Arki, You ROCK!!! Welcome All from RDNA!!!
Dartanbeck
Posts: 21,199
I was just recently working on re-shaping my V4 and M4 character's iris meshes to get the proper opposite highlight, like what Jeremy Birn recommends in his Digital Lighting and Rendering book. I really liked the results I was seeing, but I kept lacking the time to actually do it right.
test of a trial run at re-shaping the irises >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Well now that Daz 3d merged with RDNA, there has been a lot of cool sales on our new selections.
I was checking a whole bunch of it out the other day... there's a lot of really cool stuff! So I bought some of this... some of that... it's hard to say how much of the new products I've seen already, and I know that there's still a lot to come over from the other store. I hope the transition is going smooth for all of the artists.
Anyways, I was messing around with my new Dragon: Ocean Queen, from Arki, and decided to go back into the store and see what all she has available in her store. Hmmm... I've already been an Arki fan having already bought several of her offerings. Anyways...
While I was browsing I came upon the coolest thing: EYEdeas 3+ for Victoria 4 and Michael 4, just the very figures I've been working on! Well now I don't have to - Thanks to you, Arki!!!
EYEdeas 3 are anatomically correct eye models that can work with any model, I imagine. But this kit is masterfully geared to work with V4 and M4. EYEdeas 3 are custom mapped, conforming or parented eyes, and EYEdeas 3+ are newer improved versions with a separate reflection layer which can be textured independently from the rest of the eye and can also be rotated separately from the rest of the eye!
There are also versions which can use existing V4 or M4 eye textures instead of Arki's custom maps, so we can use shaders that we've already made for V4 or M4.props.
I was really excited to get my hands on these - but I was quite surpised when I went to load them in. Immediately after installing, I went straight in without reading anything about them, so I looked in the "Props" folder... nothing. So I went into the Figures folder and there they are! So I started looking through the options and loaded in a set onto my character. Wow! The set I loaded in is a conforming figure containing both eyes - which can be controlled with my Morphs++ eye-movement dials!!!
Nothing wrong with props. I like using them. But using this, I don't have to hide them deep within my hierarchy, but just leave them in the list within my character's grouping, as with the rest of my conforming items - making them really easy to select and edit. EYEdeas 3 eyes have several morph dials for altering how they work and what they look like. I needed a convex iris, so I cranked that one up.
As it turned out, the set that I loaded in by guessing is one of those which uses V4's eyes UVs, so the shaders already within my tray did most of the trick, and I opened the instructions to see what to do with the rest... really slick setup... I'm very pleased!
Very organized sets of choices in the Pose folder for Utilities for both the main character figure as well as some for the EYEdeas eyes. Then there's a bunch of MATs to choose from to make any sort of creature or person.
I also bought the expansion pack Vol. 1: Naturals for a selection of natural style textures and will get Vol. 2: Fantasy soon! I wanted to check out the product before going too deep. Seeing how easy the kit is to use, I'll be using these for all kinds of figures!
So cool! We can load the full sets of two eyes, or right and/or left eyes individually, so I know I can use these for Genesis figures and other figures like monsters, creatures, animals... anything that would benefit from detailed eyes.
Still not finished tweaking these how I want them to be, the practice I spent on them got me pretty well acquainted with getting Rosie eyes set up - which shaders to use in which domains, etc., and now I'm experimenting with other options - like the other sets of eyes which use the other style of mapping, so I can try out Arki's really nice textures. She's got stuff in there for demons and monsters, mechanical beasties and droids, Fae... just the initial kit has some great options, and the expansion has much more. Definitely want that Vol. 2: Fantasy! I love having options for eyes!
<<< Even better, if we use PhilW's Bright Eyes for Carrara on the "+" version's reflection layer, we can dial the reflection independently from the eyes themselves! Sweet!!!
*Attached image is my first EYEdeas + setup. In Carrara, there's so much we can do with this, this quick render is only the beginning! I cannot wait to play more! >>>>>
Arki... you ROCK!!! Thank You!!!
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Also, I love your Ocean Queen Dragon!!! Very cool model! Now I'm eagerly awaiting your wonderful little Piccolo Dragon!!! Yikes is he cool!
subdivide those wing and tail membranes and use attach skeleton in C8.1 preferably (weightpainting easier) I did have a few issues though with some polys not being able to removed from the root node so just hid them reshaping those parts of the wings.
thanks for the headsup Dart
philw also has his excellent BrightEyes shader
I use it all the time ;)
http://www.daz3d.com/bright-eyes-for-carrara
I purchased these today, I have been loading up on these V4 and M4 $4 goodies. I still use V4 and M4, so why not?
I know... it was actually included in the Heads Up! LOL ;)
Yeah! Wow... Daz 3d really loves us who still enjoy using Generation 4, eh?
What a week!
I just got done getting a huge pile of stuff for twenty-some dollars, and then I see that there are all of these Pro bundles and other huge bundles and products - and they're giving them away for four bucks - three with the purchase of something new!
Kinda reminds me of when I bought Carrara - all that stuff to download and install. The HUGE exception being that I now have (and use) Install Manager, making it really fast and less clicky! ;) But there was a certain charm to having to double-click all of those installers back then. It only became a huge PITA when I had to reinstall Windows, build a new computer... that sort of thing.
I don't usually get much internet time - so when I do, this is pretty much my home: Daz 3d. So while I've heard of RDNA, when I'd go there I didn't realy know my way around or have enough re-visit time to become acquainted with all of the artists and their products.
With them all being here now, I can see their products and buy them!
MortemVetus has made a whole bunch of products that seems like they were made specifically to be added to my work... I bought some and the rest is in my wishlist!
DarkEdgeDesign, Evilinnocence, SilverElf have all made their way into my cart this week. Actually quite a few things from Evilinnocence. But I'll be working my way through everyone as time goes on.
All of those Unimesh Fits bundles,too. One of them not only came with all of the Unimesh fits, but their original products as well. So even if I was only getting a few new items, I grabbed them anyways.
I wish I could have just gone through that whole $4 list and sent all of it to my cart!
I loaded up on a bunch of V4 and M4 clowns to use on scenes with this classy lady.
Fantastic!
That is an awesome Hero shot!!!
Did you see some of the horrifying clowns and other creepies by MortemVetus?
Yes, the only one I didn't get from that list is Ripped.
Arki's Ocean Queen dragon is one amazing product. It reminds me of buying something like the Millennium Dragons 1 or 2, where you get the base dragon and a bunch of extra parts and morphs to tweak her out!
She isn't available yet as a stand-alone product here at Daz 3d, but is available via this Bundle.
Since there aren't really any promo images here yet, I thought I'd put some up, in case anyone is interested.
As Wendy points out, the wing membranes don't work out-of-the-box in Carrara, since she uses Poser's Weight mapping, I think. So we'll have to come up with a different method. One thing I might try is to bring them into Daz Studio as OBJ and use the content creation tools to make them into conforming items and then export them as CR2. This might bypass the Poser Weight map thing... we'll see.
Really? I'll have to try this! Thanks!
ah so you did, thanks for the headsup on other stuff, I now have a full drive! :)
LOL!!! Me too... this is getting addicting!
This was the first bundle I purchased from the sale, added a few after. I also got the Dragon Rider poses and theDragonGear riding straps freebie. I also got all the beautiful long hairs from Arki.
Awesome... me too!
I didn't get them yet... but I will. hey really caught my eye, as did the rest of MortemVitus' cool stuff.
BTW, for the women clown/mime and clown/mime textures that I also purchased this morph has one of the most beautiful V4 bodies I have seen:
http://www.daz3d.com/petra_talia
You can't see the original nude promo images here but if you use archive.org you can find the Runtime DNA product page with the nude images.
That's awesome! Wow... lots of cool stuff!
I am really liking this teeth shader so far and I'm overjoyed that I bought these eyes. The set is so versatile that I think it will be fun to use on all sorts of monsters and creatures - not just humans.
It'll be nice to be able to (very easily) have characters with two different colored eyes!
Oh... and my Rosie character now has Reby Sky's expression morph dials aded to her as well. I also saved (but, again... no render yet) the Dragon Rider Gear outfit to my browser, shaders all optimized and proper morphs set up to work well with Rosie.
Fun!
So... when do we get to see Bat Girl kicking some clown around, or the other way around? ;) Can't wait to see some cool new renders! :)
PS: The hair shaders are going to be getting a complete revamp too, along with some new mesh enhancements. I've come a long way in Carrara since I've made this stuff... time to have another look.
I can't post any more images here as they are done in DAZ Studio. I do have Carrara as you know, but I haven't done much with it for awhile.
I was thinking about creating a comic around the characters. And for a Wonder Woman like character the products Soul Warrior and Pix-Demiskrah.