Any Beginner's Bundle Suggestions?
zombiewhacker
Posts: 684
OK, let's say you've downloaded and installed the latest version of DAZ plus Genesis Victoria and/or Michael. Now all you need are some goodies to complement your new toys.
DAZ3D's store offers many great, even essential software bundles, but what if you were shopping the store and cherry-picking your own beginner's bundle from scratch?
For fun, let's assume that your bundle would contain each of the following items:
* hair
* attire
* prop
* set or background
* lights
and (if desired)
* bonus (any plug-in, filter, or extra you desire)
Note that these can all be very simple, entry-level choices. No need to recommend "10,001 Elven Hair Styles for Victoria Base" when a simple ponytail starter-kit would do just as nicely, or "Dystopian Alien Walking Dead Megalopolis" when a simply street corner-and-stop sign set-up can just as easily fill the bill.
What would be your picks?
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Just a thread for me!
If to go vanilla (and one piece of each you listed), I'd choose for example:
- Stalker Girl Hair (the skull cap is separate, so it fits the guys too)
- MFD for Genesis
- GenX2
- Worlds of Fantasy House
- Dariofish's HFS Elves (if non-DAZ stuff is allowed; if not, Thorne's Princess)
Or:
- TOA Triplet
- Gregoria Hair
- Zahir's Palace
- Jungle Elements
If there is any bundle which I'd say is an absolute must have (at least if you're using Genesis 1) it's the Genesis Starter Bundle (not to be confused with the Starter Essentials). Aside from the hair and clothing items it comes with (including one outfit each for male and female characters), it also comes with the Troll for Genesis, and, most importantly, both the Genesis Evolution Head Morphs and Genesis Evolution Body Morphs sets. These two sets alone make this bundle essential to anyone who uses Genesis figures.
As I mentioned the bundle also includes two clothing sets: the Scoopback, Minidress for Genesis(For the ladies), and the Casal Surf Wear for Genesis(for the guys).
Finally, it comes with Hampton Hair, a very nice hair style for your Genesis ladies as well as Gen 4 ladies. It'll even fit Michael 4, so you could technically use it on the guys too (though they'd look pretty silly and effeminate).
Of course the suggested bundle structure assumed you buy morph separately. I cannot imagine my library without Creature Creator and Evolution Morphs, so add them if it is not clear ;).
It's tough to recommend just one product in each category without knowing which figure(s) or genre(s) you prefer...but let's give it a try...
Hair (general) - Orion Hair: great for men and women, supports Genesis, V4, and M4, and will AutoFit to Genesis 2 Female and Male
Hair (female) - Udane Hair
Hair (male) - Timeless Male Hair
Clothing (fantasy) - Highlander: Wildenlander for Genesis
Clothing (contemporary) - Town and Country for Genesis
Clothing (sci-fi or versatile) - Genesis Supersuit
Clothing (dress) Morphing Fantasy Dress
Set - Invetero
Set (alternate choices) - High Cliff Crossing, Royal Court Bundle, Viking Village
Lights - Lantios Lights 2
Prop - Grassy Grounds Megapack
Bonus (tools) - Advanced DAZ Studio Light Bundle
Bonus (tutorials) - Portrait Lighting Tutorial for DS4, Introdution to Character Surface Settings
Of course I feel like I'm leaving out a lot of great things...but I had to stop somewhere!
Okay i'm new and i've been buying left and right. Female clothing is really hard to pick one as i mix and match old(fantasy) with the new stuff.
* hair - Female - Thalia and Vicking / Male - Basic hair works just fine
* attire - MFD / Male - Newport Outfit and textures
* prop - Tile Shader for Daz Studio
* set or background - BWC Skies
* lights - Advanced DAZ Studio Light Bundle
and (if desired)
* bonus (any plug-in, filter, or extra you desire) - the face and body morph bundles either the Genius or Genius 2 Male and Female both.
Myjunk, I agree - Basic Hair and Newport are cool. I didn't list them as they are free with interactive lessons now.
I thought I'd prepare a better post with links.
Of course the suggested bundles' structure assumed you buy morph separately. I cannot imagine my library without Creature Creator (http://www.daz3d.com/genesis-creature-creator-bundle) and Evolution Morphs (http://www.daz3d.com/genesis-evolution-morph-bundle), so add them if it is not clear ;). From expressions, I think 220 Expressions for Genesis give the best bang for your buck when using Genesis: www.daz3d.com/220-emotions-for-genesis. Of course, GenX2 is an absolute must-have: http://www.daz3d.com/genesis-generation-x2 with Gen2F and Gen2M Addon: http://www.daz3d.com/genx2-addon-for-genesis-2.
Basic Basics Genesis:
Stalker Girl Hair (the skull cap is separate, so it fits the guys too): http://www.daz3d.com/stalker-girl-hair
MFD for Genesis: http://www.daz3d.com/morphing-fantasy-dress-for-genesis
Hooded Cloak for Genesis: http://www.daz3d.com/hooded-cloak-for-genesis or Hooded Cloak Pack: http://www.daz3d.com/hooded-cloak-pack-for-genesis-1-female-s
Real Feel Double Layered T-Shirt: http://www.daz3d.com/real-feel-double-layered-t-shirt-for-genesis
FM Jeans: http://www.daz3d.com/fm-jeans-for-genesis
Pretty Basics Ballerina Flats: http://www.daz3d.com/pretty-basics-ballerina-flats
GenX2 http://www.daz3d.com/genesis-generation-x2
Worlds of Fantasy Medieval House: http://www.daz3d.com/worlds-of-fantasy-medieval-house
Dariofish's HFS Elves (if non-DAZ stuff is allowed; if not, Thorne's Princess: http://www.daz3d.com/thorne/princess or Valea's Summer Character and Hair: www.daz3d.com/summer-character-and-hair with Jaime Character and Hair: http://www.daz3d.com/jaime-character-and-hair)
Basic Basics Gen2M:
Boris Hair: http://www.daz3d.com/boris-hair-for-genesis-2-male-s
Hooded Cloak for Gen2M: http://www.daz3d.com/hooded-cloak-for-genesis-2-males
TOA Legend: http://www.daz3d.com/toa-legend-for-genesis-2-male-s-and-michael-6
Truancy: www.daz3d.com/truancy-outfit-for-genesis-2-male-s
Tyler HD: http://www.daz3d.com/tyler-hd-for-michael-6
Basic Basics Gen2F:
Casual Jeans and T-Shirt: http://www.daz3d.com/casual-jeans-and-t-shirt-for-genesis-2-female-s
MFD for Gen2F: http://www.daz3d.com/morphing-fantasy-dress-for-genesis-2-females
Hooded Cloak for Gen2F: http://www.daz3d.com/hooded-cloak-for-genesis-2-females
Spiderqueen Hair: http://www.daz3d.com/spiderqueen-hair
Ava HD: http://www.daz3d.com/ava-hd-for-lilith-6
1001 Nights:
TOA Triplet: http://www.daz3d.com/toa-triplet
Gregoria Hair: http://www.daz3d.com/gregoria-hair
Zahir's Palace: http://www.daz3d.com/dms-zahirs-place
Tropical Elements: http://www.daz3d.com/tropical-elements
Merfolk Gen2F:
Spiderqueen Hair: http://www.daz3d.com/spiderqueen-hair
Sickleyield's Mermaid for Gen2F (and Gen2M now): http://www.daz3d.com/mermaid-genesis-2-female-s
Ava HD: http://www.daz3d.com/ava-hd-for-lilith-6
Breaking Waves: http://www.daz3d.com/breaking-waves
Versatile Terrain 2: http://www.daz3d.com/versatile-terrain-2 (few people know there are freebie ruins included, which don't require purchase)
Tropical Elements: http://www.daz3d.com/tropical-elements
Tomboy Explorer:
Summer Character and Hair: www.daz3d.com/summer-character-and-hair
Stalker Girl Pants: http://www.daz3d.com/stalker-girl-pants-for-genesis
Stalker Girl Boots: http://www.daz3d.com/stalker-girl-boots-for-genesis
Freemason's Ruin: http://www.daz3d.com/freemasons-ruin
Explorer:
Jaime Character and Hair: http://www.daz3d.com/jaime-character-and-hair
Stalker Girl Pants: http://www.daz3d.com/stalker-girl-pants-for-genesis
Stalker Girl Boots: http://www.daz3d.com/stalker-girl-boots-for-genesis
Angkor Wat: http://www.daz3d.com/the-ruins-of-angkor-wat-bundle
Fantasy RPG Genesis:
Torprin Tower: http://www.daz3d.com/torprin-tower
Defiant: http://www.daz3d.com/defiant-for-genesis
Hooded Cloak Pack: http://www.daz3d.com/hooded-cloak-pack-for-genesis-1-female-s
Xenia Hair: http://www.daz3d.com/xenia-hair
Dariofish's HFS Elves (if non-DAZ stuff is allowed; if not, Thorne's Princess: http://www.daz3d.com/thorne/princess or Valea's Summer Character and Hair: www.daz3d.com/summer-character-and-hair)
Fantasy RPG Gen2M:
Wildenlander HD: http://www.daz3d.com/wildenlander-hd
DA Pose Set for Wildenlander HD: http://www.daz3d.com/da-pose-set-for-wildenlander-hd
Boris Hair: http://www.daz3d.com/boris-hair-for-genesis-2-male-s
Hooded Cloak for Gen2M: http://www.daz3d.com/hooded-cloak-for-genesis-2-males
The Echanted Forest: http://www.daz3d.com/the-enchanted-forest
Return to The Echanted Forest: http://www.daz3d.com/return-to-the-enchanted-forest
Rays of Dreams for The Echanted Forest: http://www.daz3d.com/rays-of-dreams-for-enchanted-forest
Fairytale:
World of Fantasy Island Castle: http://www.daz3d.com/worlds-of-fantasy-island-castle
Thorne's Princess: http://www.daz3d.com/thorne/princess
Tatiana Hair http://www.daz3d.com/tatiana-hair or Marja Hair: http://www.daz3d.com/marja-hair
Fairytale Dress for Genesis: http://www.daz3d.com/fairytale-dress-for-genesis
Adventure Land: http://www.daz3d.com/adventure-land-outfit
Jaime Character and Hair: http://www.daz3d.com/jaime-character-and-hair
As you see, the contents are interchangeable, so I'd grab them all.
The beauty of the Genesis Starter Bundle over just the Genesis Evolution Morphs Bundle is that in the Starter Bundle, you get not only the complete Evolutions Morphs Bundle, you also get two complete clothing outfits, a hair figure, and a character morph for only six to eight bucks more than if you just buy the Evolution Morphs bundle alone. It's a far better deal.
Money-wise, sure. I just wanted to state that Evolution Morphs are essential, while you may find more versatile clothes. But I agree with the value. Hampton Hair is nice as well.
Money-wise, sure. I just wanted to state that Evolution Morphs are essential, while you may find more versatile clothes. But I agree with the value. Hampton Hair is nice as well.And if you do fantasy work, nothing beats a huge, ugly Troll.
Come on, Creature Creator does :coolgrin:!
Given clothes for a starter just learning can be found almost everywhere (not just the Wilmap collection), I'd go with more basics that all other figures seem to require. First look around the store for someone you like, then look at those requirements.
Morph Bundles (required by many Genesis 2 figures)... For the Generation 6 female figures.
http://www.daz3d.com/genesis-2-female-morphs-bundle
Is there similar for Genesis (1) and Genesis 2 Males?
Victoria4 3D Pro (gasp for breath), bundle. If you intend to use allot of Generation 4 figures.
http://www.daz3d.com/victoria-4-3d-model-pro-suite
Different figures require different (base or whatever it is called) Daz original figure. For example FWSA Wachiwi, requires the Victoria6 base. For that reason alone I can not suggest a figure without knowing your style or taste, and even then, the store will list in a few places what each figure requires.
Some add-on figures have there own bundles as well, like Cassia, Wachiwi, etc... look for those, when you have decided on someone.
http://www.daz3d.com/wachiwi-native-american-character-outfit-hair-and-poses-bundle
http://www.daz3d.com/olympia-add-on-bundle
http://www.daz3d.com/evalle-bundle
http://www.daz3d.com/as-you-wish-bundle
etc, etc, etc...
I started with Wachiwi, and I didn't get the Victoria6 pro bundle for her, I didn't need it for my work. Thus the "Critical Equipment" was not in my collection for some time. Some female figures don't need that to look real (Like Wachiwi), tho the guys do need a Pro pack to have something down there (Other then a generic eunuch-like bulge).
As a beginner, there is a considerable learning curve, that dose not require much at all beyond the bare foot dancer, and that journeyman (Dragon slayer guy). Several months in, and I'm still messing with light basics, posse controls, and that stuff. I agree that having some one else to work with, is vary appealing, especially to ad variety to scenes. Between Olympia6 Pro (plus All 6 figures), and Michael5 Pro (Includes a Troll, or was that with David5 pro), I am really happy. And I'm still browsing the store and getting new stuff. It's an addiction for me, because it is "New", or incredibly useful lol. Muscle morphs, Amazing Skins, Measure Metrics for DAZ Studio, shader bundles, etc.
With the bare minimum basics met, I don't worry about anything now other then whom dose this figure need.
(EDIT)
And look for sales on this stuff! I paid full loot for Wachiwi and requirements with no qualms at all, before becoming a PC member. A few months later I got David5 Pro, Michale5 Pro, And Victoria4 3D Pro suite... for about forty USD each. If it was not for that overwhelming reallocate my budget sail, I would only have Olympia6 pro and Wachiwi today.
Thanks for all the great suggestions so far.
Any recommendations on good lighting sets out there, preferably something flexible enough to be replicated in other settings regardless of genre?
Ahh, lights. Well despite my fondness of all the work "Published Artists" put into there products, for beginning. I defer to Szark and adamr001. Trust me, all the advanced light setups in the world will do you no good, If you are unable to understand how to use the basic lights that Daz3D came with... Regardless weather it be the DZ lights, or the Uber lights.
Tutorial Uber Area Lighting: The Basics
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/14536/
UE2 AKA, Learning UberEnvironment 2 Return To Topic
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/5320/
The DZ lights work roughly the same as the Uber ones, just the settings are in a different place... Read the Uber ones first.
DzLights 101, More then just the Menu Lights.
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/43303/
Then look around for a set of good all around lights, and Ironically the set I use the most, came with other scene sets. The Surfer Guy Lights from the tutorial, the "Top Of The World" sky dome lights, etc. And the Lights I end up adding to scenes to fill out the light the most often, is the Szark Uber-panels with the cameras in them, from the "Uber Area Lighting: The Basics" thread above.
(EDIT)
Remember, you can save a setup once you make it, as a "Scene Subset". This keeps it from removing other lights when you load it into another scene (Without the Ctrl-Click trick), and you can make as many different setups/combinations as you desire for the type of work you do. There is no such thing as a set-and-forget light setup, you will always be tweaking something for different scenes.
(EDIT2)
Scenes I have, that have good sky-domes, lights, oceans, etc...
http://www.daz3d.com/easy-environments-top-of-the-world
http://www.daz3d.com/sea-scapes
No clue where the "Surfer Guy" tutorial is from, It was in Daz Studio when I started out. (I often use just the UE2, and sometimes the "Overhead Glow" from that set)
For good environmental/outdoor lighting you might try one of these:
Lantios Lights 2: this is one of my favorite light sets. Honestly I don't use it too much any more because I prefer to light my scenes myself, but when I need to throw some quick, realistic lighting in, sometimes I'll choose a preset from this product. Due to changes in the render engine since the set was released, you might need to manually switch some of the lights' shadow settings to Raytraced instead of Deep Shadow Maps (this may be true for some of the others in this list, too).
Cloud Nine: This comes highly recommended by many. I don't own it myself. In addition to the lighting, it contains some beautiful skydomes.
BWC Skies 2: an economical choice with realistic lighting and some diverse skydomes. An advantage of this set is that it also contains presets for using the Age of Armour Advanced lights, if you buy those at some point.
Dawn to Dusk Lighting 2: This one is pretty new and I haven't used it or heard too much about it, but the results I have seen look great, and it provides many choices based upon the time of day.
For good portrait/indoor lights:
Studio Light Pro 2: I've used the older version of this. It was really good for its day. Don't have too much information about the updated version, but it's worth a look.
Portrait Lights 2: Simple, attractive, economical portrait lighting presets.
Boudoir Photo Studio and Lights: Includes some nice props including furniture and actual lamps that you can move around.
Photo Studio - Point and Shoot: I've used a similar product by the same vendors, but this one looks ideal for beginners and the results are excellent. Includes a wall/floor prop and paper roll with various textures.
I'm sure there are other excellent choices that I'm forgetting, or else just less familiar with. And some characters and environments you can buy include excellent light presets, too.
One question you should think about when considering any of these sets: do you want to buy one that you can simply load and render and it looks great? Or one that you can customize to your liking? Or, do you want to use the preset as a guide/instructional tool in order to dissect it and learn how to make your own light sets? Deciding which of these things are more important to you might affect your choice of which to buy.
The lights you both mentioned are great. I admit I rely on UberEnvironment. There is a sweet canopy light set on ShareCG by Dyald, I think. It is perfect for forest scenes. Arah has her Subtly Soft Lights. PAs who are very good with lighting are, in my humble opinion, Dreamlight and Lantios. Those BWC sets look fine too. Dreamlight's Rays of Dreams for The Enchanted Forest are fantastic. The bad thing with lights is that each scene needs own solutions. UE2 is great for load and render - at least for transparent PNGs like stock pieces. It is extremely even and quick for this quality (I always use the highest quality settings).
I was looking for something edgy with good hard shadows. Studio Light Pro and Boudoir Photo Studio would appear to be right up my alley there.
Would these light sets (with a little tweaking) work with outdoor renders, too? I'm thinking along the lines of a dark-of-the-city, gritty urban-type feel.
Maybe/probably...depending on the scene. Might require some tweaking or adding extra lights, but really that's frequently true when using light presets. Here's another possibility: Light Up The Dark. I've got it on my wishlist. SickleYield is really good at low-light renders.
Looks like Light Up The Dark just went on my wish list, too. :coolsmile:
Light sets aren't really needed, I'd suggest spending your money on other stuff. I did this render (first ever) with just Daz3d lights. Is this dark and gritty enough for you?
Nahhhhh... way too Disney for my tastes. :-)
Seriously, though, I'd argue that the best way to learn something is to watch how someone else does it first.
BTW, I've been meaning to ask, what is the Genesis Starter Essentials package? I see it comes bundled with DAZ Studio, but it doesn't appear to have its own separate product page.
It's some basic morphs, tutorials, cloths, etc. It's not much, and allot for just starting out. Exactly what is not listed in My "Product Library", it's rather vague.
(EDIT) judging by the backdrop to the fake box in the pic, It includes at least the "Fiery genesis" and "Slay the dragon" tutorials along with the outfits and stuff to make them. I know the angel wings are NOT included. What Tramp Graphics snuck in there as I was editing this post, lol"BTW, I've been meaning to ask, what is the Genesis Starter Essentials package? I see it comes bundled with DAZ Studio, but it doesn't appear to have its own separate product page.Genesis Starter Essentials is the basic Genesis figure and a few added articles of clothing and hair to get you stated, as well as a tutorial. There is also a Starter Essentials each for Genesis 2 male and female. These come with Daz Studio 4 and will be in your product library, however, you need to download and install them separately in order to use Genesis or Genesis 2 figures. They're basically the bare minimum you need to get started using Genesis and Genesis 2 figures.
The Genesis Starte Bundle is a collection containing both the Evolution head and body morphs, Troll for Genesis, Hampton Hair, Casual Surf Wear for Genesis, and the Scoopback Minidress for Genesis.
BTW, I've been meaning to ask, what is the Genesis Starter Essentials package? I see it comes bundled with DAZ Studio, but it doesn't appear to have its own separate product page.
Here is the wiki for Genesis Starter Essentials. It lists the items you get with the package.
http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/read_me/index/14812/start
and this one Genesis 2 Starter Essentials
http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/read_me/index/16280/start
I'd suggest the interactive lessons bundles. They include free content like hair and clothes, and some lights and are a good starting point to learn scene creation,
http://www.daz3d.com/sci-fi-warrior-bundle
http://www.daz3d.com/inside-the-asylum-bundle
http://www.daz3d.com/day-at-the-beach-bundle
http://www.daz3d.com/slaying-the-dragon-bundle
http://www.daz3d.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=interactive+lesson
You absolutely need to install the starter essential that comes with DAZ Studio, and the default lights and shaders.
The Genesis Starter Bundle is also a good investment.
And the sooner a new user finds out about Age of Armour AMbient lights the better.
And the Reality Plugin for DAZ Studio allowing for LuxRender renders.
Because these make all other light sets less necessary/
The essentials include mainly items not found in the shop. The freebie wikia lists them. Don't forget about the Thrilling Twelve (http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/47840/).
None of these appear to be free anymore.
None of these appear to be free anymore.
No, but they were replaced by another round of freebies (links further down the same thread).
First thing new users wil notice is they have to spend 65 $ ... %-P
And the second thing will be, all the documentation and tutorials (good luck find some) adress more advanced users. ;-P
How exactly does this make all other light sets less necessary for new users?
You need to search the thread, because at the moment, we're being given a third portion of the Thrilling Twelve. And each one is better than the previous. There were Thorne, Danie and Marforno involved just to name a few... Awesome stuff. It's like the good old DAZ in the days of plenty (pre-2013).
I think we've just made a discovery of the year.
I was browsing ShareCG and two banners were showing up despite the fact I have AdBlock. They weren't annoying or something, just sitting in the unused area on the right side of the screen. I took screenshots and, taking a deep breath (and hoping my Norton isn't sleeping :P), I CLICKED.
The following pages showed up:
http://www.daz3d.com/freebies?utm_source=sharecg&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Freebies
http://www.daz3d.com/technology?utm_source=sharecg&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Genesis
So it looks like one certain person behind the curtains is making us happy again. The only thing is that, as far as I know, Jamie Hair is not shipped with DS (it is shown on the second picture, between Fiery Genesis and Barefoot Dancer.
By the way, the code doesn't require a minimum price, but it works once for each customer.