Novica & Forum Members Tips & Product Reviews Pt 8
This discussion has been closed.
Daz 3D is part of 
Connect
DAZ Productions, Inc.
7533 S Center View Ct #4664
West Jordan, UT 84084
Licensing Agreement | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | EULA
© 2024 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
Thanks for the link, RGcincy. There is another starred thread to add to my collection. I'm interested in following up on your prop rigging walkthru.
That's awesome Rich!
Taking notes on that RGcincy! I have a render I wanted to do in a sci fi corridor, and none of the ones I've looked at have containment units in that walls that open up, which I really need for the scene.
Very nice!
I'll put a link to it in the References (second post of the thread.) I've been rigging a character, if this is similar, you have to right click the figure and select Memorize>Memorize Figure Rigging or you lose everything. Do you need to do that for a prop?
At least when saved it as a scene subset, I did not have to do the memorize step. I haven't tried to save it as a figure/prop asset. I'll check that out.
I did try the same approach on another prop. This time it was from The Briefing Room. The room has a door that is already rigged to open but the cabinets do not. You can select the door of a cabinet and rotate it but it simply pivots around the center point.
I was able to follow similar steps as I did for the bus to get the left door to open. Since the doors are all one object, I had to first create a face group for the left door panels (you do that using the Geometry Editor; I did not have to do that for the bus as the doors were already separate). The door knob is interesting as it is not part of the door but is part of the cabinet! There may be a more efficient way to do it but I made the cabinet a separate figure then made a bone for the handle. So to open the door, I have to do it two parts: (1) open the door, (2) open the handle. The angles are slightly different but close enough I could adjust. I would guess there's a way to tie them together but I'm a total novice at rigging. I'll have to read more I think. Here's what the rigged cabinet door looks like:
At least when saved as a scene subset, I did not have to do the memorize step. I haven't tried to save it as a figure/prop asset. I'll check that out.
I did try the same approach on another prop. This time it was from The Briefing Room. The room has a door that is already rigged to open but the cabinets do not. You can select the door of a cabinet and rotate it but it simply pivots around the center point.:
I was able to follow similar steps as I did for the bus to get the left door to open. Since the doors are all one object, I had to first create a face group for the left door panels (you do that using the Geometry Editor; I did not have to do that for the bus as the doors were already separate). The door knob is interesting as it is not part of the door but is part of the cabinet! There may be a more efficient way to do it but I made the cabinet into a separate figure, made the handle into a new face group, then made a bone for the handle. So to open the door, I have to do it two parts: (1) open the door, (2) open the handle. The opening angles are slightly different but close enough I could adjust. I would guess there's a way to tie them together but I'm a total novice at rigging. I'll have to read more I think now that I've dipped my toes into the water. Here's what the rigged cabinet door looks like:
The doors look like bi-fold doors, so a fun learning exercise would be to make them open and fold together.
I tried the Mirror Joints>Direction- Selected to Opposite but it didn't work on my character, I don't know if it would work on those doors. You can also use Duplicate.
With hair styles decidedly different so far as how strands are made, I was looking at which hair products would go together so a character could change up her hairstyle. With Emma and Jordi, the Scarlett Hair (which has the bangs pulled back) would go nicely with Shantal Hair. (And the store is featured, so it's 50% off both plus 10% Bonus Buyer.)
Has anyone picked up the Great Library? I'm really digging the 2nd level and more mysterious look, cubby with sofa, etc.
Is it a full 360 interior? Is there a doorway or entryway? Any better images of what the 1st floor looks like? I don't even see pics of a staircase leading to 2nd floor. I assume there should be one if its a complete interior.
On discount its only a few more dollars than the library in fast grab and I'm trying to decide between the 2 before the probable switch over tonight. I think the Great Library will probably change in price tonight as I think it will be out of still mad status.
There's a thread about it here: www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/155626/library-i-wish-that-for-real
I think it looks cool, but it needs a bit of work to be useful to me, so not an instabuy
Thanks for that thread link. Bit of a downer there's no staircase from 1st to 2nd floor. I suppose I could always kit bash one. And then there's always Powerage's fantasy library which seems to have everything, even an exterior, Now if it would only go on sale.
How did I miss the Powerage set? That does look as if it has everything...
Yes. I regret I didn't buy it when it was on sale in november.
Maybe if there's a good blowout at the end of the Madness... And if not, there's always another sale:)
I don't know if you need to do it for a prop rigged as I did it or not. I used the figure setup pane this time and I did memorize it, since you and tutorials said it was important.
It took a lot of tries but I did it. Got the handles attached to the door (had to create face groups in both parts of the cabinet, export them together as an object, then import them back into DS to get everything into one prop). I then used the Figure Setup Pane, Joint Editor, and Node Weight Map brush to get it rigged. Here is the result, with and without a pole and shelves (made from primitives):
The way it is rigged, with 4 bones, requires you to open each part of the doors separately. The second panel of each pair translates with its sibling, but I still need to see if there is a way you can link them so one rotates in the opposite direction.
I kept notes as I went, I may try to write a tutorial up. In the meantime, I did find this You Tube video that was helpful for rigging a multiple-part prop.
Well, I'm old fashioned, I have The Library (and the Iray Add-on) but it's so funny, every time I see a modern library, I've been thinking, "Oh, I already have a couple of those." And apparently I don't have a single library so to speak. But in Product Library here's what I have:
i13 Booked The books are not impressive based on the promos, look like squares- not much effort spent in making different covers.
Treasury of Books Now we're talking diversity of book covers. This one is very usable. Shown in Vaulted Hall. (see also accessories.)
Room of Books Another one that the books lack variation. I got it mostly for the room.
Coming in handy is The Bookcase Collection and I still like some of the ribbed books from Opus Magnum. One of the first products I ever bought! Just Uber Base it for Iray and away you go!
The Gallerie Simple can be used for a library too. Put some pictures on the wall, even change it up with shaders.
The best of all books IMO is Widdershins Old Books.
Edit- I know I am missing some, because I remember doing a render and there were books, with a hallway leading out. I'll add here, when I find things with major book areas.
Novel Romance Poses for Genesis includes a library scene
I don't have this one, i13 Library Environment I don't like the books (same flat squares) but take a look, it has the destroyed version of some of it, and two rooms, and more variety in props.
Good job Rich! Now you can complicate all your sets (In your free time LOL.)
Darn it, forgot to mention several of those products are in the Vaulted Hall Library Bundle in Fast Grab. Just in case some of you hadn't checked that lately.
It definitely is a time consumer! I think I'll use it sparingly. It is nice to know, though, that you can open up parts of a scene if the PA didn't add that capability.
Well today they're rewarding folks who have the Aiko 3 and Hiro 3 (that's me, surprised me!!!) with the Furries.
Regarding the Furries: Melody and Micah Bundle need to be added to that page.
March 20th Fantasy Interior is the new freebie for Bonus Buyers.
I just love VYK Poppy!!!! However, I am spacing my purchases out so I remain a Bonus Buyer. So unless it's a possibly short time deal (like with the Flurries, not sure how long that will go on, it's a Flash sale) I wait at least a day (unless the price seems too good to be the right one.) Are you waiting or buying right away?
And that treasure chest FLEW into my cart. It's about time we got one that looks so good! Yo ho ho!
Has anyone used these much? I have the A3/H3 bases.
I've been spacing small purchases on days of little interest, but glancing at today, there are several things that look promising. Must browse quickly before crashing...
I haven't tried them yet, and am in the middle of perusing several different tutorials/videos on weight mapping and won't be rendering anytime soon. At those prices, I just scooped them up and hope for the best LOL.
Totally agree on the treasure chest , it flew in my cart also. Great addition to my pirate stuff! VYK Poppy is also in my cart, although I might just wishlist her and iREAL Animated Dust Particles & Bokeh.
I went for the big furry bundle, Furries Bundle, but not the Melody and Micah Bundle, in case they add it to the sale and mark it down. But I'm torn about the furries altogether. They're are cute, but by the time I add the cost of those two bundles and all the skins and poses, that would be over $30 for something that I'm not sure that I'll use...Torn...
Are you a PC member? That bundle is $2.99 If not, I really would use the money for the bundle, and join.
The Melody and Micah Bundle,? Yes, only comes to $2.09 + tax as it's at $2.99 to start. I thought it might be cheaper if they threw it in the sale, but maybe they wouldn't combine discount and the PC price. If you buy Melody and Micah Bundle plus all their stuff in the furries sale - poses and skins - and leave out Peaches, with tax for me it comes to $29.97, so basically $30. I can't envision using them in my next several projects, which will take me forever, if not longer, lol... So I'm trying to hold out to my philosophy this sale and only buy stuff that I can use in currently planned projects. It's mostly worked so far.
I have to work through my desire to collect all of the cute pixels!
I picked up the Melody, the furries for Melody (I didn't get the bundle because I don't have Hiro 3). I also grabbed the treasure chest and PhilosophersPA Particles and Bokeh generator. I dont do animations but it works for stills as well and his stuff is always awesome. Kicking myself that I didn't get his Ocean but its high on the wishlist. This is what I picked up today. I paid $27 for all of it, with my $6 off PA coupon included.
Yes, all the time! They are arguably my favorite items, buying them as soon as they were initially released 2007 for Melody and Micah and 2008 for the "Furries for..." add on morphs.
Melody (with the morphs) allowed me to me to adapt two traditionally illustrated personal charactersw into polygon format that I actually liked. (Earlier attempts with other figures left me "wanting".)
K'Tharr Rauthimas: The Melody version next to a hand drawn version from 1997, maybe '98.
Lt. Mzzkiti: the Melody based version compared to a traditional, hand drawn version (layered over TrueSpace modeled backgrounds) from 2001.
Sincerely,
Bill
What are you using for skins/furs? Did you buy the ones that were made for them or do your own? Those are REALLY cool! :)
The purchased skins, but tweaked.
K'th, the catgirl in legwarmers and leather jacket is sporting the "Fisher Cat" texture dialed down to roughly 87 percent and a neutral "tan" added to the base "diffuse" channel. Mzzkiti, the catgirl in uniform, uses the "rabbit" texture with the stripes from the white tiger set turned yellow and matted in PaintShop Pro. The bump maps, more noticeable upon K'th, come from a discontinued product, MergeVisible's "Big Cat" set. the feet upon Mzzkiti are another discontinued item. JENelson (aka Achronicity upon most other sites) sold a package at Renderosity that gave Melody "digitigrade" feet. The package also offered plantigrade predator toeswhich I used with K'th.
Sincerely,
Bill