: Video 3~Parameters Tab, Body Morphs, Genesis.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lvg6LfcCvA
"V4 shapes for Genesis" vs "Genesis Generation X", and my initial misunderstanding of them.
I got "V4 shapes for Genesis", for FW Yasmin and some others, and they worked well on the Genesis(1) platform. Things went south when I tried another V4 pack on Genesis(1), and it left me with a sour taste and in a state of shock.
While Yasmin would except any Genesis(1) pose preset, the V4 skin-tone pack somehow reverted Genesis(1) back to the V4.2 base. Nothing Genesis based would work on the figure once the Skin Pack was applied to the Genesis(1) Base. All the morph sliders reverted exclusively to Morphs++, etc. That was not what I was expecting for a Genesis(1) base, and it stopped me dead in my tracks of what I was trying to accomplish (months ago).
Last night I finally purchased (yet to install) the "Victoria 4 for Genesis 2 Female". The figure that required it was having product page difficulties the evening I made the purchase. I assumed the "Morphs++, Morphs++, Morphs++" listed in the requirements box was supposed to be "V4 Base, Morphs++, and Morphs for G2F" similar to many other products I've purchased. The product listed the compatibility as V4 and G2F, and I never gave the "V4 for G2F" adapter/converter thing a thought. Until I had difficulty getting the product to work, then the bad memories of the "V4 shapes for Genesis" came to mind.
So the question from me for the weakened is. If I try to load a V4 skin texture onto G2F with the "V4 for G2F" adapter/converter thing, Will all the G2F stuff be disabled and only V4 stuff work, like the "V4 Shapes for Genesis(1)" pack? Or is this completely different from the former Generation adapters?
I don't know what happened with the Genesis product, but the backward compatibility do three things (generally, some do only a subset):
they provide a shape morph which gives the figure the shape of the legacy figure when set to 1
they provide a clone shape to allow clothing to be converted using AutoFit or the Transfer Utility
they provide a UV set to allow textures for the legacy figure to be used
None of those should interfere with other aspects of the figure, such as the morphs.
I figured something like that, and I think I remember what happened, vaguely. I was trying to get the "V4 EliteTexture: Natasha" texture converted to G2F to use with a G2F figure.
http://www.daz3d.com/v4-elitetexture-natasha
I managed to save the G1F "UV asset", somewhere, I think, I just don't know where it went, lol
I just don't remember how I got past the Genesis(1) step with the skin texture. lol. I'm trying to re-trace my steps to make a screen cap of the Genesis figure in the scene tab with only the Morphs++ available in the other tab. They may have fixed that in one of the updates since then.
In any case it didn't quite make it all the way to G2F correctly then, and now there is this "V4 for G2F", makes it kind of a moot point, if it works now.
O.K. lol. maybe it didn't save it.
I know I clicked the Accept button, and it didn't complain about it, lol.
Gave up, and installed the "V4 for G2F" pack. My attempt to drag the V4 texture pz2 onto G2F in the view-field didn't go so well. In fact it was rather grouse (No I'm not going to describe it, so don't ask).
Time to see if that V4 to G2F tutorial will work now, lol.
http://www.daz3d.com/using-auto-fit-victoria-4-to-genesis-2-female
Is this pack supposed to be able to make V4 skin textures work on G2F at all?
http://www.daz3d.com/free-3d-models-and-content/victoria-4-for-genesis-2-female
(edit)
According to the tutorial it is for cloths only, bummer. And V4 cloths only, not A4 Poser-only content.
Or is it for "V4 for G2F" compliant outfits only?
My hunch on what happened here was that the V4 skin was a complete character so it also loaded a copy of the V4 figure. It really shouldn't have changed your Genesis into V4, but they may have both been in the scene and you just had the V4 selected, so you would only see her parameter sliders. If you need to figure out what went wrong and you can break down the steps to reproduce the error, we can help troubleshoot it for you. If you want to call it "one of those crazy things" and move on, that's cool too.
(edit)
According to the tutorial it is for cloths only, bummer. And V4 cloths only, not A4 Poser-only content.
Yes, that product is supposed to be able to make V4 textures work on Genesis2 female.
A4 clothes should work the same as V4 clothes, as the base figures were made from the same mesh, and the clothes were pretty much interchangeable. The Poser only part might be a deal breaker though. What clothing item are you trying to use? (It is OK to link to outside stores for non commercial, informational use.)
I want to call it quits on reproducing that revert-issue, as this other pack should read it correctly, I guess.
I'm just not reading it correctly, lol.
Opps, the skirt is the Sailor outfit by "Red Viper" over at sharecg.
http://www.sharecg.com/v/63622/favorite/11/Poser/The-Traditional-sailor-uniform-for-A4
I used it in one of my jokes in my gallery (root), the hair by Red Viper, worked out of the box after making the cubes disappear, lol.
The only Aiko I have, is "6 starter".
The dynamic shorts, was from the free section, somewhere.
http://www.optitex-dynamiccloth.com/
SummerShort (.DAZ), that's it.
http://www.optitex-dynamiccloth.com/FreebieDownload01.php
I suspect that is because it is dynamic for videos, not still images. That was the first time I ever tried to load that.
The red undies was free with that tutorial. That did work.
http://www.daz3d.com/basicwear-for-v4-unimesh
I have a huge collection of "Victoria 4 3D Model Pro Suite" stuff somewhere in that content library, in the Poser side, somewhere.
http://www.daz3d.com/victoria-4-3d-model-pro-suite
I just don't want to spend the rest of my life lost in there looking for it, lol.
There was a discussion of the RedViper stuff recently - apparently it is modelled around the A4 shape, rather than being modelled around the base V4 and having an A4 morph. As a result it won't convert well as AutoFit sees it dipping into and swerving away from the base V4 shape and preserves that in relation to Genesis or G2F - the clothing will also have problems if used in DS on Victoria 4 and having Transfer Active Morphs used as that will, if it's set, transfer the Aiko 4 morph across too. Unfortunately there are a few items which are made to fit a modified shape (there are a couple in the store that are made to fit a V4 shape morphed to be wearing a corset) and they too will have problems when using AutoFit for Genesis # or Transfer Active Morphs for Victoria 4.
OK, the sailor suit is very cute. It will probably not convert effectively though because it looks like it will only support A4's shape. You would need an A4 figure clone for the Genesis 2 female for the auto-fit to work correctly. The outfit is free though, so you could try it. If it blows up you can take comfort in the fact that you didn't do anything wrong. :cheese:
Edit: Listen to Richard. He is way smarter than me.
The Optitex dynamic items are fine for animations or stills. They get made a bit differently than regular conforming items, so I've no idea how well auto-fit is going to work with those either, but they may not need it. If the shape of the figure you are using and the shape of the figure the item was made for are similar, you may be able to just fit the clothing to the Gen2F and run the drape. If you haven't used any Optitex dynamic clothing before, you may want to save that for later. They have a bit of a learning curve on their own, so don't add an extra layer of possible ways things can go wrong if you can avoid it.
I'm running a drape of an Optitex M4 item on Gen2F right now. I'll let you know how it goes.
Second Edit: The M4 cargo pants were too big and they slid right off of her. A V4 dynamic dress worked fine. You just have to get the clothing roughly around the person and then the drape will work, but it may be more trouble than it is worth to fiddle with at this stage.
Thanks, at least it helps to know I'm not loosing my mind with that skirt, lol.
I was guessing the Optitex-dynamic stuff was way beyond my skill level right now.
Out of curiosity, how much hassle is it to edit a Daz store listing? Impossible, Takes ages to filter threw the system, not worth re-entering everything again from scratch, a-couple-of-clicks-away, They read your mind and do it for you, etc?
Is submitting a product update just as difficult? Say if something didn't need "The Kid 4" and the mistake was found and fixed in the offending file?
I have my second success with the auto fit, Guess the "Source" and "Item Type" game, lol.
Evening Star Dress.
http://www.daz3d.com/evening-star-dress
(edit)
"O" this is just the plane old G2F from that "V4 to G2F" tutorial.
To get wrong information off a store page listing shouldn't take too long. Hours or days at the most. To actually update a product, it has to be re-submitted and go through QA again, so that can take a few weeks.
Nice thread! Happy to see you're getting your questions answered and it's certainly helping other folks. And don't believe DestinysGarden about not being as smart as Richard. They're both geniuses. :)
Weeks, that has got to be Nerve-racking with people chiming in the whole time for something that you already fixed. I'm so sorry Artemis3d.
I'll try to think in terms of Pre Apollo Saturn test launches, The fix for the one that just blew up on the launch pad wont make it into the rocket for a few more launches attempts down the line.
(edit)
thanks for the nudge Novica. I'm about half way threw the "Fun with Morphs" vid. Ther are a few products I wish I could combine in varying amounts like that, tho I think I understand why it wouldn't work (wrong polygon count to just map it directly to Genesis, so it can't use a slider).
I need to find a cheat-sheet for the auto-fit options.
Her is a curious one with Auto-Fit.
Why is there no Skirt as a destination for G2F, yet I remember it there for other gen stuff?
That is because skirt came for Genesis with one of the addon's I believe. Also I notice you have Abdomen selected on the figure in your Scene Tab. Auto fit ignores all nodes except the Base node, so just select the figure by Name, doing more is not even seen by the Converter.
Good point, I'll try that out of the Content Library (CL), if I can find that outfit in there. That was dragged from the smart tab over, so the scene tab would be visible. I held the button to long over the figure, so it started highlighting parts.
Let me tray getting the CL over to the other side, and try clicking instead of dragging.
(edit)
Genesis(1) not 2. I'm sorry I missed that first read. Interesting variations in options.
V4-> Genesis1
V4-> G2F
Genesis1 -> G2F
All get different Auto-fit options?
(edit2)
That would explain why I cant find that on the V4 side of the CL, It's a Genesis outfit... oops.
http://www.daz3d.com/anime-school-girl-uniform
Still no skirt option, hmm. FYI, that first directory over on the left is "DAZ Studio Formats".
Sidetrack thought, for much later on. This looks like a really nice skirt, the correct length from the looks of it as well, for what I am looking for.
It's an OptiTex/Khory, Dynamic Circle Skirt.
http://www.daz3d.com/dynamic-circle-skirt
From what little I gather from searching "OptiTex", briefly. The drive at the moment is for CAD of a sorts for fashion designers of real clothing, rather then CG stuff. That would somewhat explain the lack of Genesis(1) and Genesis(2) outfits available for "Dynamic Clothing, lack of time or need (to go past V4) for what OptiTex is primarily working on.
However as has been mentioned, The Auto-fit may be a nightmare from Genoration4, and I'm still learning where stuff is in the Content Library.
Epic stumble onto.
I don't know how many times I wish I could take the hair going down the front-side, and just flip it to the back of the shoulders with some styles. Things like "Persephone Hair", "Amarseda Hair", Charm Hair, and especially "Fishtail Braids". I'll have to look at them again. I figured there was just the adjustment sliders in the Parameters tab only for hair.
I loaded "Sporty Braid" style on to the figure, and then I tried clicking the pony tail to find the hair in the Scene tab, and, wow.
This is like the Daz Dragon (LE?) tail. I'm lucky to have two that work on some skirts, this pony tail has five.
http://www.daz3d.com/sporty-braid
I could probably tie it in a knot, or make a bun out of that pony tail, lol. I like it!
And the collection of color presets is not that bad. Allot of real-world colors, and variations.
My point was not the ITEM in use, the Word SKIRT referred only to the Auto Fit Option. AS in it was only in one of the Genesis Auto Fit extension bundles. I think I have all made and have NO idea when SKIRT showed up the first time in the Genesis Options list. Which ever set it was in has not been done for G2F or I would have it in my G2F list of options.
I may have been mistaken, tho I remember thinking "why is it there for this and not that".
I know I didn't quite follow what you were saying, my apologies there.
I did a screen-cap of the three different types (V4 threw G2F), and they all have the same list. At-least for DIM installed stuff.
(edit)
I am more interested in knowing, when to chose what, for the Item Type.
I'm again ONLY talking about the Auto Fit options list. I have Skirt only as a option for Genesis not as a Option in G2F auto Fit options. I'm saying one of the Auto Fit options HAS something the other does not or BOTH lists of Auto Fit options would list the very same.
That was it Jaderail, it was a "Full-body" dress, lol.
I tried shirts, hair, etc yesterday, with G2F... and some skirts. There was allot I didn't try.
I have way more stuff now, and got distracted by a render. Let me try using this 'Gimp', less experienced with that then Auto-Fit.
No where as good as my former works with "Photo Deluxe", Damn you Windows 7 for taking that away from me. lol.
I'm instinctively reaching for the clutch pedal with this (Automatic) Gimp.
That and I'm expecting the Shifter to be on the column, not down on the floor. lol
And why did they put the window switches in the center console, instead of on the door where they should be. lol.
Someone turned off gravity;
http://www.daz3d.com/ej-leilani
http://www.daz3d.com/persephone-hair-for-genesis-2-female-s
http://www.daz3d.com/flirty-summer-for-genesis-2-female-s
http://www.daz3d.com/streetwear-sneakers-for-v6
Background image is Earth from the ISS, NASA.
Floor and beam textures by me
The Flirty Summer Skirt, is indeed a separate part (Not a one-piece outfit), and there is a morph slider to make the skirt longer (to about knee length). That's where the fun ends.
There is no extra zone at the bottom of the skirt, to keep it from going into the lower leg in this pose. And the hip flex point moves down as the skirt is made longer, making the morph impractical to use.
The Shirt (Flirty Summer) probably would have been fine at the default bump/displacement settings. My low-res test renders showed the cloth as a smooth plastic like shell, so I cranked that up a tad (0.1 instead of 0.01).
"O" and the Persephone Hair, dose NOT have handles/bones to move the long strands around (I think I understand why). Your limited to the morph sliders alone for this. The sliders are quite sufficient for most poses, they just lack a direction, and twist for the front strands.
The Streetwear Sneakers, are nice and not "Over the top" with the coloring and style. It would be nice to have some color presets other then white with trim-colors. Say All gray, All Blue, All black, even a subtil All Red and All Pink would have been nice.
Cool this will make some interesting reading.....Trish
Thanks bullit35744, and from a thread offshoot of a link you reminded me of (There are so many I forget), or I didn't know of it.
Jaderail, from way back in 2012... Many cups of your favorite beverage ago, lol.
3 Point Lighting, WIP contest thread.
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewreply/16096/
What is the 'Distant Light' pointing up for? Was that before Shadows Off caused SSS issues (leopard Skin, or White-Plaster effect)?
Or was that a throw in from an the Evil Campfire story flashlight effect?
(edit)
I ask, beaus of the prep work of the prior render is a floor with lights in it. I was thinking plane with Opacity map, and an Uber Panel below that, with pipes and stuff between. Sounds cool at least.
In that render the floor is just Displacement gone mad, with Ambient, while I work out the tile patrons.
And the Mass-confusion continues... At least I don't need to go digging threw the C drive for the lesson vids I just got.
I was afraid I would need to convince DIM to remember something, and set the default filters differently.
Now All I need to do, is click the "My Account" link top right of the Daz3D webpage, then go to "Product Library" tab, Find the Video tutorials, and save them to a place I can locate them again (like "My Documents", unless you have separate drives for that stuff like me).
I was thinking the "Create 'Fiery Genesis' in DAZ Studio", was a interactive tutorial, A little surprised it is not in the list. Tho I may have not given the servers enough time. Then again, I may have got something that came with Daz Studio 4.6 to begin with, lol.
Where did the A3 Base come from???
Anime Star Fighter, Lesson bundle, O.K.
http://www.daz3d.com/anime-star-fighter
(edit)
Bigger question, Dose that A3 Base need V3, akin to A4 needs V4? Or am I still confused about the (Before my CG time) pre-genesis figure requirement tree?
I do believe the "Fiery Genesis" tutorial ships (shipped?) with DAZ Studio.
You do not need anything to use A3, other than the A3 base you have. She is a great figure that still get used today, by me and many others. Plus, there is a ton of very inexpensive and free stuff out there for her because she was very well liked and very well supported.
Edit: grab me when you want to or if you need to learn about shader presets. In 2 seconds we could easily get those sneakers to any solid color you would want.
DestinysGarden, Thank you so much. The preset thing is one of a few (Like Volumetric effects) that are just way over my head right now.
lol. I know that Natasha Texture preset saved, it just got lost in the "Luminiferous aether" of the Content Library some where. I must finish my studies of Uber Lights first, there's only one of me, and my short term memory is not what it use to be. Hence the four layers of sticky notes on my desk now.
Uh, 80.1F finally. Time to fire up Studio (It's not the computer, it's Me I worry about with the exes heat). Thankfully the Spice Cluster is Off and not needed. Yes Jaderail, I worry about you as well with this weather.