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On program documentation (the lack thereof)

lamoid_5f20d3e469lamoid_5f20d3e469 Posts: 301
edited December 1969 in New Users

The Daz3D programs and models are excellent. But the documentation is lousy. Most of it -- what little there is -- is in the form of tutorials. Most of them are for earlier versions of the program. Many of the links are broken. For example the following is supposed to be a deformers tutorial:

http://www.daz3d.com/i/tutorial/tutorial?id=2112&_m=d

It 404s.

In fact most of the "documentation" consists of links to off-site tutorials. Many of those point to http://artzone.daz3d.com, which apparently no longer exists. As far as I can tell almost all the "documentation" that exists has been contributed by the community of users who post solutions once they've been able to figure them out. I applaud the users for doing that. I appreciate it. I'd get nowhere without their help.

Look. I know that Daz Studio is free. And that's wonderful. But I have bought hundreds of dollars worth of models, plugins and other programs from Daz. Studio is the central program that puts it altogether. It should be well documented.

Studio and the others are complex programs. They should have comprehensive reference manuals. Those should use names and labels that match those of the current program. Every listed feature, menu item, check box, etc, should have an explanation -- a real explanation not one that just repeats or rephrases the labels or mouse-over pop-ups. Not only do Daz's users waste an enormous amount of time trying to figure out what a particular check-box does (or dropdown menu item or context menu or ...) but also it is the other users and tech-support people who have to answer the innumerable questions that could have been answered by one sentence in a reference manual. That is a waste of everyone's time and the company's resources.

Just why is there no manual for this program. What the hell were they thinking?

Comments

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Here http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/userguide/start the Official Manuals on basic functions. Tools Manual has not been written at this time. I do not expect a Tools version until all tools have reached full development.

  • ChoholeChohole Posts: 33,604
    edited December 1969

    http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/userguide/start

  • lamoid_5f20d3e469lamoid_5f20d3e469 Posts: 301
    edited December 1969

    That is not a manual. It is a quick runthrough of a few of the things you can do with the program. Do you really consider that to be adequate?

  • ChoholeChohole Posts: 33,604
    edited December 1969

    Did you read all of the PDF http://docs.daz3d.com/lib/exe/fetch.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/userguide/daz_studio_4_x_user_guide.pdf

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    As I said the Tools Manual is not possible as they (the tools) may Change from DAZ Studio Build to Build until DAZ 3D considers them fully working as they want them. Do you want information that may change a month down the road? Example the PGE Polygon Group Editor has became the now more powerful GE Tool in just the last two builds. That info would no longer apply. But many would think it did and post it in answer to questions. It is not the only tool that has changed. DAZ 3D is a small company, not like Others with huge departments that have one department to write the needed manuals and edit those for every update.

  • ChoholeChohole Posts: 33,604
    edited December 1969

    I have to admit I always learned more from forums than I ever did from manuals. I still have Bryce manuals dating back to before 2001, and they are in Pristine condition, which shows how often they were read.

  • lamoid_5f20d3e469lamoid_5f20d3e469 Posts: 301
    edited July 2014

    Regarding #4:

    Yes. Repeatedly. Whenever I am trying to figure something out. There is nothing in there, for example, on how to delete material presets from a figure. There is nothing in there on how to use the deformers. How to create a morph and save it. Simple stuff like, In the scene pane what is the meaning of the a arrow with a check or x next to it? How can one turn off an entire mesh except for one part of it without making each separate piece invisible one at a time? How about the fact that apparently a stack remains in the file with info that you no longer need and must be cleared by a script. But where are the scripts? Why is there no mention of the numerous entries under "Save As"? Not a peep about "support assets" but those are essential if you want to change a mesh and save the changes. Why have a significant subset of the things that I have bought and installed not shown up in the content library? There is an entire subtree of the main install location called data form which some, but not all content makes it into the library. I bought the Fresh Faces plugin, for example, I used the installer. Its right there in the "data" tree, but nowhere to be found in the content library. When using the "city limits" layout, I could not find the render window. Upon guessing and selecting "render Library" I found no way to get back to the normal posing windows. I had to change the layout. The number of things that are not documented in this program FAR outnumber the things that are. On and and on...

    Post edited by lamoid_5f20d3e469 on
  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Read the full PDF just as Chohole suggests. It does Cover much more than you think it does. It is up to you to do so. And I gave the only reasons I have why more has not been done. I'm not a employee of DAZ 3D. I am a Forum Administrator that tries to help the users as best I can from what information I gathered by reading these Forums. I have never once read the full manual on any version of the software but I can use the program because this wonderful community exits and does offer all the help it does. For the Cost (ZERO) I can live with learning from others until an official version is created.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,718
    edited December 1969

    The DS3 manual does cover some of the topics you ask about - DForms hadn't changed, though they have recently gained the ability to take weight maps. Sadly DS is far from the only application with partial or out-dated documentation, and not all of the others are free - I won't try to tell you this is satisfactory, but documentation (especially a full reference manual) is a major undertaking.

  • lamoid_5f20d3e469lamoid_5f20d3e469 Posts: 301
    edited December 1969

    Thank you both, Jaderall and Richard. You are correct about the excellent community. The two of you are shining examples. Daz should pay you both given all the help you offer their customers. Jaderall, I guess we'll just have to disagree on the quality of the DS user guides. I actually have read them and have not found the things I mentioned. AS long as both of you are as patient and helpful as you are, I'll probably get everything working alright. Eventually. Thanks again.,

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