Confusion On Where To Start For A New User...
Rectorade21
Posts: 19
Hello! This is only my 2nd post. And my 3rd day with this software. I have no prior experience. I have followed the tutorials and I know how to setup a basic scene and timeline with movements. I also know how to render fairly well after testing a bunch with the free content that was provided.
My focus is on men and producing high quality images of masculine men in various storylines. For an idea of what I like you can reference Michael 5's photos here: https://www.daz3d.com/michael-5
My confusion: is michael 5 only Genesis 1? Is that older? What is the difference between Gen 1,2, and 3 and now as I browse the store I see Genesis 8 male content.
Which version should I buy things for if I am looking for the most up to date highest quality?
I wish there were some sort of dating on products and posts because I would assume that the newest core models are "better" than the older ones.
Please help! I am looking to buy a pro bundle and some other things but I don't want to buy something that is older and no longer being updated among artists.
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Comments
As a general rule, the higher the number, the newer the model...Gensis 3 is newer than Genesis (1) but Genesis 8 is the newest generation of all.
Michael 5 is Genesis 1 only. If you want the highest quality figure that will be most supported in the future I would start with Genesis 8 however characters and clothing are just coming out for the male. So an alternative is starting with Genesis 3 who has much more content. Characters can be transferred from G3 to G8 very well because of the similar base meshes. Clothing can too, to some extent, though I've never really loved autofit results.
OK, so the best place to start is in the New Users Help Forum
I can move your post there or you can do it yourself by clicking the little gear icon at the right op your post and then click edit, and then change category from the drop down list on the left hand side.
The NU forums are moderated a little more strictly than our general forums. As a community it is important for us to cultivate an atmosphere of collaboration and encouragement that will allow for our newest additions to have fun and to learn in an environment that is conducive to both.
Wow. I am amazed that Michael 5 is for Genesis 1 only. The photos of his face are amazing. Or... maybe I am just a sucker for a good jawline? LOL.
@Chohole Thanks for the help and letting me do it myself! You are a good mod. And that whipping stick in your picture does not feel too bad! ;)
Welcome! Here are a few tips:
Hope this helps get you started!
Thank you for your help @Llynara and all! I will look into it what you have discussed.
you're welcome. The club was a joke that no one will let me remove. I did try doing a friendlier one once for spring, and the consensus insisted they wanted the old Chohole back.
Its good to pick a figure and then deck it out with add-ons to make it more flexible. I did this best with Genesis 3 female. I am a bit behind the times as I have not upgraded on schedual to Genesis 8. My budget is smaller so I have learned I can't fully deck out a character in only two years. Pick a generation you want to work with and focus on it. The newer the generation, the more add-ons to wear items from the past and Genesis 8 Michael should come with a few clones to help expand the closet and improvements to autofit things.
@Chohole: awwwwww. you look so purdy with those flowers! :)
@RitaCeleste, I have wishlisted pretty much all Genesis 8 male items, starting with the pro bundle of Michael 8 and going from there. But I am finding that there is a LOT of content for Genesis 3 males so I am thinking perhaps I should purchase the most recent Genesis 3 male (which I think is Michael 7?) to conform to it.
The thing I am wondering is, can Genesis 8 males do poses designed for Genesis 3? I am finding a lot of poses and material even from other sites that have great poses but they all tend to be genesis 3. Since the claim is that Genesis 8 figures can "autofit" clothing, can they also autofit poses? Or will I buy the poses and it will not even be an option for Michael 8?
All of this is in theory. I have spent about 18 hours researching all this and learning the software. Once I dive in and take action I plan on creating some awesome content! My mind is wondering already...
I'd like to answer a few questions. If you wish to start with Michael 8, you don't need to purchase Michael 7 to make use of all the G3M content. You can use the clothes, hair, props and G3M character SKIN only. The morphs for how G3M mesh is shaped will not be available for G8M.
Poses require a pose converter, because Genesis 8 starts in the "A" pose rather than a "T" pose. Aran for G3M is on the left in the T pose, Michael 8 on the right in the A pose.
Zev0 has utilities to convert poses from one generation to another, because they are all a little wonky and need correction. These convert back and forth between the figures. There are several available, but here's the one for G3 to G8 (for male and female). https://www.daz3d.com/genesis-3-to-genesis-8-pose-converter
Notice that Michael 8 is able to wear Aran's skin, but still has M8's features. The morphs must be converted in order to get those. Here's where it gets complicated. There was a wonderful product known as GenX2 (https://www.daz3d.com/genesis-generation-x2, you will need the add-ons for Genesis 2 and Genesis 3) which converted characters, from Michael and Victoria 4 all the way up to Genesis 3 (M7/V7). However, the creator, Dimension3D, has passed away, so Genesis 3 is as far as it goes. So now we must manually convert the morphs ourselves. There is a thread which explains how to do it, but it is advanced and I don't recommend it until you gain some experience. Bookmark this thread for use later:
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/2806356#Comment_2806356
The second render shows Michael 8 looking funny because the M7 pose has not been converted. I noticed that M7 expressions don't work on M8 either.
If you want to use the latest technology, then purchase Michael 8 Pro Bundle. If you find a character you really like that is for "Genesis 3 Male", go ahead and get it. Make sure you note the requirements. Some characters require the Head and Body Morphs, and others don't. Some are based on other characters which you will have to purchase if you want to use them.
Utilities that you will want:
Just about anything by Zev0! He's the man!
You will also want the Muscularity Morphs by xenic101. These won't be available until the end of the year, as xenic101 said he was working on other projects.
When purchasing a morph package, make sure it states "dials," "morph dials" and not just presets. A Preset is the full morph at 100% like a character. A dial allows you to use the slider to apply only a portion of the morph, and thus gives you more options from mixing morphs.
Many great tips thanks for the effort :)