Is there a way to combine models?

Deke

I like parts of two models...is there a way to combine them? Take wheels of one vehicle and the body of another for instance?

 

semperequstri

The only way I can think of doing it would be to start by exporting the models into your 3D modeling software of choice. You'd then need to break up the geometry and combine the bits you want into a new model. Any breaks in the mesh or other errors would need to be fixed. I also expect you'd need re-do the grouping and UV mapping for new textures..  Once that's all done, you'd export as an obj file and bring it back into DAZ Studio. If you want a pose-able model then the rigging would have to be done over. But I'm NO expert in this kind of thing so it's just my own guess on what the workflow might look like based on my own less- than- perfect efforts at modeling.

More importantly, I  really doubt if doing this would be an ethical or even legal use of a fellow artist's work. I'm sure it wouldn't go along with the DAZ legal folks either if you did this with their models. 

In the end it would be a lot easier just to make your own model to you own specs and desires. Of course you'd need to make sure it is an original piece and not a blatant copy.

Peter Wade

It might be possible without exporting and using modelling software depending on how the models are setup. To take the example you use, if both vehicles have their wheels made as seperate body parts, make the wheels on one vehicle invisible by clicking on the eye icon in the scene tab, then make everything except the wheels invisible on the other vehicle, then bring them together and put them in a group. You would probable have to resize one of them to fit, and if the seperation of the wheels was different you might have to load four copies of the model that provides the wheels and make just one wheel visible on each (if it's a four wheel vehicle).

If the wheels are not sepeate body parts you may be able to use materials to control visibility. If the wheels have their own surfaces set cutout opacity to 0% to make either the wheels or everything else invisible. If they don't have their own surfaces then maybe you could use the geometry editor to create new surfaces for them, I haven't tried this.

Concerning what semperequstri_3ac31e80ab said, you certainly couldn't give away or sell copies of models you made by modifying someone else's models but I think that keeping the models for you own use is OK  and you can use renders of them however you want. I think this comes under the term "kit bashing" that gets used in the forums here. If any Daz staff or PAs are reading this perhaps they can clarify this?