Daz day one
atacit_23cd333971
Posts: 101
I am not an artist but I married one and as a stick figure drawing smuck I have always envied my wife's ability to create amazing images. She was the one who pointed me to Daz. I have to say it has been a rough day. As a new comer to this arena with no previous experience I feel I have a unique perspective of this product. I thought that by sharing this maybe I can help the next brave souls that follow me.
First off please have someone.. anyone add a single line to "How to Download and Install DAZ Studio 4 (Windows)" on the main page- Please add a line saying "The software can be downloaded by going to My Account and then Product Library." Why would this basic pathway for the newbie be left out? I wasted so much time just trying to figure out where this was. I see that in the forum this is clearly stated but not all of us go to a forum first. A few lines explaining what the downloads are would be helpful too. I mean what is the Darkside 1.2? and do I need it? Hell I don't know. Does the documentation get worse as it gets more complex?
Second. Why would you supply a beginning tutorial that is done with addons that need to be purchased? I can't learn to ride a bike (with training wheels) when the guy teaching me is in a sports car. I would really like the first tutorial and my first attempt to crawl to be done with the original product I downloaded. Not one that requires me to purchase and install content before I even know what "content" is, lol. Save that for the-Now that we have removed your diaper Tutorial. From my current perspective it seems I would have to invest a few hundred dollars just to get my toes wet and this is even before I know if I would even enjoy it.
These two simple things would have really made a difference for me at least. Just my 2 cents.
Disheartened
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Comments
What is the tutorial that needs add-ons?
You did download and install Genesis Starter Essentials as well as the main app?
Which tutorial were you looking at? One included in the download or another? I thought the training material with DS used the content from Genesis Starter Essentials.
It's been a while since I've downloaded Studio for the first time and I've forgotten how hard or easy it was now keep in mind I'm an internet junkie so if I want something found there's no where for it to hide :P
As for spending a few hundred dollars, that's the best part really, after that it gets really boring ;-)
But seriously; the Fiery Genesis and dragon slayer tuts work in conjunction with the Genesis Starter essentials which are free. While the content in that pack is very limited it does provide you with enough to dip your toe in and maybe even get your foot wet (or at least slightly damp)
As for "What is content" it's all the goodies that help you make pretty pictures.
Now all that is left for me is to welcome you to your new addiction and if you have any more questions there are lots of people here much nicer than I am who would love to help :-)
Welcome to the DAZ forums, and to your latest addiction, because it will become one.
I see you've already gotten a few responses. The only thing I can add that no one has mentioned yet is, you do NOT need to use Darkside. That's just an extra layout for the DS 4.5 user interface. I use it because I don't like the default look of DS 4, but you don't need it as the default layout is customizable without it.
Are you referring to this one? https://helpdaz.zendesk.com/entries/21391331-How-to-Download-and-Install-DAZ-Studio-4-Windows- If so I agree...it would be helpful if that made reference to the Product Library. The reason why it was left out is that that page was written long before the Product Library existed (it's a rather new feature).
I've put together a Downloading and Installing tutorial that incorporates the information from that link as well as up-to-date details about the Product Library and DAZ Install Manager. You can find it here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/19194/
Not sure which tutorial you are referring to in the second point. There are lots of different tutorials out there. As you probably know, DAZ 3D gives away the DAZ Studio software for free and makes money on content for it, so it doesn't surprise me that some of the tutorials (like these: http://www.daz3d.com/help/help-daz-3d-video-tutorials/) include purchased content. You don't need to own those products to learn from the tutorial though...the lessons can be applied to any content, including the items that are included for free with the software.
I hope this is helpful, and welcome to the forum! Sorry to hear that you are disheartened but I hope things get better as you become more familiar with DAZ Studio. The forum can be a very helpful resource when you run into issues or have questions.
Thanks for the welcome! :). I did download Daz and the essentials. Well I downloaded it and these. Genesis Starter Essentials PoserCF, 14812_GenesisStarterEssentialsPoserCF_1.11_dpc.exe, 14812_GenesisStarterEssentials_1.11_trx.exe. What these other 3 are I am not sure but they were all bundled so I imagine they were necessary. I now see the internal tutorial, thank you by the way. The tutorial I tried to use was here on their main page under help. http://www.daz3d.com/help/help-daz-3d-video-tutorials/
I just noticed that the Quick start tutorial at the bottom is actually another tutorial not a header..lol..sob...Man put that at the top people, this is killing me. I started at 1 and proceded down like most sheep would.
I tried to do the 9 step tutorial and after 5 steps I needed a 12 step program to recover.
Here is my question to you of knowledge and experience. Since I will be investing money either way should I procede with DAz or go to Poser. For a complete virgin, what is easier to learn and which gives the best reward when learned. Remember also, I am not a clever man.
http://weknowmemes.com/2011/10/i-am-not-a-clever-man-comic/
For starters you say Daz Studio 4 we are now on DS4.5 in which Darkside in no longer a separate installer, it comes complete with DS4.5. And as Jimmy asked have you DLed and installed the Starter pack. That will give you enough content to play for a wee while.
Also on the subject of extra content that is the nature of DAZ3D, they make more money out of selling content and hence why Daz Studio is free. It is your choice alone to buy more. Plus if you look hard enugh on Google etc for Daz Studio and Poser free content you will find tons of free content with some excellent quialty amoung them.
Also have a read of the thread titled "Somethings to Consider when starting to learn CG" link in my sig below.
Holey crap, your real? Scott, it was your install tutorial that saved my ass. Thanks and thank you for the welcome.
Well you are in the right place here, there are people here who will hold your hand through all your first baby steps and beyond, as you get to grips with the software. THat is what this forum is here for.
I learned far more from forum members than I ever did from tutorials and manuals, when I was learning.
BTW one big advantage that Daz Studio has over Poser is that it is free, so it costs you nothing to learn. It is possible to work for quite a long time with just the content that comes with the program and freebies.
Only once you really get to grips with it do you need to start spending any money, as by that time you will want to add all sorts of things to your basic stuff.
Poser or Daz Studio? Well chohole has said the best..."free" but what is easier to learn....that is a hard question to answer as we all learn differently.
:lol: This made my day, thanks! :) Glad it helped you.
Even as I worked with DAZ since 2 Years I see myself as a beginner because I have a lot to learn.
But I find it very easy to learn because there is a great helpful community - let me say the best community.
I also tried poser (I had a free trail version) but I never find out how to handle things in poser... and poser are way to slow on my PC (I use a i7 with 1,73GHz and 4GB RAM) each click or use of a dial or whatever needs minutes - because of that I had no fun to work with poser.
DAZ works really fast on my PC.
Yes as they say, there are horses for courses. Each to his own. Some people like one, some like the other. I played around with Poser 1, very basic. Came back to it at version 3 and have used it ever since as my 2nd program. I just mesh well with Poser, but I know others just cannot get to grips with it.
It would possibly be easier for me to transfer stuff into my first program of choice using DS and the bridge, but I still work my way.
Yes that's the tutorial I mentioned in my earlier post, and yes I realized it doesn't have that information because it's a new feature. I think someone needs to update it, because I'm not a newbie and the first day I went into my account and didn't see the usual links on the left, I was as befuddled as the OP was.
As they say Cho, whatever works best for you, is what you should do. Everyone has their own workflow that works best for them.
That's a difficult question, but I'll try to give an honest answer as someone who owns and uses both pieces of software.
Daz Studio
Pros
- Genesis figure provides a one-stop figure for practically any type of character.
- Fully Genesis compatible without needing importer software.
- Can use 'light cam' perspective to more easily position distant lights.
- Objects easier to find and manage with the universal tool.
- Supports most Poser content.
- Powerful 3Delight RenderMan render engine.
- AniBlocks provide simple animations which can be daisy-chained to create more complex movements.
- Surface tab makes working with materials easier.
Cons
- Dynamic clothing restricted to products by a single publisher and only basic controls.
- 3Delight render engine chews up most of your system during render.
- Smart Content can be more difficult to manage and can lead to confusion.
- Older plugins are unlikely to function in newer versions of Daz Studio.
- Incompatible with Poser's materials. Loads in texture maps correctly, but other settings will need manual fixes.
Poser
Pros
- Powerful cloth simulation capable of transforming almost any item into flowing fabric.
- Can import a figure and clothes from the library and auto-conform them in a single step.
- Advanced Subsurface scatter options.
- Real-time displacement and shadows in preview.
- Walk designer lets you create easy walking animations.
- Fast Firefly render engine.
- Upcoming Poser 10 will support soft-body physics.
Cons
- Not cheap. Cheapest current version is $299.99 for Poser 9.
- Lights harder to position using Posers sphere system and point lights hard to locate for positioning.
- Requires DSON Importer and Poser companion files to use Genesis into Poser. Not all products contain companion files.
- Stability issues.
These are just my opinions and the issues which I came across using both products. I've been using Daz Studio now for a number of months largely for Genesis (it's just that good) but in general I found it easier to work with than Poser. However, Poser is undoubtedly a powerful tool with a lot of great features. I see Daz Studio as being the more user-friendly one, while Poser is more feature-rich. Though, that opinion might be based on the staggering amount of help I received from the forumites in my early days.