Gallery 'Etiquette'
billyrosco
Posts: 56
Does anyone else feel uncomfortable asking what assets or techniques are used in images posted to the site Gallery? There are often very good pieces I see that have items, clothing, props, hair, makeup effects, scenery, and other things that I'm not able to identify, but definitely would like to use for my own subjects. However, I feel reluctant to ask what is being used, as if I'm asking for 'trade secrets' or something, when in reality, I don't want to compete with others, I just want to improve my own creations.
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Comments
I get notes on a daily basis asking me about my post-work on DA, and I don't mind one bit. I find very little to be "trade secret", and while I do have those things that I've refined just for me, even with those I'm happy to talk about at a high level.
In my experience, most artists are just excited to talk about their craft, and would welcome such interest. If they don't, I guess just don't push the matter lol
As an artist I have always been happy to let someone know what resources or techniques I'm using in any particular image. I'm not interested in keeping secrets. I'm just glad people like my work to ask what goes into it. When I have asked others about the resources usedin other people's work I am always polite and try not to take up too much of their time.
I've seen more artists being reluctant to say what they used, than those who are eager to identify products. Here in the forums, I've seen people being quick to shut down others who complain about PAs not listing promo products. But I've also seen people in these forums who are very eager to identify products too. Still, I can't help but feel uncomfortable about asking because I can't tell how others will react to these questions.
I try to list what I use in my renders, because I assume others just want assets that would look great in their projects too.
Nothing wrong with asking as long as it's polite and not all the time on every image, that would get old fast, especially if the artist is one that doesn't usually ask and finds things on their own and wonders why the one asking doesn't do the same. I have a friend on DA that stopped replying to comments because a few users became really annoying asking for help with substance painter and maya on evey image they posted.it seemed.
I have helped quite a few on the forums find items and have no problem with it. But I am less inclined to help if the same user keeps asking over and over again.
I think you're mischaracterizing the situation. What I see get shut down is the insistence that PAs should be required to list all their assets.
Usually, it's the non-PA artists who refuse to answer asset questions but I've seen that more on DA and other sites. I see the other user questions unanswered, which lets me know not to bother asking.
I mentioned these threads as an example because they sometimes make me less inclined to ask about items. The OP's question was asking about personal opinion.
It just comes off that it's "more polite" not to ask at all.
This isn't DA or ArtStation. The gallery here is provided as a showcase for Daz products. I tend to list the assets I use, because I always hit the Daz Deals gallery links to see how stuff has been used by other people in their renders, and a lot of PAs like to see how their products are used.
If you're curious, you'll probably get an answer as quickly here on the forums as waiting for the person posting the image to read it and reply, or not.
a promo is a bit different to a render on an art site in that it is actually made to sell product so people are going to be looking what's used.
people constantly asking me what music I used in my videos and worse chastising me for not saying annoy me no end as often they are YouTube audioswaps I did and I didn't even take note of the title or artist, just added something after the fact without much thought as it was a silent video.
When I post images here, I always try to list as many items as possible that I used for the simple reason that I think it is polite to acknowledge the PA who created those items. As mentioned above, the Daz Deals add-on allows people to see how those items have been used, and possibly encourage further sales for the PA.
I can't see why anyone would want to keep the items they used a secret if asked, but then again I don't do this for a living so I can afford the time to answer such questions.
I don't think people asking what products are used, ask to "copy" what the other person did. I think they ask because they like the use of an asset and they either already have an idea that would work well with that asset or they like that asset enough to be sure they will want to use it in the future.
I am very happy when people link what they used in their gallery posting especially because of the Daz Deals links.
I actually almost never enter the gallery just to look at renders but when I look at a product, I like to see how it was used/it can be used.
Sometimes promo images are lacking and Gallery items could look good enough to convince you a product is looking nice, or versatile enough for what you need.
I got a bit off track here :).
In answer to the question I think there is nothing wrong in asking, in a polite way, of course, what this or that product is. Asking what are all the products used in a render would be a little weird and might or might not get answered.
I feel that most artists will respond. I see little sense in posting your work in the gallery if you don't want to engage with the people that are viewing it and especially admiring it. Because liking a part of their work enough to ask what product it is is a form of admiration for what they did there.
No, I ask sometimes & get asked sometimes (for more details as I include the product list I used) I'll even ask if they mind sharing a scene. So what? If it was really something that planned to make money off of it wouldn't be in the DAZ Gallery to begin with probably.
A lot of folk do post processing too and they'll say what they did sometimes if you ask.
In the DAZ Gallery, they sometimes answer and sometimes not.
I do ask and usually get answers. If I get questions, I try to answer to the best of my abillities and I don't mind at all. Still, I often don't list the detailed products I use since I kitbash a lot and then its just a PITA to suqirrel through everything and find what its called in the shop.
The communication in the gallery is a bit difficult so I add most pictures to my artthread as well and I can explain in detail there (or on dA)
I usually don't mind asking people, and they don't usually mind helping. I know myself, I'll answer any questions anyone has, anytime. I've found most people, artists and vendors alike, to be very helpful and forthcoming with answering anything I've asked. Some of them really go above and beyond. Mousso, for example, not only answered my question, but went MUCH farther to help me out than I would have EVER expected from anyone, and I can't thank her enough for that. I've actually bought a LOT more of her items because of that, just to show my appreciation.
Whenever I have asked in the comments what product was used, the artist evetually answered. Sometime is take a few days. Would certainly be easier to just use the drop down and list the items. Maybe leaving it off, generates more comments.
I have never seen anybody get shut down for asking; not here on the DAZ forums.
This is probably what's really happening.
Somebody should create a plug-in that will pull the product names out of a DAZ scene file and produce a copy-pastable text of them. I'll bet a lot of people would be willing to pay for something like that!
Hey, I was just reading about 5 seconds ago, a great idea: Somebody should make a plug-in to do this automatically. Wow, the deja vu!
The problem with that is lots of products are from other stores, so it would either need to ignore non here products or list other stores files too.
well you cannot see what is gone
Give an option to manually name "unknown product", then keep it in a locally-installed database for future autmatic use.
What are you saying?
If we told you, we'd have to kill you.
I list the freebies & Rendo & fomer CP products when I use them, I don't try not to use them but with Smart Content well DAZ 3D products are more visible to me. I'd need to manually add all that to Smart Content which I should and will do (eventually). When I list those non-DAZ 3D product, they don't link to those stores and the exact naming of the product listed might not be exactly what it's called at the remote store.