Guides to Daz Studio

2

Comments

  • StratDragonStratDragon Posts: 3,167
    edited October 2013

    I agree with Paolo using Modo and giving you a a trail to at least attempt any tutorials in the book.
    Hexagon has not seen a viable update in years and it's notoriously unstable, just check the forums,. 3dmax, maya, zbrush are powerful but have steep price tags associated and they would be overkill for a demonstration, do they have demo versions ('m asking, I know they don't have student versions any longer) does Carerra have a demo, it's it a modeler specific to doing this kind of modeling? Blender is the red headed stepchild of 3D (what did this software do to anyone to deserve such a bad rep except NOT suck NOT not have a $1,000 price tag?) Blender is the Paul Giamatti of software.

    Modo was the software used to make V4, Modo was the software used to make Dawn (by the same former Daz employee if I'm not mistaken) it's the common denominator. If you can apply the lesson in Modo to your modeler of choice it makes perfect sense.

    Post edited by StratDragon on
  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 40,517
    edited October 2013

    ...true, but that doesn't mean everyone should have it if they want to learn modelling especially if it would put a real strain on one's budget.

    This whole idea of "you can't do serious work unless you shell out major zloty's" is something I've wrestled with ever since I became involved in this. I have come to realise through discussion with others that one has to do the best work one can with the tools one has available. If it means dealing with Hexagon's instability or Blender's seemingly incomprehensible UI, yes. As I mentioned I found a workaround that has helped make Hexagon more stable. It now rarely crashes or freezes up on me like it did in the past.

    No software is "bullet-proof", whether it costs 30$ or 3,000$.

    I stopped downloading demos of expensive software tools because I realise I could never afford them unless I won the weekly lotto (and yes I DL'd and played with the demo for Modo301 many years ago - agreed,, it is a nice programme but just priced beyond the means of my and many others' budgets).

    Does everyone who gets into 3D need to learn modelling and become a content creator? No. Modelling isn't for everyone as it requires a a certain mindset. That's why there are PAs who create and sell content in stores like here on the Daz site. It's not "laziness" that drives people to use purchased content. Some just don't have, or care to devote the extra time to learn the intricacies of modelling, rigging, UV mapping, and surfacing as this is a casual hobby for them. Others now and then may want of create a few props or a piece of clothing that isn't commercially available for their own use. These are the people who don't need an expensive software tool to accomplish their goals.

    Yes I agree that Hexagon is in serious need of updating. There is a thread here on the Hexagon forum calling for just that. I don't see it as a bad programme, just one that has been unfortunately and unjustly neglected.

    Oh, and as to Blender's rep. It's has nothing to do with the application's concept as it is the overly cryptic and poorly designed UI (which on its own presents a steep learning curve), which even Andrew Price (AKA: the "Blender Guru") has taken to task as being one of major reasons many shy away from it.

    Post edited by kyoto kid on
  • pcicconepciccone Posts: 661
    edited December 1969

    Thank you StratDragon.

    By the way, chapter 11, about modeling, is just one. The biggest portion of the book is dedicated to posing, lighting, morphing and all the other activities that are part of the day-by-day use of Studio.

    Yes, the book is intended for an audience that goes from beginner to intermediate. This is a collection of practical techniques and workflows to help the Studio user get her bearing and start using the program with fun and proficiency.

    The focus of the book is about explaining things so that people can understand the concepts and why the program works the way it does.

    I teach classes about some aspect of 3D every month. In my conversations with people on-line, often live, I saw that there is a need for good explanation of the foundations of 3D graphics. What is second nature for a pro can be mysterious for a beginner or intermediate user. The chapter about posing, for example, discusses how to go beyond the simple positioning of limbs and it shows how to add the finishing touches that create a natural-looking pose. Chapter 7, Navigating the Studio environment, gives a detailed explanation of the power of framing and how the focal length of the camera works, with clear examples of the way we can alter the camera perspective. That is valuable information that impacts the look of a scene.

    So, this is a didactic text that is meant to be a resource of techniques and information about Studio and 3D graphics in general. It contains twelve chapters, almost 380 pages of full spectrum discussion on the use of Studio 4.

    I hope that helps a bit understanding the nature and goals of The Complete Guide to DAZ Studio 4.

    Cheers.

  • Takeo.KenseiTakeo.Kensei Posts: 1,303
    edited October 2013

    I don't think the modeling application is that important when speaking of making contents for DS. What is important is to explain the concepts and workflow in order to bring contents inside DS. Some people will use blender, modo, maya, max, zbrush etc... but after modeling they will all do the same thing inside DS to make the content work

    And as for the choice of the model you create content for, Dawn is as good as any other. The same rules apply whatever character it is

    I agree to say that modo may not be the best choice as the modeling program for a guide which is aimed to beginners to intermediate. But I guess it"s the Author's modeler of choice. It's difficult to choose a modeler in that case. On the free side I could only think of blender as an alternative as it beeing the most popular. But the best choice could have been Houdini as it may be the only Pro modeling software that still has a Learning Edition. There is also Softimage XSI Mod Tool which is still available free at Valve Software even if Autodesk discontinued it after Softimage 2014 was out

    Post edited by Takeo.Kensei on
  • Fixme12Fixme12 Posts: 589
    edited October 2013

    - deleted, something went wrong with this post & my pc.

    Post edited by Fixme12 on
  • Fixme12Fixme12 Posts: 589
    edited December 1969

    Frank0314 said:
    An even bigger portion uses 3DSMax

    not for long anymore, autodesk wil stop updates february 2015 ;)

  • Fixme12Fixme12 Posts: 589
    edited December 1969

    Pret-A-3D said:
    Thank you StratDragon.

    By the way, chapter 11, about modeling, is just one. The biggest portion of the book is dedicated to posing, lighting, morphing and all the other activities that are part of the day-by-day use of Studio.

    Yes, the book is intended for an audience that goes from beginner to intermediate. This is a collection of practical techniques and workflows to help the Studio user get her bearing and start using the program with fun and proficiency.

    The focus of the book is about explaining things so that people can understand the concepts and why the program works the way it does.

    I teach classes about some aspect of 3D every month. In my conversations with people on-line, often live, I saw that there is a need for good explanation of the foundations of 3D graphics. What is second nature for a pro can be mysterious for a beginner or intermediate user. The chapter about posing, for example, discusses how to go beyond the simple positioning of limbs and it shows how to add the finishing touches that create a natural-looking pose. Chapter 7, Navigating the Studio environment, gives a detailed explanation of the power of framing and how the focal length of the camera works, with clear examples of the way we can alter the camera perspective. That is valuable information that impacts the look of a scene.

    So, this is a didactic text that is meant to be a resource of techniques and information about Studio and 3D graphics in general. It contains twelve chapters, almost 380 pages of full spectrum discussion on the use of Studio 4.

    I hope that helps a bit understanding the nature and goals of The Complete Guide to DAZ Studio 4.

    Cheers.

    i 've got the kindle version, and it's sure not a bad book! (for beginners there was all ready a book created before)
    i actually miss more intermediate & advanced things in the book.
    for me chapter 11 may be bigger in the book.
    i 've personally added a section in creating morphs with zbrush (as daz created GOZ for this reason), and apart about texture in zb or modo.

  • Proxima ShiningProxima Shining Posts: 969
    edited December 1969

    DAZ_jared said:
    We just finished up an 86 page user guide for DAZ Studio 4.6 that will be freely available. It is in the final stages of review and should be available by the beginning of November. This User Guide will be free of charge.

    :exclaim: :bug: :wow: :coolgrin:

  • StratDragonStratDragon Posts: 3,167
    edited December 1969

    DAZ_jared said:
    We just finished up an 86 page user guide for DAZ Studio 4.6 that will be freely available. It is in the final stages of review and should be available by the beginning of November. This User Guide will be free of charge.

    :exclaim: :bug: :wow: :coolgrin:

    I'm excited too, but not holding my breath excited.
    that would be silly.

  • SimonJMSimonJM Posts: 5,942
    edited December 1969

    I suspect, from the sound of it, Paolo's book would have been exactly what I wanted a few years back when I started using Daz Studio and that there are a lot of people to whom it will be an absolute god-send. The modelling aspect sounds interesting as it is a skill I'd lile to develop. As for the use of Modo - why not? I won't be buying a copy of Modo any time soon, but I am sure the principles remain the same, just as using Dawn as the target figure would not affect the quality of the description of the pricesses of what is needed.

    The official DAZ pdf will be grabbed (free is good!) and I hope it will cover some of the aspects of Daz Studio I have no real clue about.

    Good luck with your book, Paolo!

  • riftwitchriftwitch Posts: 1,404
    edited December 1969

    Kyoto Kid said:
    ...for some of us it's not a matter of content vs. an app, it's just that those prices are far too difficult to justify when on a very limited budget while there are RL expenses to deal with. Having a "wiz bang" modelling programme does little when you are barely keeping a roof over your head and food on the table. By the time I could save up enough for Zbrush or Modo, (I won't even consider something like 3DS given it's extremely high price tag) they most likely will have been updated at least once and probably cost even more as well as require additional hardware resources to support.

    My content purchasing has decreased over the past years as RL expenses have gone up where I live (particularly rent and transit), and has gone way, way down since I lost my job this past spring. About the only 3D purchases I can afford these days is are PC items, something I've wishlisted turning up on the Fastgrab, or content that is otherwise deeply discounted and/or which qualifies for my monthly PC coupon. As of late, most of this tends to be "utility" content like special morphs, shaders and light systems unique to Daz Studio (which cannot be modelled) rather than clothing, hair, sets, or props.

    I agree wholeheartedly. I've really been enjoying this hobby (that's what it is for me, at least), but real world needs and responsibilities have to take precedence. Sometime in the next few months, my employer is shutting down the facility where I work, and there's a good chance that my next job won't be paying nearly as much as my current one. My buying content is going to have to be severely curtailed. Anything I can learn to make, I will. But not with a modeler I have to spend a lot of money on. No matter how good the program may be, it won't do me any good if I can't afford to buy it in the first place. For the foreseeable future, I'm learning how to make stuff in Hexagon. Maybe Blender, too, but there's always the problem of deciding how much time to devote to one program if I'm not spending that time learning more about another one.

    It seems that real life interferes with all the fun stuff, but the bottom line is, a guy's gotta eat.

  • MattymanxMattymanx Posts: 6,878
    edited December 1969

    It should not matter really what modeling program is used in the book. Just because Hexagon and Carrara are owned by DAZ3D does not mean they sould be used or need to be used in content creation. What you should gain from the modeling section of the book, not that I have seen it, is an idea of what you can do with the mesh more so then the specific steps taken in the program to do them. All modeling programs share the basics for mesh editing so its just a matter of thinking it through via the program of your choice. If you are new to modeling then you may need to spend a bit more time with written and video tutorials geared to learning the application and its tools before tackeling a large project like making clothes so that you dont get yourself overwelmed trying to translate between two programs.

  • KeryaKerya Posts: 10,943
    edited December 1969

    DAZ_jared said:
    So here is a sneak peak from the up coming User Guide for DAZ Studio:

    Knowledge Base Article: https://helpdaz.zendesk.com/entries/22468709-DAZ-Studio-User-Guide-Sneak-Peak-Lighting

    Direct PDF Download: https://helpdaz.zendesk.com/attachments/token/c6orzkakfv9pxdn/?name=DAZ+Studio+User+Guide+Sneak+Peak.pdf

    Just so there is no confusion, the User Guide isn't a Knowledge Base article, it is an actual .pdf manual. Some of the hyperlinks in the text may not work since they refer to other chapters in the document that aren't included in the sneak peak.

    Oooooh! Squeeeeeee!
    A User guide!

  • BarubaryBarubary Posts: 1,200
    edited October 2013

    OK, I gotta ask: is the User Guide for DAZ Studio the Mega Price for the PC sale? Because that does indeed seem big enough :D

    Post edited by Barubary on
  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 96,219
    edited December 1969

    Barubary said:
    OK, I gotta ask: is the User Guide for DAZ Studio the Mega Price for the PC sale? Because that does indeed seem big enough :D

    Didn't Jared say it would be free?

  • pcicconepciccone Posts: 661
    edited December 1969

    SimonJM said:

    Good luck with your book, Paolo!

    Thank you Simon. And yes, this is exactly the book that I wish I had when I started.

    Cheers.

  • Takeo.KenseiTakeo.Kensei Posts: 1,303
    edited December 1969

    fixme12 said:
    Frank0314 said:
    An even bigger portion uses 3DSMax

    not for long anymore, autodesk wil stop updates february 2015 ;)

    I think you're mistaken. I don't see them killing one of their major Apps like that. Isn't it rather their strategy to get customers from old buying strategy to subscription system? => http://www.cgchannel.com/2013/10/autodesk-to-discontinue-software-upgrades/

  • RAMWolffRAMWolff Posts: 10,142
    edited October 2013

    Never mind..

    Post edited by RAMWolff on
  • frank0314frank0314 Posts: 13,189
    edited December 1969

    fixme12 said:
    Frank0314 said:
    An even bigger portion uses 3DSMax

    not for long anymore, autodesk wil stop updates february 2015 ;)

    They are going to a cloud service like Adobe is going to, so it won't be stopped. You pay a monthly fee and can get updates forever.

  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 40,517
    edited December 1969

    Mattymanx said:
    It should not matter really what modeling program is used in the book. Just because Hexagon and Carrara are owned by DAZ3D does not mean they sould be used or need to be used in content creation. What you should gain from the modeling section of the book, not that I have seen it, is an idea of what you can do with the mesh more so then the specific steps taken in the program to do them. All modeling programs share the basics for mesh editing so its just a matter of thinking it through via the program of your choice. If you are new to modeling then you may need to spend a bit more time with written and video tutorials geared to learning the application and its tools before tackeling a large project like making clothes so that you dont get yourself overwelmed trying to translate between two programs.

    ...exactly my point why using a 30 day demo is not enough time for most people who have other responsibilities. There should at least be mention of these concepts working in other more affordable (and more intuitive) modelling software like Hexagon, Wings, and Silo if this is targeted to newcomers.
  • StratDragonStratDragon Posts: 3,167
    edited October 2013

    The book is The Complete Guide to Daz Studio, not The Complete Guide to Model Content For Use In Daz Studio. 30 days is long enough for a reader to perform the necessary steps in the modeler provided and apply it to the modeler of their choice with software that has an historic connection to these models, in fact if someone was fluent in the modeler of their choice they could probably perform the steps applied to their modeler without having to install Modo. As intuitive as Hex may be some users 3dpipeline it's an unstable trainwreck of long forgotten zombieware in the real world.

    this is sado-equestri necrophilia thus far.

    Post edited by StratDragon on
  • Fixme12Fixme12 Posts: 589
    edited October 2013

    fixme12 said:
    Frank0314 said:
    An even bigger portion uses 3DSMax

    not for long anymore, autodesk wil stop updates february 2015 ;)

    I think you're mistaken. I don't see them killing one of their major Apps like that. Isn't it rather their strategy to get customers from old buying strategy to subscription system? => http://www.cgchannel.com/2013/10/autodesk-to-discontinue-software-upgrades/

    that's for many, what the end of software is = subscription systems.
    that also means the end of Adobe and soon Autodesk.

    you have to be nuts, paying $50 or €60 a month to use just software.

    no thx, then it's long live opensource "Welcome Blender".

    Post edited by Fixme12 on
  • LeatherGryphonLeatherGryphon Posts: 11,139
    edited October 2013

    anikad said:
    Does anyone know of any guides to Daz Studio other than the official guide: figures, characters and avatars? Thanks. I've got a couple of Dreamlight's videos but I really prefer reading and I'm not a fan of the unfinished wiki.

    It's been my observation that "wiki" is unfinished by definition. So in that respect they're right on target! 8-0

    My opinion is that a wiki is the absolute worst way to document a product like this. It may eventually tell you how to start and stop the application but everything else in the middle is anybody's guess.

    I've kvetched about lack of accurate documentation for years. So much so that I wore out that part of my brain. If you're waiting for real documentation don't hold your breath, the target moves so fast that nobody could keep up with it. We've all pretty much learned to fly by the seat of our pants and cry in our beer at commiseration parties while trading pointers to tidbits of info.

    Post edited by LeatherGryphon on
  • anikadanikad Posts: 1,919
    edited December 1969

    anikad said:
    Does anyone know of any guides to Daz Studio other than the official guide: figures, characters and avatars? Thanks. I've got a couple of Dreamlight's videos but I really prefer reading and I'm not a fan of the unfinished wiki.

    It's been my observation that "wiki" is unfinished by definition. So in that respect they're right on target! 8-0

    My opinion is that a wiki is the absolute worst way to document a product like this. It may eventually tell you how to start and stop the application but everything else in the middle is anybody's guess.

    I've kvetched about lack of accurate documentation for years. So much so that I wore out that part of my brain. If you're waiting for real documentation don't hold your breath, the target moves so fast that nobody could keep up with it. We've all pretty much learned to fly by the seat of our pants and cry in our beer at commiseration parties while trading pointers to tidbits of info.

    Daz_jared said up-thread that there is a userguide (pdf version available) due in November. Even gave us a sneak peak.

    So here is a sneak peek from the up coming User Guide for DAZ Studio:

    Knowledge Base Article: https://helpdaz.zendesk.com/entries/22468709-DAZ-Studio-User-Guide-Sneak-Peak-Lighting

    Direct PDF Download: https://helpdaz.zendesk.com/attachments/token/c6orzkakfv9pxdn/?name=DAZ+Studio+User+Guide+Sneak+Peak.pdf

    Just so there is no confusion, the User Guide isn't a Knowledge Base article, it is an actual .pdf manual. Some of the hyperlinks in the text may not work since they refer to other chapters in the document that aren't included in the sneak peak.

  • CybersoxCybersox Posts: 8,745
    edited December 1969

    As an FYI, I picked up a Kindle version of "The Complete Guide to DAZ Studio 4." To prevent redundancy and thread bloat, I left a brief summary here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/30648/P15/#455377

  • robkelkrobkelk Posts: 3,259
    edited December 1969

    DAZ_jared said:
    So here is a sneak peek from the up coming User Guide for DAZ Studio:

    Knowledge Base Article: https://helpdaz.zendesk.com/entries/22468709-DAZ-Studio-User-Guide-Sneak-Peak-Lighting

    Direct PDF Download: https://helpdaz.zendesk.com/attachments/token/c6orzkakfv9pxdn/?name=DAZ+Studio+User+Guide+Sneak+Peak.pdf

    Just so there is no confusion, the User Guide isn't a Knowledge Base article, it is an actual .pdf manual. Some of the hyperlinks in the text may not work since they refer to other chapters in the document that aren't included in the sneak peak.


    Oh, very nice! I noticed a few things in there that I didn't know previously.

    But please get somebody who wasn't part of the writing team to proofread the text - you've got more than a few sentence fragments in there.

  • CybersoxCybersox Posts: 8,745
    edited December 1969

    robkelk said:
    DAZ_jared said:
    So here is a sneak peek from the up coming User Guide for DAZ Studio:

    Knowledge Base Article: https://helpdaz.zendesk.com/entries/22468709-DAZ-Studio-User-Guide-Sneak-Peak-Lighting

    Direct PDF Download: https://helpdaz.zendesk.com/attachments/token/c6orzkakfv9pxdn/?name=DAZ+Studio+User+Guide+Sneak+Peak.pdf

    Just so there is no confusion, the User Guide isn't a Knowledge Base article, it is an actual .pdf manual. Some of the hyperlinks in the text may not work since they refer to other chapters in the document that aren't included in the sneak peak.


    Oh, very nice! I noticed a few things in there that I didn't know previously.

    But please get somebody who wasn't part of the writing team to proofread the text - you've got more than a few sentence fragments in there.
    Or at least have someone go through it backwards, one line at a time. That's how many professional copy editors work, as it keeps the brain from "filling in" information from previous sentences.

  • LeatherGryphonLeatherGryphon Posts: 11,139
    edited December 1969

    anikad said:
    ...

    Daz_jared said up-thread that there is a userguide (pdf version available) due in November. Even gave us a sneak peak.

    ...

    Ah... soon! :-s

  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 40,517
    edited October 2013

    The book is The Complete Guide to Daz Studio, not The Complete Guide to Model Content For Use In Daz Studio. 30 days is long enough for a reader to perform the necessary steps in the modeler provided and apply it to the modeler of their choice with software that has an historic connection to these models, in fact if someone was fluent in the modeler of their choice they could probably perform the steps applied to their modeler without having to install Modo. As intuitive as Hex may be some users 3dpipeline it's an unstable trainwreck of long forgotten zombieware in the real world.

    this is sado-equestri necrophilia thus far.


    ...to be able to deal with thickness and back facing polys, (required for producing clean clothing meshes that can be rigged with the CCTs) no, it is not that "easy" especially if you have other time commitments that get in thew way. Keep in mind the average new user .who probably has family and other responsibilities that vie with one's free time, 30 days is not enough to get to the point of being able to design and build clothing meshes that can be sent to Daz Studio to properly rig.
    Post edited by kyoto kid on
  • BarubaryBarubary Posts: 1,200
    edited December 1969

    Barubary said:
    OK, I gotta ask: is the User Guide for DAZ Studio the Mega Price for the PC sale? Because that does indeed seem big enough :D

    Didn't Jared say it would be free?

    He did. I was just kidding because, you know, DAZ and manuals... :D

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