Anagenesis????
Choppski
Posts: 439
in The Commons
So I bought a product that has material presets for anagenessis and I have no idea what that is? Is this a different version of materials for iray? do I need a plugin or other software to use it?
Daz 3D is part of 
Connect
DAZ Productions, Inc.
224 S 200 W, Suite #250
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Licensing Agreement | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | EULA
© 2024 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
This perhaps.
https://www.daz3d.com/n-g-s-anagenessis-for-genesis-3
You probably don't need anything else. If the product states that it uses Anagenessis shader presets, then they are already part of the materials. Anagenessis (NGS2) is a script that adjusts material settings and textures. You can buy the script and apply it yourself. Some PAs include skin with the NGS2 presets already applied. That's probably what you are looking at.
What product was it?
To pick a random example, Satine in the store here had Anagenesis 2 presets, which required the Anagenesis 2 product. I believe the product comes with an additional map, which was used and would make the product required, but I am not sure of the details on that.
*If you already have the product though, you can see when you try to apply it whether it gives you an error that it is missing a texture map.
IIRC it's the micropore texture map.
Ok but it is for use in iray I presume?
Yes it is for Iray
NGS2 can be used as a merchant resource, and therefore should not be required for the buyer of any character using this resource.
This is from the NGS2 store page: "N.G.S. 2 appeals to both amateurs and professionals, since it can be used as a Merchant Resource."
So you should not need to own NGS2 in order to use the character. The specific texture that NGS2 uses is actually a microbump noise map. You can create noise maps with just about any 2d editing application, so if you really need it, you can make your own (but I don't believe that is the case.) That is not to take anything away for NGS2, it does its "magic" with more than just a microbump. It is an amazing little shader that can be used on all Daz models, and actually everything since it has a bonus manual apply feature. That means you can take pretty much anything with a skin like texture and apply NGS2 to it, even non-Daz models imported from other apps. Its really quite cool, and I'd recommend buying it anyway. And yes, it is only for Iray. It's primary purpose is to convert materials for Iray or look better in Iray.
What makes this different and/or better than the regular skin textures? I find it hard to look at in the unrendered view screen. It's flat and I can't see the character's features, so for me, it's a bit annoying on my eyes. The fully rendered characters look great. So, I'm just wondering what this actually does for the characters.
Produces a great look, at least I feel so. I'm not an ardent fan of the dual lobe look that is being used. Figures look great, but do they look better? That is down to personal opinions and what look one is going for.
I pretty much only use this product; I convert anything I buy to this, as well as any of my own I create; one advantage for Iray is that it uses far fewer textures; I tend to add normal maps and SSS maps I crete myself, although for distance shots the normal are often not required.
... The result is more figures (or other items in the scene).
I think it can look good but usng it changes and removes intended color the pa adds to other channels such as diffuse. I’m told you can change that but I’ve never been successful at reproducing the look I want back to a skin after this product removes that. So I only use this product I don’t mind looking different than the pa intended.
Of course skins designed using this product look great. But I don’t want the tan stripped away from characters I want to remain tan or for whom I liked the original color.
I think you answered your own question ..... "The fully rendered characters look great.".
Seriously though, in addition to what nicstt noted, Anagenesis 2 (the only one I have) uses only the diffuse texture maps of the character, and one micro-pore texture. Where this makes a significant improvement compared to how the maps had been set up for Iray is in the skin details (not quite so true with most G8 dual lobe setups). The diffuse is used for translucency color (as well as other nodes/channels, I don't want to give away the whole "recipe" here) which brings back the skin texture map details that the typical translucency set-ups wash out. Thus brining back the details that the the skin should have (if they are in the original texture set). The only real downsides I see to using Anagenesis 2 (other than the odd look of it in the the texture shaded view-port) is it doesn't use the bump or normal map that comes with the character which may be an issue (can easily be added back though), and it will bring out "errors" in the original texture map (splotches, red legs syndrome, etc.)
As Serene Night notes, using Anagenesis can change skin color a bit. This may be a big issue for some people. I don't mind it though, because I almost always modify skin setting anyway. So if I want something closer to the original color, I've spent enough time modifying the various secondary colors, that it isn't a big deal to quickly modify the default Anagenesis colors to what I want (and yes, I do almost always modify what Anagenesis gives me, just like I do with what the original artist gave me). So, if your not used to making these changes, and/or you want the skin color to look exactly the same as the original, then Anagenesis might not give you what you want.
For me, Anagenesis sets things up more the way I do it in Octane, so I will typically use it on G3F and earlier characters, and on G8F characters without a dual-lobed shader set-up. As always, YMMV.