Scaling (Import/Export) in Between Daz Programs: Help Needed

Turk_WLF

 

This is the Second Posting in a Series of questions; I have in hopes of creating my own content in time.

I need to know to what scale I need to use for Importing/Exporting Objects in different Daz Programs.

My prefer method is using Wavefront Object (.obj), what I mean by scale when you export or import an object generally you have the option is scaling the model up or down by percentage.

 

The Programs that I need help with are…

 

Hexagon 2.5.0.5 to Carrara 8.5.1 Pro (Medium Scene 30 Ft)

Carrara 8.5.1 Pro (Medium Scene 30 Ft) to Hexagon 2.5.0.5

 

Daz Studio 4.9 Pro to Carrara 8.5.1 Pro (Medium Scene 30 Ft)

Carrara 8.5.1 Pro (Medium Scene 30 Ft) to Daz Studio 4.9 Pro

 

Most Important of the Three…

 

Hexagon 2.5.0.5 to Daz Studio 4.9 Pro

Daz Studio 4.9 Pro to Hexagon 2.5.0.5

 

This is very important to me because I’m modeler that prefers to use measurements when I can.

Thanks,

fred9803

From memory, I'm rendering right now, when you import from a non-native format there is a scaling option that should automatically scale things to Daz size. So it shouldn't matter what original scale the object is made. I'm sure that wavefront .obj is one of the options. Then again from experience it's pretty hit and miss with regard to this and objects will still need scaling adjustment on import.

SixDs

Thats not really a simple question to answer because it depends on what you are doing. For example, if you are exporting an object file from DAZ Studio to Hexagon to adjust the mesh and then importing it back into DAZ Studio, then you should choose "DAZ Studio (1 unit = 1 cm)" from the drop-down list under "From:" or "To:". That will give you a scaling of 100%, since both DAZ Studio and Hexagon use the same units. (Alternatively you could choose Hexagon from the drop-down either way and the results will obviously be the same). Since Carrara units are 1 unit = 1 inch, then exporting to Carrara from Hexagon requires a scaling factor of 39.3701 %, while importing would be at 254 %. But, using the drop-down menus does all the calculations for you. Just select the correct application and the scaling should be correct. (I can't say for certain that every one of those listed is exactly right because I haven't tried them all, but the ones I have used seem to work).

Now, if you are creating models from scratch in either Carrara or Hexagon, thats where things are not necessarily straightforward. If you are working in Hexagon then anything that you create will import into DAZ at the same scale it was to begin with. But that doesn't necessarily mean it will be the size you want. If you have modelled a chair, for example, and you want it to be sized to fit DAZ human figures, you would need it to be modelled at the correct size in Hexagon to begin with (possibly by importing a DAZ figure into Hexagon to use as a guide). Alternatively, you could model your chair, import it into Studio and then scale it there to the appropriate size and resave it.

Now, if you are talking about real world units and conversions that is even dicier. There aren't any real world units in a virtual world, which is why so many different 3D programs use different units. Its all pretty arbitrary. You could use the height of DAZ figures as a baseline (I forget how tall the various figures are, but I believe there is a thread somewhere on the forums that speaks to that). However, those heights are not real world heights, they are DAZ world heights, if you follow my drift. Even if you started there you would end up having to do a lot of calculations. A better approach might be to create a guide (there are actually a few available off the shelf) that you could load and use in each program for going back and forth. A virtual ruler, if you will. If you want CAD/CAM precision you are probably better off using a program designed for that, IMO, to get the proportions exactly right and then exporting to and scaling in DAZ Studio or Carrara to get the overall size desired.

There are many modellers out there that could offer you more meaningful guidance than I, and some may chime in with explanations of how they handle scaling and proportions.