Best-supported Daz3D model import formats.

Mark T

Hi all

Another relative noob question.

I've been hired to produce a nuber of fairly complex scifi covers that invlove spaceships and and just wondering  what are the best formats to bear in mind when purchasing external content for import into Daz.

At the moment, my client is expressing an interest in some model assets available via cgtrader.

Over there, the asset types include max, obj, fbx, and 3ds.

In your experience, what are the easiest-to-use  / best-supported formats that you'd recommend getting for use in Daz.

Any guidance appreciated.

VBW
M

Richard Haseltine

.max is solely for 3D Studio Max

.3ds iis a generic format, but not one that DS supports

.obj and .fbx are supported, materials will need reworking and I would not expect any rigging to be useful from FBX (OBJ has no rigging support).

Mark T

Hi Richard

Very many thanks for the feedback.

.obj and .fbx are supported, materials will need reworking and I would not expect any rigging to be useful from FBX (OBJ has no rigging support).

Any preference between PBX and OBJ, or are the both pretty much the same in terms of facility within DAZ?

VBW
M

Richard Haseltine

FBX should load "actual size" without having to pick the correct size preset, but although it's supposed to be as tandard FBX files are very variable in how they work; OBJ is pretty safe, but you may take several loads to get the right scale preset.

jpetersen1

I have had better luck with importing .fbx rather than .obj when it is from outside vendors, EXCEPT if the object is animated or asymmetrically rigged, then .obj works better.

Often .obj files are ghosted in the import requester. If that happens, a workaround is to load them into Hexagon and import using Hexagon bridge. That will usually (not always) work. You have to be pretty familiar with Hexagon to make adjustments to Daz or other assets (which is often necessary when doing work for clients).

 

A word of caution about doing work for clients (I have years of experience doing this with a variety of programs)... I have found DS to be good for compositing certain kinds of scenes and images. If you work with its strengths, it's possible to do some excellent imagery. However, if you are doing something SPECIFIC (as for a client), often the project requires something that isn't available or doesn't work especially well in DS and then you quickly discover its limitations. You might get 90% toward your goal and then get stuck (in terms of bugs, lack of the right kind of assets, things that take WAY longer than you expect, etc). Keep that in mind when doing client work, especially if you are new to DS.

Mark T

Richard Haseltine said:

FBX should load "actual size" without having to pick the correct size preset, but although it's supposed to be as tandard FBX files are very variable in how they work; OBJ is pretty safe, but you may take several loads to get the right scale preset.

Cheers Richard 

Mark T

jpetersen1 said:

A word of caution about doing work for clients (I have years of experience doing this with a variety of programs)... I have found DS to be good for compositing certain kinds of scenes and images. If you work with its strengths, it's possible to do some excellent imagery. However, if you are doing something SPECIFIC (as for a client), often the project requires something that isn't available or doesn't work especially well in DS and then you quickly discover its limitations. You might get 90% toward your goal and then get stuck (in terms of bugs, lack of the right kind of assets, things that take WAY longer than you expect, etc). Keep that in mind when doing client work, especially if you are new to DS.

Many thanks for the guidance J.

My normal workflow is to pose, light (to an extent) and shot / capture assets in Daz and then do my compostition and compositing in Photoshop. I'm new enough that I still have loads of questions about the tech aspects of Daz, but - fortunately - far enough along that I'm fairly happy with the control of lights and cameras, once I can get the assets in.

In the current case, my lack of knowledge around third-party / non-Daz assets is my main head scratcher.

I'm grateful to both you and Richard for the very useful feedback and guidance. 

VBW
M

Richard Haseltine

jpetersen1 said:

I have had better luck with importing .fbx rather than .obj when it is from outside vendors, EXCEPT if the object is animated or asymmetrically rigged, then .obj works better.

Often .obj files are ghosted in the import requester. If that happens, a workaround is to load them into Hexagon and import using Hexagon bridge. That will usually (not always) work. You have to be pretty familiar with Hexagon to make adjustments to Daz or other assets (which is often necessary when doing work for clients).

Mac Catalina, or possibly the version before? There was an issue with fiel dialogues, which has been resolved in the current release of DS.

jpetersen1 said:

 

A word of caution about doing work for clients (I have years of experience doing this with a variety of programs)... I have found DS to be good for compositing certain kinds of scenes and images. If you work with its strengths, it's possible to do some excellent imagery. However, if you are doing something SPECIFIC (as for a client), often the project requires something that isn't available or doesn't work especially well in DS and then you quickly discover its limitations. You might get 90% toward your goal and then get stuck (in terms of bugs, lack of the right kind of assets, things that take WAY longer than you expect, etc). Keep that in mind when doing client work, especially if you are new to DS.

 

Mattymanx

Grab both the OBJ and the FBX files.  There is never a guarentee that either will work right in DS.  I have often found it useful to load the FBX in to Blender and use Blender to export a new OBJ.

But that is only half the battle.  Getting it to look as good in DS as it does in the software it was built in, is a different cup of tea altogether

 

jpetersen1

Mac Catalina, or possibly the version before? There was an issue with fiel dialogues, which has been resolved in the current release of DS.

 

High Sierra on one machine, Mojave on the other.

I almost never update to a new OS until it's been around for a while. The more obvious reason is that early releases almost always have bugs, the secondary reason is that I have invested a great deal of money in legal (expensive) graphics software and existing apps often break under a new OS for the first few months until the various app companies come up with patches or updates.

It would put me out of business to upgrade the OS (and all the graphics software) too soon. Reliable software is my bread-and-butter, so I always wait until the bugs are worked out (except for the latest Public Build of DS—which, unfortunately, I upgraded too soon).

Mark T

 

Mattymanx said:

Grab both the OBJ and the FBX files.  There is never a guarentee that either will work right in DS.  I have often found it useful to load the FBX in to Blender and use Blender to export a new OBJ.

But that is only half the battle.  Getting it to look as good in DS as it does in the software it was built in, is a different cup of tea altogether

I'll see if it's an option to get both for the same price.

Last time I tried to use an external asset in Daz, I ended up having to finally import and render the asset - a WW2 Lancaster bomber - directly in Photoshop. Daz was having none of it! lol

I think I've still got quite a distance to go in my 3D program knowledge.

Many thanks for the advive, Mr M 

VBW

M