Upgrading from 4.9 pro to later versions 4.12 what to think about?
michaeli65_7b44463dff
Posts: 12
Hi,
Maybe time to upgrade my free version of 4.9 pro to 4.12 pro.
But I have concerns about content and the interchange with Lightwave.
So you guys experienced with Lightwave and also blender...any warnings of the fbx not working properly in 4.12 which otherwise works in 4.9?
And content warnings..or some figures not working properly?
And also..new benefits if you can hint on it briefly.
Also...if possible to revert back to 4.9 and how to go about to do that.
Many thanks.
Michael aka prometheus/on newtek forums.
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Comments
Anything that works in 4.9 ought to still work in 4.12 — although if you use the Content Database/Smart Content, you should back up any user data you might have in the database.
This is only possible if you still have a 4.9 installer. Also installers for all your plugins that are version-specific (plugins that work in 4.9 won't work in 4.12, and vice-versa).
Hey Prom,
Yes it is time. Fear not. Jump in, the water's fine. 4.12 made a lot of things, although not 100%, work with FBX in Lightwave. Mostly the way FBX instists on creating new nulls for EVERYTHING & that trips up the hierarchy on some structures that I haven't figured out the rhyme nor reason yet.
That being said, OBJ's are still really the way to go for sets & other non character assets. Just gives you the most options; you'll be doing the same surfacing tasks anyway. Most obj's can be imported into Modeler as separate, named layers if you turn the Ob One layer option Off.
There'll be some older DAZ/Poser assets that might not have their meta data updated making them a bit fiddly finding in DS but for the most part no issues.
I've made no secrets whenever I can on the Fourms about how I feel about DS's hideous UI, but <gasp> there have been some improvements with 4.12.
No proper, searchable documentation in human English of course, just Techno-ese, and of course trying to search the Forums themselves is Sisyphusian to say the least. Use Google advanced or just post a new question even though it's probably been asked 189 time before.
Can't really revert back but you could leave your older 4.9 version installed I believe; just make sure to install 4.12 in a new folder & that you've got your paths in the DIM set properly.
Ma3rk
You can always try the beta instead of upgrading. The beta does not over write nor interfere with the full release at all. Currently, the beta has a couple extra things the full release doesn't even have yet.
It also possible to install Daz to different locations, keeping your old one safe. Rename your old Daz folder location to be safe. If you have any concerns about this, just try the beta.
I noticed some differences (but this already since 4.10).
I had a set where I needed Render-SubD = 5 to get the necessary surface structure details. In 4.9.2.70 iRay rendered everything fine, but with 4.10 the details are gone in the iRay render and the log-file shows a phrase like "mesch causing too much geometry, ...SubD set to 2."
And of cause you need a new nVidia driver.
Thank´s Doc Acme
The issue however is if the FBX export and then import changed from 4.9 to 4.12 ..you only said it doesn´t work 100%..but that was also the case with 4.9 ..so the question still remains there wether or not there is a difference.
Obj, sure...but I rarely just export assets from Daz..at leas not previously, and obj of for character export..not if not necessary, I prefer fbx with animation and rig intact..but I also understand it doesn´t work with all characters and morps properly.
I think I tried to install an upgrade, but got isses with a requester that the older one needed to be removed..and I do not think there was an option to install to a different location to override that, not sure though.
Thank´s outrider, I will actually just try the Beta first, will also just take a copy backup and store on external drives for the content..if that is enough.
Sorry,
but it does.
Cause for iRay you need a new driver, so you're not able to start iRay render in 4.9 anymore. The iRay engine is overwritten as are the the c* (c++, c# respectively) libs on the windows system drive.
The Iray files are part of the DS instalaltion and are not overwritten in the General Release version by the Public Build or vice versa.
I'm assuming we're just talking static models & not animation. It depends then on what you're exporting using FBX. For most sets, props, etc, OBJ is really the quicker, simpler, overall better route. The ONLY reason really for using FBX is if you need weight maps & morphs. I do use it to export just cameras, but then it's still a process as ALL of your cameras get renamed, reparented & changed to 640x480, 35mm. They're only positioned & rotated.
Differences? For a rigged, clothed character, I get workable results with 4.12; with 4.9 I got nothing but aggrevation. I pose the figure in DS with the general stance & expression I want then export. When I open the resulting FBX in LW, I can work with it from the get-go w/o having to do a bunch of reparenting first. The pose is retained, but I still can fine tune in the LW scene with the FK rigging & the wardrobe responds as well. That's because FBX exports the wt. mapping & morphs so I can still tweek expressions too.
But, I've taken that further in LW though by completely stripping out the FBX rig & replacing with a RHiggit rig, with some help from 3rd Powers Weight Paints tool. So now, I've a character with a switchable FK/IK rig (I don't know if you can even do that in Daz), & with selective morphs, that actually started life in Poser, was brought into DS, & is now reincarnated in LW.
Yes, an upgrade installation of the release version of the program will overwrite the old release version of the program. What you can do is leave your old release version alone, and install a newer beta version alongside it. The two will not interfere with each other. This can only be done through DIM.
How were you installing, with DIM or a standalone downloaded installer? I don't use DIM, but it does let you set various locations for program installation, content download, content installation, database storage, etc. The separate installer also lets you set where the program goes.
I have to say that for some reason I have to stay with 4.9.2. Already the installation of the 4.10 beta and the corresponding iRay driver caused 4.9. to stop the abilitity of iray render.
So what on your "non overwrite" argument is wrong?
If you install a new DAZ version, the installation wizard clearly states to overwrite the necessary c* (c++, c# respectively) libs on the system drive.
When ever I progress to a higher version, I promise to send you the corresponding screen print.
The Iray .dll files are in the Daz Studio application folder - which is separate for each version. If you update the driver that might cause issues, though it's the first I've heard of such a thing.
If you're on a Mac, don't let the installer overwrite 4.9. the release version of 4.12 can't import .objs any more (actually, that broke after 4.10.)
There are issues in Catalina, certainly, but the Public Build has addressed at least the main one with the file dialogues as far as I know.
A few third party scripts that I acquired worked well up to DS 4.11 and below, lost functionality in 4.12 so if you have scripts that you like, you made need to make sure you keep previous versions of DS installed to continue using them.