Devil May Deluxe Hair for Genesis 2,3 & 8 Female(s) - Customizing?

AD

Hi together,

today I bought these lovely hairs here:

https://www.daz3d.com/devil-may-deluxe-hair-for-genesis-2-3-8-female-s

But how can I customize these hairs with the shaders? Perhaps somebody can help me, because if I use the shaders, the hole part (e.g.ponytail) will take the same color, but I only want the tips (the end part of the ponytail) of the hair in another color. Unfortunately there is no guide to this hair. Which steps I have to go in DS for this? 

Greetings

fastbike1

You need a product like this: https://www.daz3d.com/uht2-ultimate-color , otherwise you generally can't color just the tips with this product. Each piece can be colored spearately from the others, but within a piece there isn't a material zone for just the tips.

Some hair products have this and some don't. The UHT2 product will be applicable to any hair product.

kitakoredaz

If you hope to modify parts of  one surface group mat, (eg pony tail surface) , you  may need to modify texture map.   then need to export each map,(base or topcoat or glossyness etc) which you hope to modify,  with UV template  in 2d paint editor. (or use 3d paint tool, if you have already)

 or you can make gradation texture  in 2d painter, then use it as mask in ds layer image editor.  or plug the texture, in iray Diffues overlay weight, or top coat weight etc,,

after all, it can not be achieved without you use another apricaiton. which can modify or add new texture maps,.  as you like. 

(To be more precise, If you hope to customize shader, you can try daz shader mixer, then play with iray  procedural texture blicks,   but need to learn each MDL blicks usage clear. and we have really a little documents about MDL blicks in ds shader mixer.  

you can serch google, to learn iray shader language (MDL)  then can get nvidia MDL handbooks , we can re-produce  it with ds shader mixer, as each blicks. ,, but  at least we can not find,, good clear shader mixer tutoriall about MDL blicks for daz studio.  and I seldom see documents, which manage textures in MDL.  it should be more easy, simply modify each texture in 2d editor.  I can not find more simple way which actually useful) 

 

 

chris-2599934

I think AD is trying to colour the hair as shown in its promo images, in particular, this one:

Of course, being a DAZ product, there's no clue as to what you actually have to do to "customise your look with included shaders."

I'm sure I could puzzle it out if I had the product myself, but unfortunately I don't. Maybe someone who does could help AD out?

fastbike1

@chris-2599934 "I'm sure I could puzzle it out if I had the product myself, but unfortunately I don't. Maybe someone who does could help AD out"

Good luck. I have the product and I did try to help. There is no specific documentation with product for achieving the ombre look. The individual pieces do not have material zones that correspond to the tip of the tail, buns, or curls. I said all of this in the first reply to the OP. There are no additional files that are not the hair pieces or the shaders.

There are some great movement options for the tai lin particular, but nothing for gradient shading.

AD can achieve the look of the promo with the Sloshwerx product I linked.

kitakoredaz

I see fastbike1 recommend tool  is useful enogh.  I could not see it, when I input my reply . (it often happen, someone reply, but somepne already offeer more simple answer etc)

I do not get the product (plug in or scirpt) but it seems offer many mask option to layer and can adjust them, in spite of  export maps and self make mask by our self.

I do not know if it use layer image editor, or apply new shader preset, then use diffuse overay, but it automate those process with variation mask I believe. 

Then  at same time, I believe, if OP keep leraning, you may try modify hair texture colors  by your self some day. I could not believe those before, I have no idea how to modify maps, , but it is actually simple 2d edit work, compare with more detail work.  or we everytime wait vendor offer plug in, or vendor offer preset.

the good thing to modify product map is,   we do not need make all texture map from scratch, no need to make detail opacity map by oursefl from scratch. but  may need to learn how layer image, with mask as what you planed,  and some 2d paint tool and filter usage. (eg gradiant, or blur)  then we can re-use product offered color maps. 

I believe google teacher may offer many tutoriall how to modify hair map with 2d tools,, (not directly for ds but  actually most of them are 2d work I think)

 

chris-2599934

If you are right, and there's no way to achieve this effect out of the box, then there is no way that they should be including images in the promos that imply that you can. Promo images should show what a product can do - not what you can do with it if you edit the texture maps or apply another product with it.

AD, I suggest you raise a ticket with support to get them to resolve the issue. If this effect is not possible, they should fix the promos and refund your money. If it is, they should be able to tell you how.

PS. Could it be significant that the description talks about "shaders" instead of the more conventional "materials"? If it really does have its own shaders, as opposed to shader presets, there could be special properties in them that allow this effect.

So, try this: Create a pony tail, apply the shader to it, select it and view it on the "Surfaces" tab. If I'm right, it won't say "Shader: Iray Uber" at the top of the tab, but something else. Scroll down through the properties of the surface - is there something like "second hair colour" in there?

frank0314

You need the promos to be eye catching so they are done the way they are. Plain basic just showing whats in the pack has a lower number of sales cause it isn't flashy enough to gain attention.

chris-2599934

There's a difference between "eye-catching" and "misleading." The purpose of promos is to show what a product can do, not to show what can be done to the product.

My understanding was that DAZ has strict rules on what PAs can do in promo pictures. They can tweak and customise other elements in the picture to their heart's content, but the product being sold must be left alone. They can't do a lot of post work either. I got this (I think) from a Sicklelyield post somewhere about promo images.

Can you find me another example of a promo image showing something that isn't actually possible to do with the product concerned?

kitakoredaz

Now I see the promo image,what I felt, is it can be achived without any product, or addtional texture work, but just mix shader property. or at least I can use texture which product offer, then just plug shader properties, . if it not, I think it is miss leading promo image.  the discription say, 

You can color them separately with the included shaders for added drama 

 then I may think, we can make hair color same as product image with this product only. 

goldtassel

Hi,  The look can be achieved with just the included shaders.  In the promo above all hair parts (Devil May Base, Tail, Bang) were colored black (no. 11)  To make the ombre effect you can choose the areas you want 'highlighted' or 'lowlighted' by selecting the hair (in this case Devil May Tail) in the Scene Tab and under the Surface Tab choose the sections you want to have the effect.  Only the TailFull material zone was selected and the no. 17 shader applied.  Hope this helps.

fastbike1

@goldtassel

My apologies. When I tried to recreate the effect, I made two errors. I did zero in on the "tail Full" surface but applied #17 Material and then didn't render since the viewport didn't seem like it changed.

I wondered what was different about the shaders and did apply #17, but the viewport view didn't change much so I stopped (I guess that's 3 Errors ). When I follow your instructions, this is what I get:

Again humble apologies, I love your products and have about 60 for G3F alone.

 

kitakoredaz

Thanks goldtassel, so your product have many variation only with your offered preset, and custom shader, (with surfaces decision), I understand.

and your pormo image hair is actually show what we can make, without any additiona plug in or product.  . just glance at picture, I feel your csutomize hair shader can offer many layer variation, (base , obre, highlight layer can mix with map) .

then I hooe to know , what Is good way,, when I hope more variation about TailFull suface?   if I hope to change highlight and low light area , we may need to add  ,  hight light  >strength  map to controll highlight area,?    because, I feel  if AD  hope to change the effect area more flexible,

(AD did not say, hope to make picture which the product image show, we just imagine, and reply , but   AD say he hope to change tips only as example, we need to tweak those controll map, I think, or your product offer another variation preset (or textuers) to change  those map too ?

 

goldtassel

No worries fastbike1 i should have included instructions.  And I'm sorry kitakoredaz but I'm not sure I understand the question.  The highlights and lowlights can be achieved using the diffrent color shaders.  You select the material zone(s) you want to change in the surface tab to create diffrent looks.

kitakoredaz

what I think,  your shader can apply preset for each material zone,  then you offer many presets, then we can mix apply your preset about each surface group. 

but if we hope to modify one Tail surface group, (eg only top side of Tail color blue, but low tips of Tail  red middle are graduately change to blue, but not same as your preset graduation) ,  and hope to decide red area as I like,   I need to make map which can  controll area.  right? or your shader can adjust mask area, how color mix?  because I think if AD hope to know the way. 

goldtassel

Right now it only changes the material zone fully to the chosen shader color.  but if you just change certain areas you'll get the graduated effect :)

kitakoredaz

Thanks,,, then  I now understand, could learn,,  , most of 3d product hair UV is actually difficult to make controll map to use diffuse overray what as I like.

becaues  usually , hair UV may have many overwrap  area for different poligons, ,it usually not happen about other model. (dress or T shirt etc,,)

but  about hair,, may need to make UV along to texture.  then often overwrap  many parts. on same UV point. 

Even though I use 3d paint tool, and color only one surface group, as one UV set,,   I can not make good contoll map. because  when I color lower part as white, of some hair mesh,, it usually change upper or some another hair poligon color ..(it is already decided by vendor UV,, I could  not controll them^^;)

It is not complain, because I know it seems usuall way to make hair mat. or we need all poligon unwrap on to UV without any overwrap,,,relatively but  hair mesh is huge counts,, then it is not good way for hair. (I suppose so,,)

I think, I may need to new UV set for hair, with thinking how I color each part,.

AD

Thank you very much for your help and support. This has helped me very much and now I could make a picture like the promos. It's just an amazing hair, but I did not realize how to use it. Un-rendered looks the hair after the use of the shader quite differently than on the rendered Promo's, so I didn't see anything it looks like the promos at my working view. Also the link to the Ultimate Colors is very helpful. Thanks to all involved! But now all works perfect and it's so playful to work with all the different possibilities !!!
best regards

goldtassel

Your very welcome :) you can always write me at [email protected] if you need help.  For some reason i can't always get messages VIA Daz message system.

fastbike1

Wel, one lesson I learned is to just go ahead and do a quick (or spot) render to check the results of a change.

There are a number of things that the Studio implementation of OpenGL just can't handle, but that Iray shows nicely.

@AD: Nice render, i wouldn't have though of the three (four?) color blend.

@goldtassel: Devil May just jumped to the top pf my favorite hairs, (gently nudging aside Galene, Dragonfly, Dolly, Endless Summer, Careless Braid, well you get the picture).

AD

Thanks a lot to all for your help. And Devil May Hair is also my favorite hair - I love to play with it. And the hair looks everytime different. Thank you  for your amazing work Goldtassel.