Digital Art Zone

I have to admit that I feel very overwhelmed at this point.

I’ve downloaded the DAZ 3D package, installed the program and GenesisStarterEssentials, have a feeling I should install DS4_3DBridge (I’m assuming this is a software bridge, but to what exactly), but have no idea whether I need to install Decimator and GoZ.

I have zero experience with 3D which is probably the reason for my confusions as I can’t determine for myself, even after reading the site data, if and what I’ll need in the future. So I’m asking for a little help.

I did download Hexagon since I peripherally saw it mentioned here.

Additionally there seems to be a great sale going on here and I’ve no idea if I should pick up a few things and what would get me the most bang for my buck.

Any help would be dearly appreciated.

Thanks!

smcsgraphics - 26 November 2012 03:30 AM

I have to admit that I feel very overwhelmed at this point.

I’ve downloaded the DAZ 3D package, installed the program and GenesisStarterEssentials, have a feeling I should install DS4_3DBridge (I’m assuming this is a software bridge, but to what exactly), but have no idea whether I need to install Decimator and GoZ.

I have zero experience with 3D which is probably the reason for my confusions as I can’t determine for myself, even after reading the site data, if and what I’ll need in the future. So I’m asking for a little help.

I did download Hexagon since I peripherally saw it mentioned here.

Additionally there seems to be a great sale going on here and I’ve no idea if I should pick up a few things and what would get me the most bang for my buck.

Any help would be dearly appreciated.

Thanks!

” Do I need to install Decimator and GoZ and Bridge ” - no
Bundle are all ways the best bang for the buck . - you might want to wait to see where you want to do .
Daz has sales all the time - you might want to become a member first .
Hex is for making models .
Get Bryce to . - for Back Grounds and other things .

Hi and welcome.  Lets try to flesh that out a bit

Decimator and GoZ only need to be installed if you have made a separate purchase of Decimator and Z Brush,

Decimator is a Paid for add-on, which was included when Daz Studio was a “Paid for ” app, but cannot be included with the current zero price offer, as DAZ 3D doesn’t own it as such http://www.daz3d.com/shop/decimator-for-daz-studio

GoZ is a bridge between DS and ZBrush, so similarly you would need to own ZBrush for it to work.

There are several bridges so not sure which one it is you are talking about.  There is a bridge for sending things between Daz Studio and Hexagon, and another to send stuff between DS and Bryce. THere is also a Bridge between DS and Photshop, but that is only useful if you own a relevant version of Photoshop.

What to purchase during the current sale really depends on what sort of thing you want to do with your new software. If you let us know what sort of images you are hoping to produce we can probably guide you better.

When bigh mentions becoming a member he is talking about the Platinum Savings Club http://www.daz3d.com/products/platinum-club

Hexagon is a modelling App and Bryce (also available at zero price) is billed as an app for generating landscapes and environements, but can actually do far more that that in the hands of an expert.

DS4_3DBridge that one is for Photoshop chohole

Thanks everyone who has responded thus far.

I guess what I really want to do - for starters anyways - is to create photo realistic people. When I first saw Poser years ago I had an interest in creating 3D portraits for family and friends that could express them as fantasy characters and whatnot. It was the Poser price and learning curve that put me off at the time. I still can’t believe that this (and other software here) is free.

Animation is interesting, but I’ve only tiny experience using the old Jasc software Animation Shop. I’m not presently interested in making things for games and the like.

I’ve got Photoshop CS2 presently so I guess installing the bridge software eventually may be useful.

As far as I know CS2 is too old to work with DS4.5 and the brdige.

It’s not a bad idea to wait for the next sale, if you’re not sure what you want/need. That having been said, if you pick up the things mentioned below I think you won’t regret it (as long as you decide to stick with this hobby, that is).

Given that your primary goal is character creation, if you want to take advantage of today’s sales and have money to burn, I’d recommend picking up Michael 5, Victoria 5 (and/or Stephanie 5), and the Genesis Evolutions morphs. There are some larger bundles that contain these items and would give you a better value, such as this:
http://www.daz3d.com/shop/daz-bundles/genesis-michael-victoria-combo-bundle
or some combination of the Michael 5 Pro Suite http://www.daz3d.com/shop/daz-bundles/michael-5-pro-suite and the Victoria 5 Starter or Pro Bundle and/or the Stephanie 5 Starter or Pro Bundle.

Basically, if you’re going to buy just one item, I’d go with the Michael Victoria Combo Bundle; if you’re going to get two, get the M5 Pro Suite and either Victoria 5 or Stephanie 5 (or better yet, one of their starter or pro bundles). The Michael 5 clothing and hair tends to look good on women, too, which is why I emphasize that.

Note that this all assumes that you want to primarily use Genesis…if you prefer older figures like Victoria 4 and Michael 4 (and note that many people do), then you’d have a very different shopping list.

Also worth considering is the Photorealism Bundle: http://www.daz3d.com/shop/photo-realism-bundle (in addition to the above).  The Photo Realism bundle was made for Victoria 4 and Michael 4, but the skins and hair can be used with Genesis as well and it’s a great value…

If you’re going to be spending more than about $20 today, you should seriously consider purchasing a monthly Platinum Club membership, as others have recommended. If you’re planning to spend more than $70 or so, adding a PC membership will actually make the entire purchase cheaper. Also keep in mind that if you spend $50 you get Joanie for S5 free: http://www.daz3d.com/shop/stephanie-5-elite-texture-joanie/ (don’t forget to add it to your cart). Joanie requires Stephanie 5, but go ahead and pick her up even if you’re not buying S5 today…in case you wind up getting S5 in the future.

If you decide not to make a purchase today (or even if you do…) definitely pick up this free morph set which you can use to make customized Genesis characters: http://www.sharecg.com/v/58198/gallery/21/DAZ-Studio/DieTryings-182-V4-Morphs-for-Genesis

Here’s a thread where I posted some long answers that should help you. I like to do photorealistic pictures as well, so this should help you get started with what you most need out of this sale if you have the money to spend. (One modification I probably should add to that thread is that Generation 3 skin textures may have to be run through a converter before Genesis can use them. I can’t remember. But, the older characters textures have a lower resolution on them, so I generally don’t go that way for photorealism. I prefer texture maps that have 4000 x 4000 resolution. You can check this by clicking on the “What’s Included” tab of each product in the store.)

There were some excellent ideas mentioned above, too. I bought the photorealistic bundle, and I’m quite pleased with the high quality of those skin textures.

The other thing I would make you aware of is Interjection and the Interjection booster shots. They can be great products to help you create photorealistic people if you watch the tutorial videos, etc. This isn’t on sale at the moment, so it’s just something I wanted you to know about.

Lighting is especially important for photorealism. If you’d like to check out some products while you’re learning the ins and outs of how to do it, Lantios has a bunch of very good lights, as does Dimension Theory and Inane Glory. There are many other good ones, but those are the ones I have experience with. None of them are on sale right now, but all are likely to be sometime during March during March Madness where the PA stores are often 50% off. Just something to keep in mind.

The other thing you may want to think about is looking for some threads where they discuss render settings. That will be huge for you in making photorealistic pictures.