Novica & Forum Members Tips & Product Reviews Pt 8

Novica

Saba Taru said:

Geoshell is saved as a wearable preset.  The Heirarchical Material preset is a separate save and will save both the G3F material and the material on the geoshell (if selected on save).  It's useful for applying materials to multiple things with one click.  So you create a geoshell (that's the once part).  Once it's created, you can apply any material you want to it.  Then you can create as many base and overlay material presets as you want using the Heirarchical Material preset option without creating a new geoshell every time.  And as long as you don't rename the geoshell, you can continue to use the Skin Blender scripts on it.

@SabaTaru  Thank you so much! I will experiment! 

Novica

RGcincy said:

Charlie Judge said:

@ RCcincy: I served on a 270' class cutter and the model is a 217' class cutter, specificfally the 'Acushnet'  None-the-less it looks pretty realistic to me and I want it; but I've had to wishlist it for now.

Thanks Charlie. I think I'm going to pick it up then.

Show us if you get a chance, love your renders!

Novica

@SabaTaru   Well, I'm not getting it. Can someone tell me what steps I am messing up? (Refer to the numbers please)

1. I create an Adaline No Brow (NB) and a separate Hillary NB. So neither gals have brows. Brow Remover saves these as Material Presets.
 Kept Adaline as the base figure selected in Scene.

2. Opened Skin Blender, loaded Adaline NB (no brow) and for the blended, chose the Hillary NB. Now, while in the !Skin Blender, I made sure that bottom slider was set to 0 for Adjust Blend, so nothing is acting on the materials. (and I know some tools/actions require at least something, so I don't know if that is the case here.

3. I saved that as a Wearable Preset (it has the geoshell.) But it won't let me do a Hierarchical Materials Preset with Adaline selected.

I think i need the steps explained, because I'm confused by the statement that you can keep making changes on that geoshell- you can't leave that screen in the !SkinBlender because if you do, it will tell you a geoshell already exists. Second, I can't get a hierarchical material preset to save. Arrgh. What I'm trying to do:

1. get two no brow material gals blended and saved as a hierarchical material preset. I got the brows off both of them (and that is a material preset.)  so this step, I think I've done right.

2. Now how do I blend with Skin Blender as a hier.mat.preset- and reuse that geometry shell over and over?  i know how to load each one up in the base and the blend material, but after that, HELP please!

 

Saba Taru

It was too much to type out into this tiny box.  Try this PDF.  I included some images, but the steps are quick and dirty (most won't tell you where to find things...  I just assume you know where they are).  Please let me know if you can't access the file.

Novica

I think I get it, but I'll take a look at the PDF. Once I loaded the two No Brow women and kept the Base character (Adaline) selected in Scene, I simply went into the second option  (Adjust Blend)  in Skin Blender and upped the blend to 20. Then it did save to the Hierachical Material Presets.  As long as I haven't left Skin Blender, I can keep going back into Adjust Blend and upping (or lowering) the blend. So I got that figured out. But I'm going to check your PDF and see if what I'm doing is right. Thank you SO very much!!!!! 

 

Nath

Question: Did anyone get the Ruins of War Room? I can always use a nicely trashed room, but I'm not too sure about this one, unless the painting and the banners can be removed/retextured.

Novica

@nath   No, I didn't. I thought the same thing though. I don't need Nazi themed period pieces, at least not that I can think of. 

 

Nath

Novica said:

@nath   No, I didn't. I thought the same thing though. I don't need Nazi themed period pieces, at least not that I can think of. 

 

It does have that 'nope' vibe unfortunately.

And now I'm wondering how many ruins I have LOL

Renomista

Nath said:

Question: Did anyone get the Ruins of War Room? I can always use a nicely trashed room, but I'm not too sure about this one, unless the painting and the banners can be removed/retextured.

As A German I am seriously insulted by a detail in this set. On one of the Flags (the left ones on the Promo) the "Bundesadler" - The Seal of the modern/current Fedral Republic of Germany - the best Democracy we ever had in Germany is used in a Nazi Context.

I think DAZ should take this set down.

Nath

Renomista said:

Nath said:

Question: Did anyone get the Ruins of War Room? I can always use a nicely trashed room, but I'm not too sure about this one, unless the painting and the banners can be removed/retextured.

As A German I am seriously insulted by a detail in this set. On one of the Flags (the left ones on the Promo) the "Bundesadler" - The Seal of the modern/current Fedral Republic of Germany - the best Democracy we ever had in Germany is used in a Nazi Context.

I think DAZ should take this set down.

That's even worse than I thought - I'd taken the eagle as a Reichsadler. Out of interest, I assume there are design differences between the two?

Renomista

It is very similar to the Reichsadler that was used during the "Weimarer Republik" the failed German Republic after the stepping down of the German Emporer after WW1. The Nazis Changed it in the first years of their rule (i belive 1935) to the "Nazi Eagel" you see on the right bannern, that was previously their party logo.

And the graphic used in the Picture looks very strongly like an post-WW2 version.

After some checking I'm pretty sure that selling this product in Germany is illegal, since using german National Symbols in a bad context is forbdden)  and I opened a support ticket to let them know. I think this can be ficed pretty quickly by just updateing some texture files

Renomista

Double Post sorry

SimonJM

Novica said:

@Nath   Thanks, appreciate the help. Okay, now I'm going to try Makoa, I got him for 78 cents in that $1 male sale. Don't ask me, I don't know why I got that price, particularly when everyone else couldn't even get the sale to work. He was the only dude I didn't have. Back in awhile.

I got the cheap male (the only one listed, think it was Makoa too) for 0.55$ ... so, yeah .. 

SimonJM

Cris Palomino said:

DestinysGarden said:

Valandar said:

Chohole said:

Valandar said:

Where do you find your member number?

←   ← ← ←   Hover your mouse over your name      You, like me, have a 4 digit member number

Ah, right... 9176. I been here so long, Noah had asked me for a box of tenpenny nails just before that rainstorm...

That's really interesting. So far the smallest member number I've found is AprilYSH at 994.

Sorry to go OT on your thread Novica.

Heh, I'm 425. :) (Continued apologies to Novica.)

You don't look a day over 400 ... 

Nath

Renomista said:

It is very similar to the Reichsadler that was used during the "Weimarer Republik" the failed German Republic after the stepping down of the German Emporer after WW1. The Nazis Changed it in the first years of their rule (i belive 1935) to the "Nazi Eagel" you see on the right bannern, that was previously their party logo.

And the graphic used in the Picture looks very strongly like an post-WW2 version.

After some checking I'm pretty sure that selling this product in Germany is illegal, since using german National Symbols in a bad context is forbdden)  and I opened a support ticket to let them know. I think this can be ficed pretty quickly by just updateing some texture files

Thanks for that - and yeah, textures should sort it.

firewarden

SimonJM said:

Novica said:

@Nath   Thanks, appreciate the help. Okay, now I'm going to try Makoa, I got him for 78 cents in that $1 male sale. Don't ask me, I don't know why I got that price, particularly when everyone else couldn't even get the sale to work. He was the only dude I didn't have. Back in awhile.

I got the cheap male (the only one listed, think it was Makoa too) for 0.55$ ... so, yeah .. 

I was going to grab Makoa after seeing the renders of him, but he no longer showed up in the sale for me.

fixmypcmike

Renomista said:

It is very similar to the Reichsadler that was used during the "Weimarer Republik" the failed German Republic after the stepping down of the German Emporer after WW1. The Nazis Changed it in the first years of their rule (i belive 1935) to the "Nazi Eagel" you see on the right bannern, that was previously their party logo.

And the graphic used in the Picture looks very strongly like an post-WW2 version.

After some checking I'm pretty sure that selling this product in Germany is illegal, since using german National Symbols in a bad context is forbdden)  and I opened a support ticket to let them know. I think this can be ficed pretty quickly by just updateing some texture files

Would you mind submitting a ticket on this so it can be fixed?

RGcincy

Here's a few test renders using the new Coast Guard Cutter. I really like the detail on this. It comes in 3DL and Iray materials - the Iray is at 2 resolutions (1K and 2K).

For the first render, which is 3DL, I used Ocean Wide which is a 3DL product. I used the Choppy Ocean preset and the Nightstorm skydome.

The second render is the same water and cutter position but using the Night scene preset that comes with CG Cutter.  I put the 1K Iray materials on the cutter. For some reason, I couldn't get rid of the gray sky - it may have been left over from the 3DL scene even though I had deleted the 3DL lights and skydome. Compared to the first render, you can see all the lights that come with the cutter.

This third render was my best result. I started a new scene so I could get the sky I wanted. The cutter has the night scene lights and the 2K materials. The sky is from Skies of iRadiance - Night Sky HDRIs for Iray The Ocean Wide water has the cola shader from Mec4d PBS Shaders Vol.2 for Iray After rendering, I used the curve function in GIMP to trim the darker red channel color of the cola as it was too brown. 

I'm doing a close-up render which I'll post when it's finished.

firewarden

RGcincy said:

Here's a few test renders using the new Coast Guard Cutter. I really like the detail on this. It comes in 3DL and Iray materials - the Iray is at 2 resolutions (1K and 2K).

For the first render, which is 3DL, I used Ocean Wide which is a 3DL product. I used the Choppy Ocean preset and the Nightstorm skydome.

 

The second render is the same water and cutter position but using the Night scene preset that comes with CG Cutter.  I put the 1K Iray materials on the cutter. For some reason, I couldn't get rid of the gray sky - it may have been left over from the 3DL scene even though I had deleted the 3DL lights and skydome. Compared to the first render, you can see all the lights that come with the cutter.

 

This third render was my best result. I started a new scene so I could get the sky I wanted. The cutter has the night scene lights and the 2K materials. The sky is from Skies of iRadiance - Night Sky HDRIs for Iray The Ocean Wide water has the cola shader from Mec4d PBS Shaders Vol.2 for Iray After rendering, I used the curve function in GIMP to trim the darker red channel color of the cola as it was too brown. 

I'm doing a close-up render which I'll post when it's finished.

Oh, my goodness. That is a gorgeous boat and render!

Llynara

Wow, that's awesome! Love the boat, and never thought to use a cola shader on Ocean Wide. Clever! 

Serene Night

I love your coastguard ship RGcincy. Now that's just begging to be hauled into photoshop and have those windows bounced, and some fog added to give those sailors something to really think about! =-)

Charlie Judge

@ RGcincy: Nice work on the renders. Please be aware that the model does have a few minor changes to the logos and stripe, presumeably to avod copyright infringement. I have updated my earlier reply to you to reflect this. Sorry if there was any confusion.

Odaa

I'm enjoying the Warhol Inspired Spotlighting Vol 2. light set. Here is preset 80 on a Facegen character whose skin came out of Facegen too orange.

Novica

Odaa said:

I'm enjoying the Warhol Inspired Spotlighting Vol 2. light set. Here is preset 80 on a Facegen character whose skin came out of Facegen too orange.

Oh neat! I don't have those, the lighting is interesting and makes the render unique!

Odaa

Novica said:

Odaa said:

I'm enjoying the Warhol Inspired Spotlighting Vol 2. light set. Here is preset 80 on a Facegen character whose skin came out of Facegen too orange.

Oh neat! I don't have those, the lighting is interesting and makes the render unique!

They are cool-I used to watch 60s-70s b-movies from Europe that used this kind of blown-out ultra-dramatic lighting. Think I might have cranked the saturation up a bit in Tone-mapping. Here's the same character skin under default Iray lighting: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/uploads/FileUpload/9b/f6d03f664f6aee21dd937b79842df3.png

 

Novica

Whew, she is orange! Have you ever played around in Render Settings>Tone Mapping>White Point? We discussed that on the thread awhile ago- it's the complementary colors and it changes the entire scene to a different hue.

Odaa

Yeah, I have a lot of fun playing with the white point. :) The key to remember, as you said, is that you're picking a complementary color: a color roughly opposite of where you want to end up (ie, red or orange for a blue-ish tinted scene, blue or turquoise for a more orange/yellow-tinted scene.)

RGcincy

Thanks firewarden, Llyrana, Serene Night and Charlie - certainly helps to have a good product to start with, especially with all the lights already set for you.

Llynara said:

...and never thought to use a cola shader on Ocean Wide. Clever! 

I got there because the first couple of shaders I tried were too transparent and you could clearly see to the keel underwater. I then remembered the "wine dark sea" and thought cola, although it's really too brown which is why I did the color adjustment in postwork. Probably should have adjusted it in the shader before rendering.

 

Serene Night said:

 Now that's just begging to be hauled into photoshop and have those windows bounced, and some fog added to give those sailors something to really think about! =-)

I thought of adding some spray and fog but thought I'd show a straight render first. This is when I usually think "now I wish I had bought that fog and rain product". 

 

Charlie Judge said:

Sorry if there was any confusion.

Charlie - I wouldn't have noticed the logo and stripe. Reminds me of model railroaders who know exactly what a particular train is suppose to look like.

 

Here's a closer render which better shows the level of detail. I meant for it to run overnight to get rid of the grain but forgot to change the max time on the render setting. This was after two hours. The close-up rendered more slowly than the distant view, but both night scenes take time. I could see creating some good action scene using this product.

Wonderland

Ice Dragon Art said:

Wonderland said:

Ice Dragon Art said:

 

That's exactly how I had my Poser files set up! But I haven't figured out how to do it in DS yet. How do you create (ugh, autocorrect just put in "cremate" LOL) a category like weapons and then sub-categories like guns and then just adding that one thing from a set with any textures? And then you are suppposed to be able to add something to a folder in the content panel by clicking the + sign but that doesn't work. It's been a year now and I'm still pretty clueless when it comes to DS...

Another problem I have is although I usually use my Mac, I often also use a Windows laptop in bed when I'm really lazy or have insomnia LOL. Also, my files are really messed up with some being DIM and others being Connect because half the time DIM doesn't work. And I still have a lot of white triangles with exclamation marks where things won't install at all... Going back and forth with Tech support. Ugh....T

To create your main categories you go to Categories and right click.  Choose create a subcategory.  You can create as many as you want, in my example you can see I have the most broad categorization for stuff, the most general like People, Props, Poses etc.  If you want to create a category under people you just do the same thing, right click and create category.  Once you get it to the point that you want to start adding actual items you can either right click on the item name and click on create a category from and choose either this folder only or this folder and all subfolders. It will open a box with all of your categories and subcategories and you just click on where you want it and it will creat a sub category under the one you picked.  Or you can right click and drag on the items thumbnails and then right click on any one and choose create subfolder and it will allow you to drill down and choose where you want that to go, then you right click the subcategory it goes and type in a name, and check the box it creates to add the items.  This is good if you want to creat multiple categories from one set, like you want shoes as part of an outfit to go into two categories, clothing and shoes. Or whatever.    I can't help with a Mac as I don't have one.  I just created my categories by going down the list, first the Daz Studio library then the poser library.  You can categorize them in your categories together.  If you have any questions let me know, I will answer tomorrow as its past bedtime here lol.

Oh, thanks Ice Dragon. Just catching up with this thread, got so behind! I copied and pasted this into my makeshift Daz manual that I'm creating for myself in my Notes app. It's totally disorganized but whenever I find some new useful information, I copy and paste it in. That was very helpful thanks!

Wonderland

Novica said:

YI just HAVE to do this in my thread. 

POST NUMBER 15,000 for me!!!!

Since September 2012. So 56 months of posting, means an average of 268 posts a month. 
It also means I need to go ride my horse Stetson a LOT more. (Which I started doing, as of last week.) 

So, here we go. Figure out the number of months since you started actively posting and figure YOUR monthly average. I've been active since the first month (and started with Thread 1 from my very first render. Wow.)  So what's your stats?

Still catching up here on this's thread... Apparently I joined Daz a REALLY long time ago, 1969! LOL. Talk about glitches! Or maybe I went through a time machine and landed in another dimension where I used all my geek knowledge to create Daz AND invent the Internet.