Why do YOU use DS instead of something else?

mmkdaz

content, ease-of-use, free, bridges

bikdingle

I started in Poser but like others soon found that V4/M4 had reached their limits and G3/G8 had moved beyond.  So I switched over, took a short time to bring myself up to speed and here I still am.  I don't see any need to learn other software because I can still do what I want to do, which is make art.

kimh

My name is Kim and I am a Daz junkie

Seriously, Daz made it easy to learn

Back in November 2009, I watched my then boyfriend now hubby, play with the 3D models in this thing he called Daz. I was fascinated so he gave me the link to the site with a chuckle and a warning that like any good drug, the first taste is free. He was right. I started with the free version and free models and assets. But soon I found myself eyeing the $1.99 Platinum club items. Well $2.00 isn't so bad so the PC club was worth the investment. At first it was monthly and then yearly. Then, the Pro version had extra tools and look it's on Sale (back when you had to buy it) and so it began

11 years later, I am still here. I've learned the tool and although I wouldn't classify myself as an expert or even beyond mediocre, I can navigate my way around and can create adequate renders. I am always striving to perfect them, devouring many tricks and tips. I don't have the fastest PC and sometimes it takes days to get a render to my satisfaction but I still enjoy it. I have Carrara and Bryce and Hexagon and Poser 11 but I don't spend nearly the time on them (read barely any) to learn my way around

The important thing is I am having fun and I can at least impress my family (including the hubby) with my skills

MelissaGT

I started with DS and have no interest in moving to anything else. I only do stills, and I think there isn't much of a ceiling as to what can be done in terms of still artwork so why move to something else? If I were sculpting my own custom figures and doing portrait stills of just those characters, I can see using other things, but for whole story-driven background-foreground-subject pieces, I love DS, and I think a good number of folks don't give it enough credit. DS is just like any other tool...it's only as good and as strong as the one who wields it. What I do resent is being lumped in with the "it's only a paper doll dress-up game" crowd...because it can be and is so much more than that. 

kyoto kid

...well said.

A major part of being in this for myself relates to the fact I used to paint in watercolour and oils which due to worsening arthritis I no longer can do.  While the primary reason was for RPG character & setting as well as story illustration, I also enjoy just creating works at like I did when could still sit at a canvas on an easel or watercolour paper and deftly manipulate a brush for hours.  I approach pretty much all my scenes wither as I would as if I was still painting or using a camera (replacing the old 35mm film camera kit I have with comparable digital gear is beyond my budget these days). 

For rendering I use both Iray and 3DL as they each have their own strengths (though with new tools for 3DL like IBL Master and the AweShader system, it can approach a very stunning level of realism as well that reminds me of the "photorealism school" of painting).  I do like Carrara's render engine (as well as it's ability to do network rendering and it's material building system) but without a true bridge between it and Daz, importing my custom designed characters over is, to say the least, disappointing as most of the resource utilities I use do not transfer over very well or at all.  I also considered Octane because of it's out of core rendering until Otoy went full subscription. I haven't looked into Filament yet (haven't installed 4.14) but from what I gather, it is a viewport based render engine which seems more suitable for animation than single frame rendering and it would be yet another learning curve to throw onto an already overloaded plate (currently in the thick of learning modelling in Blender).

Zylox

I know the OP said reasons other than price, but for me price is a major factor. I have three main reasons I use DAZ Studio:

1 - Free.

2 - Easy to learn the basics and use.

3 - Genesis figures.

Basically I am cheap, lazy, and like Genesis 1 & 3.

kyoto kid

..yeah, Genesis 1 has a number of toon characters available including a "rebooted" Sadie and Sam as well as some other nice toon characters by 3DU, Smay, and others.

I also have Dario Fish's alien morphs for Genesis 1 as well (for some reason those skipped being updated to G3).  

atlasv

Ease-of-use, I've already spent a ton of money so I may as well stick with it. Also, I'm not skilled enough to make my own content!

TheMysteryIsThePoint

Daz represents an unbeatable value for character creation: the quality for what you pay is unriveled. The same is true for the best PAs like, say,  Stonemason. Go to Turbosquid or a similar site and search for something of the same detail... the sticker shock will stun you.

kyoto kid

..yeah got an email from CG Trader and even with their black friday discounts, prices for anything decent are ridiculous. Did find a really nice 1960s 23 window VW bus, but even on sale it was something like 35$.

Add to that the issue of format compatibility, pretty much leaving you with ,obj content which often has no rigging and reduces the selection of items

Robinson

There's no better content store for 3d characters and clothes anywhere else.