Where to start with building your figure collection: MetaMixer or buy characters?

MoOnshine

Hi there,
I'm a bloody newbie to Daz and doing my first steps for posing models. I want to build my figure collection and I was wondering where to start with that best. Is it better to buy many different characters for Genesis 8.1, or is it better to get started with the MetaMixer Toolkit and buy add-on characters? Do I suspect correctly that the MetaMixer would offer more flexibility with the facial looks to create unique Characters with and that it would be cheaper?

I would love to hear pros and cons from people with some experience. 

Richard Haseltine

MetaMixer won't add new textures, characters will. However, I think a third option is worth considering if you are wnating to create your own shapes and that is morph packs - starting with the Daz head and body morphs for your chosen figures, but most also have additional shaping packs which will add more options.

FSMCDesigns

I don't use metamixer, but from what I have read and seen, it only allows 3 slots to add characters to, works on the face only, and you still have to purchase specific figure modules to use those shapes.

Personally i would purchase the head and body morphs for genesis 8.1

https://www.daz3d.com/genesis-8-female-body-morphs

https://www.daz3d.com/genesis-8-male-body-morphs

https://www.daz3d.com/genesis-8-male-head-morphs

https://www.daz3d.com/genesis-8-female-head-morphs

 

and then use either one of these addons to create your own, unique characters

https://www.daz3d.com/simtenero-randomizer

https://www.daz3d.com/simtenero-randomizer2

This way you can access any morphs in the morphs package and create whatever look you want. You can also load any addon characters you purchase from the store to the mix.

Also purchasing new characters for 8.1 gives you different skins to use in addition to morphs

pwiecek

Buy characters for your main characters and use metamixer for the supporting roles. 

Chezjuan

Most of my main characters are custom built using a variety of assets including the afroementioned head and body morphs. I also do have a lot of characters that I mostly use for the materials, but also for my "gene pool" when I use the sliders in the shaping pane to mix attributes without getting to the granularity of using the morph kits or assets listed below.

Outside of the head and body morphs, the main products I use are below. I did not get this all at once, but built up the collection over the last few years by wishlisting them and waiting for good sales. 

Aging Morphs: https://www.daz3d.com/aging-morphs-bundle-for-genesis-8-female-s-and-male-s

200 plus head and body morphs: https://www.daz3d.com/200-plus-head-and-face-morphs-bundle-for-genesis-8-female-s-and-male-s

Skin Builder (https://www.daz3d.com/skin-builder-8-for-genesis-8-females)

Materials Wizard (https://www.daz3d.com/materials-wizard

Nail System for Genesis 3 and 8 Females: https://www.daz3d.com/nail-system-for-genesis-3-and-8-female-s

SickleYield, a vendor here, also has a free 200 morph pack at ShareCG that covers several things that I can't find elsewhere: https://sharecg.com/v/91888/view/21/DAZ-Studio/SY-200-Morphs-for-Genesis-8-Head-and-Body

MoOnshine

Thank you so much for the suggestions! So I think I will first just look for some new figures that will be useful for me and later consider to get some morphs if it feels to restricted. 

Cheetahka

I remember seeing a post on the forums on how to convert Genesis 8 to 8.1 as well. If you plan on sticking mostly to 8.1 just do a search on how to convert to... or something like that. HFS also has a bunch of awesome morphs that I love to use as well. https://www.daz3d.com/hfs-ultimate-shapes-bundle