Novica & Forum Members Tips & Product Reviews Pt 11

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Comments

  • nonesuch00nonesuch00 Posts: 18,131
    Novica said:

    Okay, this is why I hate doing quickie renders before I am trying to get offline. What the heck is up with Eibhear's chest?  The man has dark bushy brows and stubble, but this chest (if that is hair) belongs to an advanced age dude. IF that is hair? No postwork- no contrast, sharpening, nada. Straight out of the box with trusted Pro-Studio lighting (number 20)   I love this vendor's males, but this is funky to me. 

    Btw, that's Osher Hair. He looks great with it.

    And I tried using the basic simulation setting for Blacksmith for the apron, and it exploded. I don't do anything with dForce other than the default, so tha's probably on me, but I also got an error when I tried to do the shirt too. I'm not in a mindset to mess with it. He was in a simple sitting pose. I had just used dForce on Walker without isues, for that medieval outfit. Anyone done Blacksmith?

     

    I noticed in the ad copy for Vladimir that his torso skin looked like it belonged on a man well past 65 years old. I guess if he went shirtless all his life that sort of skin might result at a much younger age.

    As far as your render there that looks for all the world to me as if you have applied a bump or normal or displacement map that has hair on it but the albedo/diffuse map is hairless (or possibly worse the diffuse map can have hair but not hair that matches the pattern created by the bump/normal/displacement map(s). The viens look normal to me in that render.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887
    edited October 2018

     

    As far as your render there that looks for all the world to me as if you have applied a bump or normal or displacement map that has hair on it but the albedo/diffuse map is hairless (or possibly worse the diffuse map can have hair but not hair that matches the pattern created by the bump/normal/displacement map(s). 

    Nope, I didn't do anything except click and load him up from Characters in Content Library, and changed his eye color with a click.

    Here's another one of Eibhear with Osher Hair (Gen3/8M) . Chest is doing it again but you can't see it due to the shirt. Eibhear looks a lot like Kane  to me, who has a wider nose but the eyebrows and mouth are very similar, the same vallely under the bottom lip and square jaw, etc. @ladair    I see what you mean about Spock. 

    Eibhear Osher Hair 2.png
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    Post edited by Novica on
  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    I see Barbult also experienced (and reported) the Blacksmith Outfit being totally useless with dForce. It explodes with simple poses. She has a list of screw ups over in the Vladamir thread. This lack of QA is not acceptable. If it weren't in the Pro Bundle, I'd return it in a heartbeat. 

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,244
    Novica said:

    I see Barbult also experienced (and reported) the Blacksmith Outfit being totally useless with dForce. It explodes with simple poses. She has a list of screw ups over in the Vladamir thread. This lack of QA is not acceptable. If it weren't in the Pro Bundle, I'd return it in a heartbeat. 

    Not totally useless, but finicky, error prone, and frustrating. Be sure to save your scene before starting a simulation with it, so if it crashes, you can pick up where you left off. By changing the pose, I finally got a simulation to work.
  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,244

    I got an Vladimir Blacksmith image to complete. I posted about it over in the Vladimir 8 thread. I'll add the image here, too, since you are showcasing these products. I had to significantly modify the pose to get the simulation to work. My gallery has a list of links to products used.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    My pose was a simple sitting, no legs crossed, nada. Simply ridiculous! 

    You spend SO much time reporting all this, and you are appreciated (as others mentioned.)  My mindset is now "return and refund." I'll take the time to ask here if anyone else has a problem, as many times (often than not) it's user error, but mostly to let others know so they can decide if they want to keep it.  QA is falling down on the job. I also wonder if files get changed or not included somewhere in the process, and it may not be the vendors' fault. 

  • L'AdairL'Adair Posts: 9,479
    barbult said:
    Novica said:

    I see Barbult also experienced (and reported) the Blacksmith Outfit being totally useless with dForce. It explodes with simple poses. She has a list of screw ups over in the Vladamir thread. This lack of QA is not acceptable. If it weren't in the Pro Bundle, I'd return it in a heartbeat. 

    Not totally useless, but finicky, error prone, and frustrating. Be sure to save your scene before starting a simulation with it, so if it crashes, you can pick up where you left off. By changing the pose, I finally got a simulation to work.

    @barbult , What version of Daz Studio are you using? I've been working with a PA recently and discovered presets for options that do not exist in the current released version of DS. When I brought it up he told me he was using the latest version Daz provides for PAs. Apparently that means one of the betas, if not the most recent released beta.

    I have to download a boatload of products yet, but I'll take a quick look at how the blacksmith simulates in the latest released beta as soon as I can. Unless you are already using that version, of course.
    smiley

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,244
    L'Adair said:
    barbult said:
    Novica said:

    I see Barbult also experienced (and reported) the Blacksmith Outfit being totally useless with dForce. It explodes with simple poses. She has a list of screw ups over in the Vladamir thread. This lack of QA is not acceptable. If it weren't in the Pro Bundle, I'd return it in a heartbeat. 

    Not totally useless, but finicky, error prone, and frustrating. Be sure to save your scene before starting a simulation with it, so if it crashes, you can pick up where you left off. By changing the pose, I finally got a simulation to work.

    @barbult , What version of Daz Studio are you using? I've been working with a PA recently and discovered presets for options that do not exist in the current released version of DS. When I brought it up he told me he was using the latest version Daz provides for PAs. Apparently that means one of the betas, if not the most recent released beta.

    I have to download a boatload of products yet, but I'll take a quick look at how the blacksmith simulates in the latest released beta as soon as I can. Unless you are already using that version, of course.
    smiley

    I am using DS 4.11.0.236.

  • RGcincyRGcincy Posts: 2,834
    barbult said:

    That render looks really good! Hope they fix whatever issue is causing it to crash.

  • L'AdairL'Adair Posts: 9,479
    barbult said:
    L'Adair said:
    barbult said:
    Novica said:

    I see Barbult also experienced (and reported) the Blacksmith Outfit being totally useless with dForce. It explodes with simple poses. She has a list of screw ups over in the Vladamir thread. This lack of QA is not acceptable. If it weren't in the Pro Bundle, I'd return it in a heartbeat. 

    Not totally useless, but finicky, error prone, and frustrating. Be sure to save your scene before starting a simulation with it, so if it crashes, you can pick up where you left off. By changing the pose, I finally got a simulation to work.

    @barbult , What version of Daz Studio are you using? I've been working with a PA recently and discovered presets for options that do not exist in the current released version of DS. When I brought it up he told me he was using the latest version Daz provides for PAs. Apparently that means one of the betas, if not the most recent released beta.

    I have to download a boatload of products yet, but I'll take a quick look at how the blacksmith simulates in the latest released beta as soon as I can. Unless you are already using that version, of course.
    smiley

    I am using DS 4.11.0.236.

    Then the issue isn't that you're using an older version of DS. I'll still take the outfit for a spin, and report back here what I discover, if anything.

  • L'AdairL'Adair Posts: 9,479

    And off the topic of Vlad… I almost didn't notice today's new PC+ products, the dForce Universal Dress for G8F and the UD Expansion 1 - Samhain.

    It looks to me, we may have a replacement for the iconic MFD, which doesn't seem to work right on G8F, (or G2F and G3F, for that matter.) I hope this one handles the various body types better than the MFD, before using dForce.

    As an aside on the expansion, I had no idea underwire bras have been around so long. Guess even evil witches want good support.
    laugh

  • Novica said:

    Okay, this is why I hate doing quickie renders before I am trying to get offline. What the heck is up with Eibhear's chest?  The man has dark bushy brows and stubble, but this chest (if that is hair) belongs to an advanced age dude. IF that is hair? No postwork- no contrast, sharpening, nada. Straight out of the box with trusted Pro-Studio lighting (number 20)   I love this vendor's males, but this is funky to me. 

    Btw, that's Osher Hair. He looks great with it.

    And I tried using the basic simulation setting for Blacksmith for the apron, and it exploded. I don't do anything with dForce other than the default, so that's probably on me, but I also got an error when I tried to do the shirt too. I'm not in a mindset to mess with it. He was in a simple sitting pose. I had just used dForce on Walker without isues, for that medieval outfit. Anyone done Blacksmith?

     

    That looks like a bump map for texture chest hair- I wonder if the bump maps are from a different texture set than the skin?

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    I don't have a clue about maps- but I selected torso in Surfaces and checked- and the image named Torso was in:
    1. Base Color
    2. Translucency Color
    3. Dual Lobe Specular Reflectivity
    4. Base Bump
    5. Displacement Strength

    Novica said:

    Okay, this is why I hate doing quickie renders before I am trying to get offline. What the heck is up with Eibhear's chest?  The man has dark bushy brows and stubble, but this chest (if that is hair) belongs to an advanced age dude. IF that is hair? No postwork- no contrast, sharpening, nada. Straight out of the box with trusted Pro-Studio lighting (number 20)   I love this vendor's males, but this is funky to me. 

    Btw, that's Osher Hair. He looks great with it.

    And I tried using the basic simulation setting for Blacksmith for the apron, and it exploded. I don't do anything with dForce other than the default, so that's probably on me, but I also got an error when I tried to do the shirt too. I'm not in a mindset to mess with it. He was in a simple sitting pose. I had just used dForce on Walker without isues, for that medieval outfit. Anyone done Blacksmith?

     

    That looks like a bump map for texture chest hair- I wonder if the bump maps are from a different texture set than the skin?

     

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887
    edited October 2018

    HP Ward (Vladamir 8)    Tribal Warrior King Outfit  (Gen8M) 

    The hair says Spiked Curls Hair but there isn't a product named that, and the author is SideB. ?  Who knows. 

    EDIT  It's Curly Top Hair   ANOTHER MISTAKE NOT CAUGHT BY QA. 

    The hair on Ward's body is good, looks very natural, as does the blemish on his face. LOVE the materials/details on that shoulder piece of the Tribal Warrior Outfit! 

    Ward TribalWarrKing SpikedCurls.png
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    Post edited by Novica on
  • nonesuch00nonesuch00 Posts: 18,131
    barbult said:

    I got an Vladimir Blacksmith image to complete. I posted about it over in the Vladimir 8 thread. I'll add the image here, too, since you are showcasing these products. I had to significantly modify the pose to get the simulation to work. My gallery has a list of links to products used.

    This is my favorite outfit in the bundle, disappointed it makes trouble in dForce. Somebody that is making DAZ mdels must be reading on ancient Russian history, although I think Anvils that sophisticated didn't come til much later.

  • Novica said:

    HP Ward (Vladamir 8)    Tribal Warrior King Outfit  (Gen8M) 

    The hair says Spiked Curls Hair but there isn't a product named that, and the author is SideB. ?  Who knows. 

    The hair on Ward's body is good, looks very natural, as does the blemish on his face. LOVE the materials/details on that shoulder piece of the Tribal Warrior Outfit! 

    I think the hair on the promos is this one: https://www.daz3d.com/classic-side-part-hair-for-genesis-3-and-8

    I've used it often in my male promos-Giovanni, for one.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    Sorry, my fault for not being clear. I was referring to the hair used in my render. It's what it says in the Content Library, and in the popup when I mouse over, it identifies the vendor as SideB. Never heard of them. 

  • Oooooh.

    Samsil.  https://www.daz3d.com/samsil

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    I edited the post. ANOTHER MISTAKE NOT CAUGHT BY QA who really needs to get their act together.   It definitely says SPIKED CURLS HAIR in Content Library. It's CURLY TOP HAIR in case you want to go rename it. 

  • L'Adair said:

    And off the topic of Vlad… I almost didn't notice today's new PC+ products, the dForce Universal Dress for G8F and the UD Expansion 1 - Samhain.

    It looks to me, we may have a replacement for the iconic MFD, which doesn't seem to work right on G8F, (or G2F and G3F, for that matter.) I hope this one handles the various body types better than the MFD, before using dForce.

    As an aside on the expansion, I had no idea underwire bras have been around so long. Guess even evil witches want good support.
    laugh

    I think you may be right, but if it is the promo pictures do it no favours. The point of the MFD is that it morphs and has material zones that allow you to radically restyle the dress. If that's possible with this one the promos don't tell us. Why make us guess about what might be this product's key selling point?

    (Though to be fair, I just looked back at the various MFD generations and their promos don't show much morphing going on either)

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    Be sure you take a look at Fast Grab. Some Stonemason in there. 

  • jakibluejakiblue Posts: 7,281

    Whoa. Mika 8 is in fastgrab I just noticed. Just the character, not the bundle or anything. 

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    Yeah, I keep forgetting there's a lot I don't see. Probably 99% LOL. 

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    Interesting that Dark Tower is in Fast Grab at $8.09      Yesterday you could have picked it up for $2.59
    There has been a DIM update for the Blacksmith Outfit and the Buzz Hair. Don't have time to check if the dForce has been fixed on the outfit. 

    Getting offline for most of the day. Running to the airport then getting some sleep. Happy shopping!  

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    In case you're curious how well Mediacom is doing since Hurricane Michael hit, (and they are doing a fantastic job!) here's the latest:
    Florida (As of 10AM EST on 10/19/18):

    • Currently, approximately 12,200 customers are without service, mainly in the heavily damaged areas directly in the path of Hurricane Michael, creating widespread power outages, damage to fiber optic transmission lines, and damaged structures.

    Georgia (As of 10AM EST on 10/19/18):

    • Currently, approximately 11,900 customers are without service due to widespread power outages, downed lines, and damaged structures.

     There was still an entire COUNTY in Florida without power a couple days ago. They've managed to bring 20%- 25% online by rebuilding from scratch all the power grid. And school districts across many counties are "closed until further notice." No plans yet as to how to handle this, they're trying to consolidate high schools so one goes in the morning, the other goes in the afternoon/evening, at a yet to be found location. 

    What a mess.

  • IceDragonArtIceDragonArt Posts: 12,548
    Novica said:

    In case you're curious how well Mediacom is doing since Hurricane Michael hit, (and they are doing a fantastic job!) here's the latest:
    Florida (As of 10AM EST on 10/19/18):

    • Currently, approximately 12,200 customers are without service, mainly in the heavily damaged areas directly in the path of Hurricane Michael, creating widespread power outages, damage to fiber optic transmission lines, and damaged structures.

    Georgia (As of 10AM EST on 10/19/18):

    • Currently, approximately 11,900 customers are without service due to widespread power outages, downed lines, and damaged structures.

     There was still an entire COUNTY in Florida without power a couple days ago. They've managed to bring 20%- 25% online by rebuilding from scratch all the power grid. And school districts across many counties are "closed until further notice." No plans yet as to how to handle this, they're trying to consolidate high schools so one goes in the morning, the other goes in the afternoon/evening, at a yet to be found location. 

    What a mess.

    We just saw the edges of hte devastations, some trees broken off like twigs, some roofs and signs blown down on the way to the airport, on our way home last weekend. I can't even imagine the devastation further to the east of where we were.  We were very very fortunate....

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887
    edited October 2018

    It's Friday night, and Pet Weekend on my thread :)  Got any new photos of your furbabies, FIDS (Feathered Kids), horses, cows, goats...well, you get the idea. Let's see 'em, all weekend long! 

    An update on my cockatiel Finnigan. He just turned 6 months old September 16th, and tiels really start talking around 8 months, but can be a bit sooner. Finn is sooner. 
    He knew how to wolf whistle when I got him! Learned at 4 months according to birdstore owner.  Since I got him, he has been trying to say, "Good bird" on a regular basis. And now?

    I reached into his cage and put out my fingers, and HE told ME: "Step up!" 
    Yesterday, clear as a bell, I came into the bird room and he said, "Whatcha doing?" 
    And today, for the first time, he looked at my husband and said, "You're my baby!"  (My husband's jaw dropped, it was THAT clear.) 

    And I've been working with him on something ONLY THE PAST FIVE DAYS, and imagine my husband's surprise at this. He was in the bird room and we have country music on, and Finn stepped up onto my husband's finger, bobbed his head up and down and said, "Boogie!" 

    Imagine what he'll be saying by the time he's 8 months old! 

    Going to do a few tips for new bird owners, I'll put the images in this post and point out a few things, so check back :) 

    Image 1
    That toy behind him is called The Firecracker, I pointed it out in an earlier post. Cockatiels, Linnies, etc like to stand on ledges, flat toys, etc. He has another one in his cage and he sleeps on it. So these toys double as shreddables and perches.

    To the right of the word "Rocks" you'll see a blue star. That's actually a toy with minerals and calcium, which is beneficial to birds! So watch for those.
    Note the variety of materials in the toys, and shapes. The toy on the far right has beads and is coiled, he loves putting his beak in there and pulling.

    Image Two  

    I put that toy (with the blue mineral star) along the thin ladder on that side (like the one in the foreground) because Finn likes going UP the ladder, but didn't like going down. It is really thin and not natural. So run a toy by the ladder that the bird can hook into and climb down. Otherwise he may get dehydrated by sitting at the top of the playpen and not going down to his food and water. (You can also see a multi-colored rope. From the toy, he takes the rope on down to the water bowl.) 

    The large toy in the foreground is also used for climbing if he wants to, but he prefers the other side. I made sure this one went to the tray bottom, so he can climb UP if he falls down there. The sides slope and he can't get out otherwise. See the LAST image, the inverted coconut, which helps him climb up and out.

    Image Three

    Love this one! Natural light as the sun was setting.

    Image Four

    You can see the toy going to the bottom of the tray, so Finn can climb out. It is placed where it won't get pooped on :) 
    There are different sized perches, and a variety- such as the thick rope running by his food (always have a perch there, less leaning over by the bird is preferable but there was nowhere else to anchor the rope so this is below the bowl quite a bit. He steps up on the bowl rim, which is very thin.

    Not shown- we stuffed toys in between that top perch and the metal bar, (by his crest) so Finn wouldn't try to climb between the two. If a bird can find a way to get stuck, they'll do it. :) 

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    Post edited by Novica on
  • IceDragonArtIceDragonArt Posts: 12,548

    He's adorable! I will post mine tomorrow when I'm at my pc which has all the photos.

  • Fine looking bird

  • nonesuch00nonesuch00 Posts: 18,131

    Wow such a cute cockatiel. I'd love if you would record just each phrase in a short clip for me and PM them those phrases (no biggy if you don't but if your cockatiel is speaking clearly I think other tiels and parrots will be able to imitate their voice easier than if I record my voice (they are liable to try and imitate the high pitched portions of me voice and since it is somewhat deep it might sound like they are clipping most of the low frequencies off for a somewhat clipped croaky pronunciation). I will edit on my side to put quiet of about 15 seconds after the phrase and use it to teach my cockatiel.

    My cockatiel's scared little quivering wings have stopped quivering each time I go to reaquaint him with handling. He still will run away few times because he is such a gentle soul he won't even grasp my finger tightly and so when I move me arm with him perched on my finger he feels he's going to come off the perch unless I move very carefully and slowly. And face it, tree branches don't move like that in the wild and their bird cage perches certainly don't. He is definately feeling much better than he was after being moved from his home of 15 years last week.

    He starting is to be happier and more friendly. He will actually climb & fly out of his cage to go to the top of his cage & if there is no food outside the cage as well, he will sing and pickup and carry his food bowl around clammering for food until I bring it to him. I bought so millet sprays to help me convince the budgies and the tiel that I'm not just their to aggravate them trying to tame them. To my surprise the tiel Rio will ring a bell in his cage to demand me bring back the millet to him when I move it from him to give some to the budgies Jack & Jill. The budgies also will ring the bell, sometimes, when I move the millet spray away from them back to tiel Rio. I didn't teach them that bell ringing thing they seem to like the sounds as an natural attention getter once they realized it rings when they bump or pull it. They all three look absolutely crazed when I give them millet. It's funny, like how some cats act when you give them catnip.  

    Also, in the past two days tiel Rio has also started exploring other parts of the room. I'm not actually keen on that but won't mind if I can teach him to fly back to his cage to go potty when he needs to go. Yes, some owners actually manage to teach their birds to go potty in something they designate as a 'bird potty'.

    I am going to get hopefully a female Lutino in about 6 weeks as a mate or maybe a male lutino. That tiel will be handraised by the man I'm buying it from and I told him I'd rather a friendlier bird than a female if that's how the ball bouncing when those eggs hatch. He'll have to observe their personality. I'd like Rio to have a cage friend mate.

    The two budgies are friendlier now with each other (they were already bonded but well they are at times fiesty with each other) and the tiel. The actually huddle together in the somewhat large cage when they roost on the perch to sleep while last week they insisted on being on opposite sides of the cage from the tiel and the tiel concurred! They are 8 months old but have had already and raised a clutch that I saw the babies from when I drove to buy them from the man that was selling them. He decided on English Budgies instead of American Budgies as he says customers like them better (his were big and different shades of gorgeous blues and violets) so I go a boned pair of budgies for $24.The male Jack will fly out of the cage but the female Jill tends to stay in the cage although she flew out once she is hesitant to come out again as I had to spend about 30 minutes trying to get two untamed bonded budgies to perch on my finger so I could get them back in the cage. They did not leave the cage to explore except to fly in flight from me when I'd try to get them to perch. Yes, I'm doing it the hard way. They didn't perch on my finger yet but I did finally gently manuever them back into the cage without actually catching or touching them; will wonders never cease? They are tamer now this week but not hand tame. 

    So I have downloaded cockatiel training YouTube recordings of very whistled tunes and I hope all three learn them somewhat. My chances are reduced as the budgies are bonded and not that tame to human beings so they speak to each other and hear my speech as vaguely threatening (until I can get them tamed I hope). At 8 months they are not too old to learn. The tiel, as I said before, is 15 years old according to his former owners (he is named Rio though and that movie only came out in Summer 2011 so that's only 7 years?) so Rio may not learn to speak and whistle so easily. The hopeful thing is despite his shyness he does clearly smartly communicate with me with his voice, beak, and crest and responds to my voice with his voice when I say certain words so that is a tame bird that comminicates with people and expects people to communicate with him, so he might learn to speak and whistle. I am trying to teach them 1st, a simple wolf-whistle and 2nd, a phrase 'What are you doing?' (pronounced by an Indian Ringneck from a recording I found on YouTube). I will alternate days between the two recordings and see which, if any, they pick up 1st.

    I will post pictures tomorrow as they are sound asleep since dusk.

This discussion has been closed.