Can't Edit Pre-Made Strand-Based Hair

comixiant

I bought a couple of hair items from Daz the other day, neither of which were advertised as being "Strand-Based" despite both of them being so.

So they're strand-based, and I've been scratching my head over how I'm supposed to edit them with the Strand-Based Hair Editor.  If I select the hair and then try to use the "Edit Strand-Based Hair" option, it just throws up an error and tells me I need to select an item with a Strand-Based Hair node attached.  But since the hair is clearly strand-based to begin with, it must surely already have one somewhere!

I know how strand-based hair works (I've used the editor before) but I always used it starting from scratch.  I never actually tried to edited a pre-made strand-based hair before (I prefer to see hair in the viewport when in Iray mode).

Anyway, any info as to what I'm doing wrong here would be greatly appreciated!

 

Richard Haseltine

It isn't "Strand based hair" - it may have started that way, or have been created by a similar tool in another application, but it has been turned into dForce hair and that isn't editable by us.

UncannyValet

https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/9015031/

comixiant

@Richard
Well that's odd, I thought I'd cancelled this thread before it even went live (I cancelled it because I already had a reply on RenderHub).  It's all sorted and (hopefully) understood now, but I always thought there were two types of hair, those being the polygonal 'hair-card' type and the 'strand-based' type.  To me, dForce is just a dynamics system that can be applied to either type.  I must admit, I'm having to rethink which I prefer now because I was very surprised to read we cannot edit pre-made strand-based hair.  Mind you, I suppose it has to be done like that to prevent people modifying it and claiming it as their own product.

@UncannyValet
Thanks for that, and small world too, because the reply I got from Dexon3D linked to your article on a website somewhere!

 

Richard Haseltine

comixiant said:

@Richard
Well that's odd, I thought I'd cancelled this thread before it even went live (I cancelled it because I already had a reply on RenderHub).  It's all sorted and (hopefully) understood now, but I always thought there were two types of hair, those being the polygonal 'hair-card' type and the 'strand-based' type.  To me, dForce is just a dynamics system that can be applied to either type.  I must admit, I'm having to rethink which I prefer now because I was very surprised to read we cannot edit pre-made strand-based hair.  Mind you, I suppose it has to be done like that to prevent people modifying it and claiming it as their own product.

There are (currently) two versions or modules of dForce - cloth (which anyone can set up, and which can be used for hair with geometry; and hair, which is limited to Daz PAs making content for the store. There is also the non-dynamic Strand Based Hair, which can be edited by anyone.

@UncannyValet
Thanks for that, and small world too, because the reply I got from Dexon3D linked to your article on a website somewhere!

 

comixiant

@Richard Haseltine
Thanks for the info.  I'm going to have to knuckle down and catch up on the whole hair thing.  It's quite some years since I've even been in a position to fully enjoy using Daz Studio and it seems I've fallen way behind in what's been released and what's what etc.  I still think hair should be categorised as 'Strand-Based' or 'Polygonal' though, and in fact I'm very surprised there's not a way to separate the two using a search option in the store, because it's not always obvious when looking at some of them.  Often there are visual give-aways as to what type they are even if it doesn't say so, but sometimes it's hard to tell.