New to DAZ3D, where do I start?

Tempo777

Greetings,

I am an independent comic artist and animator. The reason I downloaded DAZ3D is to use the 3D model as a quick reference model for both female and male to minimize the anatomy and proportion issues when drawing the characters. I've tried the Poser 10 and it was pretty much a frustrating experience.

What I want is a posable, accurate 3D model to reference from it. I've heard of Victoria and Michael models, but not really sure whether they're something I would want since I also want a model that I can edit it's proportions. I also need a model of a bodybuilder with muscles that can flex for learning purposes. So I'll appreciate it if anyone could lead me to a bundle I could start with.

What I've found so far is body morphs:

http://www.daz3d.com/genesis-2-male-s-morphs-bundle
http://www.daz3d.com/genesis-2-female-morphs-bundle

I'm open for any suggestions :)

mrposer

Welcome. Both Daz and Poser are great tools for what you are interested in. I would suggest you grab http://www.daz3d.com/m4-hero-pro-pack as its FREE but not sure for how long and has a great set of products for Michael 4 who even though not the most current DAZ figure should be useful for you.

barbult

Those morph packages are pretty essential starting points for morphing the Genesis 2 characters. My advice to someone just starting out is to play with the free Starter Essentials content until you are comfortable with the program and sure you want to continue using it, especially if you've had a previous bad experience with similar software. Then begin to invest in more content. Be sure to investigate to Platinum Club Plus benefits and consider joining before buying lots of content. You can save 30% on DAZ Original products like the morph sets you listed. If you only plan to pose unclothed models for reference and not buy much content, the PC+ may not be right for you.

MN-150374

If you are new to DAZ Studio you should grab the free Interactive Lessons Bundles:

http://www.daz3d.com/sci-fi-warrior-bundle
http://www.daz3d.com/slaying-the-dragon-bundle
http://www.daz3d.com/day-at-the-beach-bundle
http://www.daz3d.com/inside-the-asylum-bundle

If you really want to invest money at the start, I would like to suggest you focus on the Genesis1 Figure. The Genesis1 Base is also free with DAZ Studio and as an expansion the Starter Bundle gives a lot of possibilities:

http://www.daz3d.com/genesis-starter-bundle

In my opinion the Genesis1 Figure is more versatile for beginners, you can really play around. All Male, Female and Creature Morphs work on the same Base Figure and can be mixed to your liking. By the way, most of the content (Hair, Clothing, Skin Textures) in the M4 Heroes Pro Pack will work fine on the Genesis1 Figure.

To get a quick overview of all the different Base Figures/Character Morphs, there is the Compatibility Matrix:

http://www.daz3d.com/compatibility-matrix

And don´t forget to watch those Video Tutorials: https://www.daz3d.com/help/help-daz-3d-video-tutorials/

ShawnBooth

Definitely hold off on spending money until you're familiar with the software.

After that - it's all taste and personal preference. For example, I'm rather new to Daz and 3D and therefore really don't like non-Genesis 2 figures. I hate everything else really. I love Michael 6, Lee 6 and Mei Lin 6. Freak 5 is cool too. Hell, all the sixes (as I call em) are awesome.

Yes this can be limiting in so far as available hair, clothing, etc but you can work around most limitations.

I recall going mad trying to figure out and understand everything available in the store and how they all worked together. Love these forums.

Just my opinions.