Genesis Custom-Dialed Character Contest (WIP/Discussion thread - now with results posted!)
Scott Livingston
Posts: 4,340
Genesis Custom-Dialed Character Contest
Running dates: June 1, 2013 to July 15, 2013
(the deadline is July 15 at 11:59:59 PM, DAZ Time (Mountain Daylight Time or UTC -6:00)
This is the WIP (works in progress) and discussion thread. For the entries-only thread, click here.
Prizes
Except as otherwise noted, all prizes will be issued in the form of DAZ 3D gift certificates (GC), in the amounts of:
$50 GC special prize to Best Overall Image, considering composition, lighting, and quality of render.
Thank you to Laticis for sponsoring this award.
four category winners:
$10 store credit and $10 GC to Best Portrait
$10 store credit and $10 GC to Most Creative or Inventive Formula
$10 store credit and $10 GC to Best Likeness (of a historical or contemporary public figure, or famous fictional character)
$10 store credit and $10 GC to Best Character by a New User
four honorable mentions:
$5 GC to Honorable Mentions in each of the four categories above
$10 store credit and $15 GC additional Bonus Prize, awarded based on popular vote, chosen from among all the prizewinning renders
Prizes provided by: DAZ 3D ($50 in store credit), Laticis ($50), Scott-Livingston ($25), Jaderail ($25), Novica ($25)
Special thanks to DAZ 3D and to my individual co-sponsors, Jaderail, Laticis, and Novica!
Contest Rules
1. Be logged in to your DAZ3D Forum account to submit a valid entry. We will not accept Anonymous or Guest Entries.
2. Submit your image in .jpg format to the appropriate contest thread.
3. Upload you image using the Post Reply - Browse to Attachment feature (In other words please do not link to your image but rather post it to the thread)
4. Your entry must be one or more new renders not previously posted elsewhere. The character featured does not need to be a newly-created character (it’s okay if you’ve rendered the same character before). You may post your entry elsewhere on the DAZ Forums after posting it to this thread, and you may post it on other sites once the contest has closed.
5. You may attach one to five images in your entry post. If you choose to include more than one image, all images will be considered part of the same entry. Images must be posted to the contest thread, not linked, and they must be posted by their creator (no anonymous or guest entries will be allowed).
6. Along with your entry image(s), you must include the following information:
a. Name of character
b. All software used in the creation of your image or images
c. full formula (list of morphs with values) used in the creation of the character, and links to the sources of morphs you used (products).
d. You must also list and link to all products you used for your character’s skin texture, hair, clothing, and accessories.
Entries that do not include all of this information will be disqualified.
7. You must use a variety of morphs from different products in the creation of your character.
8. You may use any render engine and software of your choice, but you must mention in your entry post what software was used in creating the image. Postwork is welcome, but contestants who submit postworked images are encouraged to include a non-postworked version (raw render) as well for comparison purposes.
9. You may enter as many times as you like, but no contestant will be selected as the winner of more than one of the four categories.
10. Follow the DAZ Terms of Service. No nudity, extreme violence or profanity will be allowed.
11. Addition to rules (2013/06/03): By entering this contest, you agree to allow DAZ3D to use any artwork you submit in any promotional materials they may choose. Entering this contest is considered a commercial use, so you should not use any content that is not licensed for commercial use.
All entries that meet the above criteria will be considered for the “Best Portrait” and “Most Creative or Inventive Formula” categories.
- If you would like to be considered for the “Best Likeness” category, indicate which historical figure, contemporary public figure, or famous fictional character your render portrays.
- If you would like to be considered for the “New User” category, please state this in your entry post. To be considered a "new user," you must also meet at least two of the following criteria:
a. Your “join date” is no more than one year before the date you post your entry
b. You have never won a prize in any render contest
c. You have posted fewer than 500 posts on the DAZ forum
When working on your submissions, if you would like to get feedback as you work or before posting your final image, please post your image to the WIP THREAD. Please keep all comments on entries etc to the WIP THREAD as well.
FAQ
Q: What about non-Genesis characters?
A: The focus of the contest is on Genesis characters. Non-Genesis characters are welcome in the WIP/Discussion Thread. That having been said, the rules don't REQUIRE that you use Genesis, so if you enter a non-Genesis character in the contest, it will be considered as long as the entry meets all necessary criteria.
Q: Can I use Genesis Generation X?
A. Sure, just mention that fact and list the morphs you are using.
Q: Can I use a shape or morph I modeled myself?
A: You can, if the shape or morph is publicly available for free or purchase, and you provide a link to it. But keep in mind that the other rules still apply--you must use a variety of morphs from different sources. This is a dialed-character contest, not a modeling contest.
Q: Can I use a skin texture I made myself?
A: Yes, but you will need to provide a link to any Merchant Resources or other source materials that you used.
Q: Can I contribute a prize?
A: Absolutely, just send me a PM. If you contribute, you may also participate in the judging if you would like to.
Q: What's the proper method for posting links to products?
A: Type the product name, highlight it, click the "" button, type or paste in the URL, and click OK. The end result will look like
[ url=http://www.daz3d.com]DAZ 3D[/url ] (except without the spaces before the first "url" and after the last "url"), and if you prefer you can just type the code.
Any other questions? Feel free to ask in this thread.
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Comments
Example #1 (not an entry)
Character: David 4 for Genesis
An attempt in filling the gap in David's lineage.
Formula:
Genesis Starter Essentials
(Scale 97.8%)
Thin 0.25
David 3 for Genesis
David3 0.30
David3 Head -0.20
David3 Head Gabriel 0.10
David 5
David5 0.30
David5 Head -0.10
V4 and M4 Shapes for Genesis
Michael4 0.30
AMR's Proportions for Genesis (free)
Petite Gn AMR 20%
Short Gn AMR 10%
Young Teens 5 Julie and Justin
Justin 0.10
(Boy Lashes 0.075)
(Hide Outer Lashes 0.10)
Freak 5
Freak 5 0.02
Genesis Evolution: Morph Bundle
Body Tone 0.75
Face Young 0.30
Navel 1.00
Navel Vertical 0.50
Nipples 0.40
Michael 5
Average Joe Head 0.20
Genital Bulge 1 0.60
Genital Bulge 2 40%
Additional Products Used:
Skin: Jesse for Justin
Hair: K-Nicky Hair for Genesis
Clothing: Michael 5 Underwear
Software Used:
Image 1: DAZ Studio 4.6 and GIMP
Image 2: DAZ Studio 4.6
Image 1: "David 4 for Genesis" (raw DS/3Delight render)
Image 2: "Man of Her Dreams" (postworked)
Example #2 (not an entry)
Character: Genesis Intermediate Female
The name is kind of tongue-in-cheek, which I picked for two reasons: that she's intended to be a better substitute for Genesis Basic Female, and because her shape is intended to be used with any V4, V5, or S5 texture of any skin tone or ethnicity. In fact, the purpose for creating Intermediate Female was to use her as a way to test and compare female skin textures.
Formula:
Stephanie 5 0.35
Victoria 4 0.30
Victoria 5 0.35
African Female C 0.20
Asian Female A 0.20
Native Am Female B 0.20
Products Used (Main Promo Image)
Stephanie 5
Victoria 5
V4 and M4 Shapes for Genesis
Ethnicity for Genesis Bundle
V4 Elite Texture Natasha (skin)
Radiant Jaguar Hair for Genesis (hair)
Basicwear for V4 Unimesh (clothing)
The Dungeon (set)
InaneGlory's Photo Studio Lux (lights)
Skin Textures Used in Other Images: Bree, Joanie, and Chablis
Software Used:
DAZ Studio 4.6, Luxus/LuxRender, GIMP.
Attachments:
1. DS render, no postwork
2. DS render mixed with Lux render, postwork done in GIMP
3. Intermediate Female with Bree skin (DS, no postwork)
4. Intermediate Female with Joanie skin (DS, no postwork)
5. Intermediate Female with Chablis skin (DS, no postwork)
Great competition idea...very happy to support this one.
Show me what you can do :)
I really like the concept of this contest, I am looking forward to seeing what people come up with and hoping I'll have time to put together some entries! :)
That's a very cool render and character, Laticis! Thank you for co-sponsoring the contest. :)
@Storypilot, hope you are able to join in!
Here are some of the contests and other threads that inspired me to put on this contest:
Dial-your-own Aiko 5 and Hiro 5 challenges from the old forum
Luke and Laura for Genesis, Genesis Teen Renders
General Gen 5 Iconic Character Render Thread
Normal ... make it and render it. Render, morph and texture challenge
Set the Stage with the Spectacular World of Genesis - Render Thread
I loved watching the custom character thread last year. Looking forward to this one. :D
Cool!! Let's see if I actually enter this one! XD Unlike all the other comps I get excited about and then never enter! :p
Thank you Scott.
Be more than happy to help sponsor- I'll just have fun in the WIP thread :) Check your PM's. I'm looking forward to all the categories, but I think the historical/ look-alike one will be amazing. I'd love to putz around with that but I HAVE to get going on the tutorial videos- may move up the one on doing facial morphs so the brand new folks can possibly participate more. Thanks so much for putting this together Scott-L!
Thanks, Novica! I've updated the post to add your contribution, and PMed you back. I'm personally working on a couple of historical characters--and a prehistoric character--for the contest (non-entries of course). Looking forward to sharing those. :)
Example #3 (not an entry)
Character: Genesis Toddler
Older than Genesis Baby (who I don't own yet, or I would have incorporated into the formula), but younger than Basic Child...
Formula:
Scaling (dial these last):
Scale 40.5%
Head Propagating Scale 14.0%
Left Hand Propagating Scale -10.0%
Right Hand Propagating Scale -10.0%
Basic Genesis and Genesis Evolution morphs:
Basic Child 1.00
Body Volume 0.40
Heavy 0.20
Pot Bellied 0.20
Ear Size -0.20
Nose Bump -1.00
Nose Tip Depth -1.00
Chin Depth -0.70
Cranium Slope 1.00
Face Round 0.75
Face Young 0.80
Shins Volume 0.15
Thighs Volume 0.25
Legs Length -40.0%
Arms Length -0.80
Fingers Length Left -0.80
Fingers Length Right -0.80
Fingers Width Left 0.10
Fingers Width Right 0.10
Hands Thick 0.40
Navel 1.00
Navel Out 1.00
Navel Size 0.50
Nipples 0.20
Face Weight:
Basic Weight 5.0%
Cheek Sag 10.0%
Combined 10.0%
Jaw Smoother 10.0%
Neck Chin Blender 20.0%
Neck Weight 10.0%
Genesis Head Morph Resource Kit 3:
BabyFat 0.70
FaceDown 0.40
FaceSlant 0.30
HighCheekbones 0.40
SmallerMidJaw 0.40
UpperCheeksOut 0.20
AdamR001's Proportions Morphs:
Petite Gn AMR 30.0%
Short Gn AMR 45.0%
Other Products Used:
Texture: Deborah for Julie (with some edits to Surfaces)
Hair: Taylor Hair
Clothing: K4 Basicwear for Genesis (included in Genesis Starter Essentials... used the briefs, with push modifier applied)
Additional Character: Genesis Basic Child with K4 Basicwear for Genesis and Duke Hair
Set: 3 Raven Court with 5 Toadstool Lane textures; Andrea for Young Teen Julie lighting, as I recall.
Hi Scott,
Have you found an easy way to get these dials listed or are you typing this all manually ? :)
where's the dials for this ?
I know some people do screenshots of Currently Used on the Parameters tab, but I usually just type them.
I'm interested in seeing Laticis's formula too, but for the record, sharing formulas is optional in the WIP thread. :)
Are you sure you are ready for it :)
That image was a huge experiment to see how far I could push Genesis...
Please see attached :)
Hmm I think I might take his as a learning course and perhaps even manage to make my little dragonfae/girl/thingie/whatever (my little girl/woman/thingie in the My Protector, My Friend render I made for Draagonstorms birthday thread :) ) She certainly didn't come out as I had wished for in that render, so this will be good for me *smiles*
I knew those two were in for it when they asked for the params. Laticis' dials are no joke. Heh. He's got some pre-done characters as freebies floating around somewhere as well.
he he
They used to be on my website until I can that and moved to DeviantArt.
Might be time to put them back up along with Kornacum.
What was Kornacum?
For those who are interested in participating, but don't have a lot of morphs yet, I thought I'd provide a list of many of the free and low-priced morph sets I'm aware of. There are others out there too...I tried to focus mainly on sets with a wide variety of morphs, and designed to work with basic Genesis (rather than a specific Genesis character).
Free:
DieTrying's 182 V4 Morphs for Genesis
RAMWorks Morphs for Genesis
SickleYield's Mutations for Genesis
AMR's Proportions for Genesis
Currently on FastGrab (as of June 1, 2013):
Genesis Evolution: Morph Bundle
Gen 4 Iconic Shapes for Genesis
Genesis Evolution: Muscularity
Several others with a regular price of $12 and under:
Face Weight
Wicked Fairytale Morphs
Raw Dwarfology
Enticing Ladies
Monster Details for Genesis
Genesis Head Morph Resource Kit 1
Genesis Head Morph Resource Kit 2
Genesis Head Morph Resource Kit 3
Genesis Head Morph Resource Kit 4
Of course, there are higher-priced sets that are extremely valuable as well...I'll list some of those in a future post.
This dude won me a very cool 3D printed model from the Creature Creator Contest :)
I must say the printed version is much better ;)
-------
Just an FYI for those not interested in creatures, those morphs if dialed in ever so slightly can make for some very real human features.
Good selection Scott
Those Morph Resource Kits are worth the weight in gold... ( not the best metaphor considering they don't weigh anything but you get the meaning )
This dude won me a very cool 3D printed model from the Creature Creator Contest :)
I must say the printed version is much better ;)
-------
Just an FYI for those not interested in creatures, those morphs if dialed in ever so slightly can make for some very real human features.
Well he's certainly an interesting one. lol
I have a quick question regarding the "Full Formula" requirement that needs clarification. Does that "full formula" include listing morphs that deal with "unmentionable" parts of the anatomy which can't be shown? I ask because all of my characters are, to put it mildly, "anatomically correct"under their clothes.
*copying all formulas exposed *
muhahahaha!
Just so you know, HIDING any part of a 3D mesh not seen (under clothing) greatly increases your Free Ram and Render time. If the mesh is turned off the Render engine does not spend extra Ram and time calculating Light, Shadows, Texture, Bump, Displacement or Shaders on the scene.
EDIT to ADD: The mesh WILL still effect the clothing as expected. Just not needed at render time.
Just so you know, HIDING any part of a 3D mesh not seen (under clothing) greatly increases your Free Ram and Render time. If the mesh is turned off the Render engine does not spend extra Ram and time calculating Light, Shadows, Texture, Bump, Displacement or Shaders on the scene.
EDIT to ADD: The mesh WILL still effect the clothing as expected. Just not needed at render time.
I'm glad I could get a laugh out of this at least. Yes, morphs do affect the clothes being worn, some more than others. That's partly why I asked. The other reason is because, when I first entered the Freebie contest I was told not to include them (and the accompanying "anatomical props" in the list because they couldn't be seen anyway (for obvious reasons).
Hey Scott,
I wanted to enter the image below with a character I created for the October (It is Halloween themed) Freebie Challenge (not entered), but I ran into a couple of issues regarding the rules when I was checking all the data:
1. I can't find the texture info for a link. It is an old V4 Zombie Texture that I believe was a freebie I picked up somewhere. Possibly ShareCG, but I can no longer locate, and fear it might not be available any longer.
2. I used (free) included version of Michael 4 Clone converted to M4 Shape via D3D's DSF Toolbox, as opposed to the purchased M4 Shape. Can I link to DSF Toolbox for this resource link instead with notation?
3. I created a couple of custom morphs (just two), and I read that if I upload them as attainable freebies I can list them, so I will do this if you will accept my entry if the first two issues can be resolved.
The image was already rendered (DS Pro) a while back, and minor post work used to composite layers rendered, and new cropping.
*Title:
"Mmmm... Brownies"
*Character Name:
"Brownie Monster" (Sesame Street has the Cookie Monster, so I present the Brownie Monster. I know, not as cute...)
I'm glad I could get a laugh out of this at least. Yes, morphs do affect the clothes being worn, some more than others. That's partly why I asked. The other reason is because, when I first entered the Freebie contest I was told not to include them (and the accompanying "anatomical props" in the list because they couldn't be seen anyway (for obvious reasons).
LOL! Well I guess these are my feelings on this:
1. Above all, don't break the TOS. So if you got your morphs from somewhere like Renderotica, no need to include a link (you can still mention the source though). And if the name of the morph itself doesn't seem appropriate to include, then don't include it (I don't know of any vulgarly-worded morphs, but thought I'd say that just in case).
2. If your morph is applied not to the main Genesis mesh, but to a geografted part or 3rd-party genital prop, then you don't need to list that morph. Just mention that you're using the geografted genitalia (or 3rd-party genital prop) with morphs applied.
3. Aside from the above, you should list the morph, particularly if it has a visible effect on the rendered image.