Digital Art Zone

I love this stuff, even I get schooled. Thanks for the info fixmypcmike. It makes things much clearer now.

Yes, that really does clear things up! Thanks to both of you!

I posted this in another thread and thought it a good tip. 

Did you know you can increase a light to beyond 100% when Daz Studio won’t let you, well you can.

Most light intensity values have a maximum setting of 100% but this goes for a number of Values strewn throughout Daz Studio. But there is a way to increase the maximum and minimum value of any setting using the Parameters Settings Dialogue Box. In most cases this will work.

If you haven’t noticed the little Cog next to the Values or wondered what it does (See image one)…

..clicking on the Cog will reveal a drop down box showing the command Parameter Settings. (See image two)

Another Window opens giving you the option of typing in new values and “Accept” applies the new values. (See image three)

Another good use among many examples of this is Ambient Strength increased to above 100% will make it glow more and even more so when it comes to Indirect Lighting using the Ambient Channel to use as a light source.

Very Good tips Szark. Thank you for those.

Day 3 on Carnite’s tutorial.  I think you just helped me out, Szark.  She says she scaled down the D-form field to 50000 and I couldn’t figure out how to do that.  I’m actually getting closing to using D-form.

You should have asked about Scale and stuff Anne. I know all that stuff. That is the kind of stuff I started this thread for. If you get stuck again just ask. We all will jump in and help.

Hey Jaderail, Thanks for starting a class like this for us newbies. I know I can use all the help I can get!!!!! My problem is concerning zip files.(Hope this applies as a newbie question) I have purchased content that came in a zip file and cannot figure out how to load it to my studio. All the content I have bought that has come in an exe. file loads with no problem. Can you explain the difference between a zip file and an exe. file. Also what is the difference in how you load them. Can you explain in layman terms from start to finish how to load a zip file. Every time I ask this question I get directed to an old post, but I guess I am not very computer savy because I get lost in the computer jargon. I have DAZ3D 4 Pro version. Operating system: Windows Vista Home Premium, 32bit with 4 gigs of memory. Every one has been very kind and helpful on this forum but I am really lost on this one!!!!!!!!! Thanks for your help! Hope you are doing well!!!!!!!!!:-):P:red:

spmwc - 25 July 2012 06:36 PM

Hey Jaderail, Thanks for starting a class like this for us newbies. I know I can use all the help I can get!!!!! My problem is concerning zip files.(Hope this applies as a newbie question) I have purchased content that came in a zip file and cannot figure out how to load it to my studio. All the content I have bought that has come in an exe. file loads with no problem. Can you explain the difference between a zip file and an exe. file. Also what is the difference in how you load them. Can you explain in layman terms from start to finish how to load a zip file. Every time I ask this question I get directed to an old post, but I guess I am not very computer savy because I get lost in the computer jargon. I have DAZ3D 4 Pro version. Operating system: Windows Vista Home Premium, 32bit with 4 gigs of memory. Every one has been very kind and helpful on this forum but I am really lost on this one!!!!!!!!! Thanks for your help! Hope you are doing well!!!!!!!!!:-):P:red:

@spmwc: I have replyed to your Zip question in your first post about them. I’m sorry I missed you when you asked but I was out for a few hours. I would prefer helping with that in your first thread, this is more of a how to use DS than a how to get it set up thread. See you in the other one soon I hope.

Jaderail - 25 July 2012 02:11 PM

You should have asked about Scale and stuff Anne. I know all that stuff. That is the kind of stuff I started this thread for. If you get stuck again just ask. We all will jump in and help.

Not exactly stuck, Teach, just slow getting to that point in doing the tutorial.  I wondered why Carnite’s workspace and menus didn’t look like mine and finally the light bulb came on.  Duh, she’s using DS3 and I’m using DS4.  Nothing to worry about, I can handle that.

Okay, I have another question: I know that images can look different depending on the settings of the screen or monitor on which they are viewed. Are there recommended settings that we should use to help ensure the proper level of lighting, contrast, color balance, etc.? I render on my laptop, and find that my images sometimes look too dark when viewed on other monitors. Yet renders by more experienced artists tend to look good regardless of which machine I’m viewing them on…

Nothing like posting an image to show us what you mean Scott. Can I suggest making a Render WIP Thread in the Art Studio or Begineers Section. The we can better advise and give pointers. But like all this there are so many ways to skin a cat (sorry cat loavers, no offence).

Scott-Livingston - 27 July 2012 06:47 AM

Okay, I have another question: I know that images can look different depending on the settings of the screen or monitor on which they are viewed. Are there recommended settings that we should use to help ensure the proper level of lighting, contrast, color balance, etc.? I render on my laptop, and find that my images sometimes look too dark when viewed on other monitors. Yet renders by more experienced artists tend to look good regardless of which machine I’m viewing them on…

@Scott-Livingston: That sounds like a Gamma Setting. It can be changed in your render settings but the real cure is a properly calibrated monitor. You can do a Google Search and find Many calibration guides, most will offer images that have parts you need to match, if it is out of calibration parts might not even be visible on your monitor. You can also check your monitor Menu and try Set to Factory Defaults, or it’s equivalent. Why would your settings matter you ask? Well if your default Gamma setting for your monitor is not the Standard accepted setting your saved Render is saved with your Default setting in the file as the Standard setting. So your renders look right to you AND a render saved with a Standard setting will display at the proper setting on your monitor because the gamma is set to standard when displayed, it ups the gamma to the saved setting in the file. Your render will change when viewed on another PC because it is below standard when saved and will set the Gamma when shown on screen. Your render will still look normal on your PC because it is normal on your monitor.

Thats a lot of tech talk and I hope you can follow it.

Thanks. I think that’s exactly the information I was looking for. My latest New User WIP looked slightly too dark on my monitor, but now that I’m viewing it on another screen it looks way too dark. It doesn’t help that my monitor is one of those LCD screens that looks different depending on the viewing angle… I’ll try recalibrating and see how that goes.

Your Welcome. I hope you solve your Gamma blues and get back to rendering very fast.

Scott-Livingston - 27 July 2012 07:33 AM

Thanks. I think that’s exactly the information I was looking for. My latest New User WIP looked slightly too dark on my monitor, but now that I’m viewing it on another screen it looks way too dark. It doesn’t help that my monitor is one of those LCD screens that looks different depending on the viewing angle… I’ll try recalibrating and see how that goes.

That’s the big reason I decided to get an LED monitor. I don’t have any of those problems anymore.