3D modeling thread #2 - re-render

[LynnInDenver]

As I recall, the "Poser 7" cutoff is on account of using materials built in the Shader Room, with math nodes and the like... or, basically, Advanced Poser Materials. The model should work, but you can expect to have to replace at least some of the original materials with DAZ-specific materials. This is part of why I built up a DAZ-specific material library that I could use anywhere, it made adapting models easier.
--

"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor

[robkelk]

Thanks... although the page now says the scene works in Poser 6 as well, so it's academic. (Okay, not completely academic - I'll still have to tinker with shader settings - but not so bad as it could have been.)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Bob Schroeck]

Boy, that bridge looks strangely familiar...
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[robkelk]

Which is why I asked about lens flares. (The same modeler has made http://vanishingpoint.biz/marketplace.a ... egoryID=17]other Trek-inspired bridges in the past.)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[robkelk]

%[link=http://www.daz3d.com/sales-promotions/]Daz 4.6 is out.]

And, one month later, Genesis 2 Female is out. (They've gone back to male and female bases.) http://www.daz3d.com/sales-promotions/victoria-6]Victoria 6 is on sale at the moment, too.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Dragonflight]

Hmm. I've finally got a machine which can handle this thing, so I've installed it, and started poking at it. I've even got a handful of models and stuff I'd bought a while back.
However, I'm discovering (quickly) how tall the wall is on this program. Do they have  how-to videos or guides which would teach me how to use it?
---
Those who fear the darkness have never seen what the light can do.

[robkelk]

Hmm. I've finally got a machine which can handle this thing, so I've installed it, and started poking at it. I've even got a handful of models and stuff I'd bought a while back.

However, I'm discovering (quickly) how tall the wall is on this program. Do they have how-to videos or guides which would teach me how to use it?

Yes, but the current batch isn't free.

Ask me about the earlier documentation this weekend.

Edit: Okay, I'm at home, and at my render computer. Some links to get you started:

Quick Start Guide to Daz Studio 4
http://web.archive.org/web/query?q=type ... art_page=1

DAZ Documentation Center
http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/start
What passes for a manual for Studio 4... for a generous definition of "passes."

DAZ 3D Video Tutorials
http://www.daz3d.com/help/help-daz-3d-video-tutorials/

DAZ Discussion Forum - New Users Help Forum - Start Here!
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewforum/97/
No question is too elementary here. (Well, "how do I turn on the PC?" might be too elementary...) The knowledgeable folks are helpful, because they still remember when they were new.

Re-Edit: And some words of wisdom:

--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[robkelk]

Once you're comfortable with Daz Studio or Poser "out of the box," you're going to want to expand your content collection.

(An aside: Rev Dark recommends using separate runtimes for content you can use commercially and content you can't. That works well in Poser and Studio 3, but not so well in Studio 4... so save all the readme files and license files that you get with your content. If the content was legally-free and the readme is in Japanese, it's pretty safe to assume the content is licensed for non-commercial use only.)

You can buy content. You can also get content for free, legally. (And then there's all those torrents out there. To the best of my knowledge, nobody makes 3D-art content available legally on a torrent. And that's all I'll say in this post about data-piracy.)

Paid Content:

The "big four" sites for paid content are http://www.daz3d.com/ (the home of Daz Studio), http://www.contentparadise.com/ (the current home of Poser), http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php, and http://www.runtimedna.com/ - if you're looking for mainstream stuff (using the 3D-art definition of "mainstream" where sexy outnumbers sensible) and you don't want to shop around, these four are the places to go.

Daz, CP, Rendo, and RDNA are the "department stores" of 3D-modeling content. (There's also TurboSquid for the people who use the serious "grown-up" software, but as a hobbyist using DS or Poser you can ignore TS unless you have deep pockets and an expense account.) There are also "boutique and specialty shops" out there - far too many to list them all, but here are some of my favourites, in no particular order:

• http://evilinnocence.com/ - Clothing, some props, clothing, a few sets, clothing, and the very-useful CrossDresser program that converts clothing between a larger selection of figures than do the utilities that come with DS or Poser. Oh, and clothing.
  
• http://vanishingpoint.biz/index.asp - Primarily props and sets, including plenty of vehicles and more than a few starship bridges. (Look at some of their "Starship Bridge" products and the add-ons at the bottom of the pages to see how a simple re-texturing can turn a recognizable item into something new.) One of the few places that sells civilian aircraft models.
  
• http://www.poserdirect.com/ - A cross-section of good items at bargain prices. And I'm not saying that because Mr.Sparky has sponsored every 3D-art contest I've ever run.
  
• http://www.most-digital-creations.com/home.htm - A wide an eclectic selection best described as "whatever Adam Thwaites wanted to make that day." Note that some of the items on this site are NSFW.
  
• http://www.schells.ca/index.php - Chris Schell makes top-quality aircraft, tanks, walker-mecha, and other tech-type items. (He's also selling his jet models at Poser Direct.)
  
• http://faerie-dreams.com/ - A site run by three of the best (IMHO) character-morph creators out there. Plenty of fantasy clothing as well, and one of the few places that sells preteen clothing and sensible clothing (I look here for believable casual wear before I look at Daz or Rendo). EDIT: Faerie Dreams is closing in November.
  

And I'm leaving a lot of worthy vendors off this list.

Free Content:

All of the above sites have some free content. (Note that DAZ3D defines "free" as "bonus with a purchase" - everyone else uses the traditional definition.) And sign up for the Renderosity and RuntimeDNA newsletters; Rendo gives you a free item every month, and RDNA gives you a smaller free item every week.

Renderosity's free item section is the largest at any vendor site, rivaled only by the freebie selection at Most Digital Creations. But neither of them have everything...

The monster of the midway for free content - including free tutorials - is http://www.sharecg.com/. (Even I have a freebie available there.)

If you poke around on http://www.deviantart.com/, you can find some amazing free resources for Poser and Daz Studio. Check in the "3-Dimensional Art" subcategory of the "Digital Art" category, but don't restrict yourself to that section. Alternately, let other people find the goodies and tell you about them.

The free-content sites outnumber the paid-content sites. Here are a very few of my favourites, in no particular order (except for the last one):

• http://www.ageofarmour.com/3d/free/index.php - An eclectic mix of freebies for medieval (or fantasy) and modern scenes, plus the very best Hispanic-female character morph and texture I've ever seen for pay or free.
  
• http://www.erato-base.net/index.html - Need a space station interior? Or a cloister? Or something for an ancient-Egypt scene? Save your money and go to this site.
  
• http://www.foundation3d.com/index.php?categoryid=38 - Some original content, but the Star Trek ship models outnumber everything else.
  
• http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/3d_resources/index.html - For real space-exploration models.
  
• http://dragonspace.com/wordpress/?p=553 and http://www.dragonspace.com/3d/ - Another "whatever the site owner felt like making" site, with a noticeable selection of Logan's Run resources. Hasn't been updated since before Genesis was released, so you'll have to either do some conversions or use the older characters.
  
• http://mamomamo.candypop.jp/Freestuff/index.html - Mamota's making paid content at Renderosity now, but her freebie clothing models are still available. They're primarily sensible clothes with a modern Japanese vibe.
  
• http://sanzisannzi.blog83.fc2.com/blog-category-6.html - Sanzi has a wider and more-quirky selection of items than Mamota (including some scene-dressing props and a large selection of "toy"/toon standalone characters), but they're of the same high quality.
  
• http://www.morphography.uk.vu/ - I'm purposefully ending the list with English Bob's site, because it has a list of every 3D-art site that English Bob knows about. He also has a decent selection of props, character morphs, stand-alone characters, tutorials, and do-it-yourself resources, including Catamaran's motorcycle collection and Scott Ayers's dinosaurs.
  

When you've gotten through these, come visit the http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewforum/41/ over on the DAZ3D forums. You'll see my posts all over the place there - amongst other things, I maintain the lists of free http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewthread/623/, free http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewthread/624/, free http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewthread/625/, free http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewthread/629/, and free http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewthread/629/...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[robkelk]

And there's a new store coming... %[link=http://hivewire3d.com/]http://hivewire3d.com/]

Not open yet, but scuttlebutt has it this is where all those missing Songbird ReMix and Lisa's Botanicals products will be re-appearing...

Edit: Not just scuttlebutt, according to http://www.empken.com/SongbirdReMix/]the official Songbird ReMix website. Follow that hivewire3d link on July 1...
Re-Edit: Delays caused by flaws discovered during beta-testing their flagship release have pushed the stores opening back. Maybe July 8... (fingers crossed)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[robkelk]

More on HiveWire3D, now that I've gone through the 33-page-and-counting thread on the Renderosity forums:

Okay, I've waded through the 33-page thread on Rendo... (looks at clock) That took a lot longer than I expected.

People behind HiveWire3D:

• Chris Creek (Remember Ally McBeal's "Dancing Baby"? Remember Posette and Dork? Remember Victoria 1 and Michael 1? Chris Creek designed all of them.)
  
• Eric Merrit (Co-founder of AniMate and AniBlock system)
  
• Steve Kondris
  
• Paul "etujedi" Lessard
  

Confirmed "Contributing Artists" - vendors at the new site:

• Ken "Emperor Ken" Gilliiand (Songbird ReMix)
  
• Lisa "LisaB" Buckalew (Lisa's Botanicals)
  

Confirmed supporters of HiveWire3D's flagship "Dawn" figure (there's a native Poser 9+ WM version and a native Daz Studio 4.5+ WM version, sharing the same mesh):

• Sarsa
  
• Ryverthorn
  

Content creators who have expressed interest in supporting Dawn:

• Mada
  
• Silver
  
• Bobbie25
  
• Mab
  
• Virtual World
  
• LaurieA
  
• BadKittehCo
  
• Afrodite-Ohki
  
• Latexluv
  
• Lululee
  
• Glitterati 3D
  
• Bea
  
• Netherworks (add-on for Hair Conversion System)
  
• LadyRaine
  
• Tavia3D
  
• RedPhantom
  
• Cariad
  
• fabiana
  
• EvilInnocence (CrossDresser support)
  
• paganeagle2001 (freebies)
  
• NanetteTredoux (freebies)
  
• skylab (freebies)
  
• kerwin (freebies)
  

So HiveWire3D and Dawn aren't going anywhere... but up.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[robkelk]

I just noticed this on Renderosity:
http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/star ... er-/99561/

Which leads to the question: How do you do a lens flare in Daz Studio?

I suppose I'll have to resort to postwork...
http://mediamilitia.com/custom-lens-fla ... nt-images/
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[LynnInDenver]

robkelk wrote:

---

robkelk wrote:

---

I just noticed this on Renderosity:http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/star ... er-/99561/

Which leads to the question: How do you do a lens flare in Daz Studio?

I suppose I'll have to resort to postwork...http://mediamilitia.com/custom-lens-fla ... nt-images/

Downloading as I type this... because one can never, ever have too many postwork effects in their library.
--

"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor

[robkelk]

Ack! Me and my big mouth...

I need to find resources for a zen garden and/or a bonsai garden, usable in DS. Preferably free. Preferably before July 4.

Does anyone know of any?

---

Oh, yes - Redviper's old items are available again.
http://redviper.spirit5.com/download/
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[robkelk]

PoserWorld is looking at limiting the number of members they accept each month... but to make that a bit less drastic for people currently in the hobby, they're running a special on memberships this week.

(I've already got a lifetime membership, so I'm not affected by this... but some other folks here might be.)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[robkelk]

%[link=http://designertoday.com/News/6879/The.DAWN.of.a.New.Era.A.New.3D.Poser.Figure.by.Hivewire.aspx]Poser World], http://www.renderosity.com/the-dawn-of- ... 1?&AID=408]Renderosity, http://forum.runtimedna.com/content.php ... -A-NEW-ERA]...]RDNA, and http://www.yurdigital.com/page/dawn-new-era]YURdigital press releases (same text, but different mixes of images) - we now have an official launch date for the new Dawn character. We also have confirmation that she'll be supported at Renderosity, RuntimeDNA, Poser World, and YURdigital - these are not bit-players in the hobby.

Remember, it's always darkest before August 9...

Edit: And Poser World already has a wedding dress ready for her. Member-forum thread: %[link=http://poserworld.com/desktopdefault.aspx?f=22&m=13436&tabid=171]http://poserworld.com/desktopdefault.as ... &tabid=171]
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[robkelk]

Have you set up your customer account at http://hivewire3d.com/ yet? Beat the rush - today is August 8, so the site will likely be extra-busy with the release of Dawn tomorrow... Do what paperwork you can do now, while the load on the server(s) is still reasonably low.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[robkelk]

Poser World has a new membership level - Ultra-Lifetime - that they've advertised to the Lifetime members. Advantages to the new level are expedited work on requests and access to special Ultra-Lifetime-only models.

I splurged, and made a request, and it's now the first item on the Ultra-Lifetime-only page: a 1937 RCA Theremin. It's a static prop, but that's enough for an instrument you don't touch when you play it... Expect to see it in a Fenspace render sometime this week.

Edit: For now, here's a link to the "thank you" render I did for Poser World. Every wonder why '50s UFOs always made the theremin sound? http://web.ncf.ca/fm536/renders/why's%2 ... 0noise.png]Here's a look inside the engine room.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[robkelk]

Renderosity is clearing out their Clearance section - each item is $3.50, for the rest of this calendar week.

This includes the ptropeAerospace DART, which I'm using in Fenspace as the "Bolitho" class ship... and that model has been on clearance for quite a while, so if you want it for Fenspace, grab it now!
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[robkelk]

I forgot to mention - I'm doing a quick contest over on the Daz3D forum. Entries due by midnight (Utah time) Thursday.
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewthread/28222/
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[robkelk]

Renderosity is clearing out their Clearance section - each item is $3.50, for the rest of this calendar week.

This includes the ptropeAerospace DART, which I'm using in Fenspace as the "Bolitho" class ship... and that model has been on clearance for quite a while, so if you want it for Fenspace, grab it now!

Oooooooooh, look at what Redfern is doing with the DART:
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewthread/ ... 90/#421886
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Rev Dark]

If any of you are interested in getting on board with 3d software, Smith Micro has Poser 9 on promotion for $29.95 right now - until 30-Sep-13.
This is an excellent entry level package; and will let you get your feet wet.  It was enough depth that calves, knees, thighs, and the other bits can also be dunked.  Easy to use, with a wealth of free resources.
Cheers,Shayne

[robkelk]

Renderosity is clearing out %[link=http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.renderosity.com%2Fmod%2Femarket%2Fgoto%2F529452%2F2540%2F3141105%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNF-3BjMY_tuxPcSSLgZo5Zvcakqog]their Clearance section] - each item is $3.50, for the rest of this calendar week.

This includes the %[link=http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/ptropeaerospace-dart/31070/]ptropeAerospace DART], which I'm using in Fenspace as the "Bolitho" class ship... and that model has been on clearance for quite a while, so if you want it for Fenspace, grab it now!

Oooooooooh, look at what Redfern is doing with the DART:
%[link=http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewthread/22399/P990/#421886]http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewthread/ ... 90/#421886]

And look at what pTrope has done with it - and http://www.sharecg.com/v/71980/view/11/ ... T-WarpPack]shared with the rest of us:



So Fenspace Trekkie/Senshi shipbuilding cooperation is now possible...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[LynnInDenver]

Shadowhawk has been giving stuff he commissioned from others away on DeviantArt. The latest?

A Stingray style Hardsuit.

http://shadowhawkone.deviantart.com/art ... -406421630
--

"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor

[robkelk]

Hallowe'en freebies:
http://thefantasiesattic.com/halloween/2013/2013.html

(The one titled "Makeup for V4.2" is actually for Dawn, not V4.)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[robkelk]

Can you afford a couple of bucks to help a small-businessman modeler down on his luck?
http://www.poserdirect.com/luckydip2013.html

He needs 220 people to pitch in. So far, he's got 45... including me. He gives you quite a bit for your $1.99 - my random selection was seven different products.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012