LoRenzo posing question ... Now create lowrez MA/V4 & turning figures into props

WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,724
edited July 2016 in The Commons

Is there a way to easily replace a dressed, posed M4 with a LoRenzo figure then transfer the clothes to him so I can delete the M4 figure?

Post edited by WillowRaven on

Comments

  • HavosHavos Posts: 5,294

    Could you not try and use the low res version of M4? There is a low res obj file for M4 stored in:

    Runtime\geometries\DAZPeople\blMilMan_m4b_LOD

    The 1K, 2K and 4K versions all have less polys than Lorenzo.

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,724

    oh ... ok ... didn't know there was a low rez m4, lol ... will have to have a look-see to see if I can find it. Thanks :D

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,724

    Havos,

    If I can't find it, will reinstalling m4 work? Is it safe to assume there is also a low rez v4, too?

  • HavosHavos Posts: 5,294

    there is a low res V4 as well, in the same place, except the blMilMan_m4b_LOD should say blMilWom_v4b_LOD

    The low res obj files come with the base version, so you should have them. Where are you looking? You will not see them in DS as they are only obj files. You need to copy M4's CR2 file, and replace the references to his obj in the copy with the low res obj file. I do not know why they do not include CR2 files for the low rez versions.

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,724

    Found it in a search. So ... How do I replace references?

     

  • Pack58Pack58 Posts: 750

    Which would be fun if content that old had been DRMed.

  • HavosHavos Posts: 5,294

    All you need to do this is a text editor, here are the steps:

    1) Locate Michael 4.cr2, it will be in you runtime under Runtime\libraries\Character\DAZPeople

    2) Copy this file and then rename, I called mine: Michael 4 LOD 4K.cr2, but you can use any name.

    3) Open the new CR2 file in a text editor and replace the following:

    :Runtime:Geometries:DAZPeople:blMilMan_m4b.obj

    with

    :Runtime:Geometries:DAZPeople:blMilMan_m4b_LOD:M4_LOD_4K.obj  

    (Note you can also replace with 1K, 2K or 17K versions)

    there should be 2 occuriences of that text in the file to replace.

    4) Save the file, and then open the new CR2 under Poser formats in DS.

    If everything is correct it should work. Below I have included a 4K poly M4, which is the most similiar in polys to Lorenzo. If you look at the feet, you will see the toes are pretty much gone in the low res version.

     

     

    M4 4K.jpg
    2048 x 2048 - 170K
  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,724

    OK, I'll give it a try. So the low rez v4/m4 uses the same poses as regular v4/m4? If so, that will come in handy. I can c/p the current pose onto the new figure and just replace them where they are. Right? 

    Thanks for this, btw. 

  • HavosHavos Posts: 5,294

    Yes, it should work with all your M4 poses, though I am not sure if M4's morphs will load (I suspect they will not). Likewise all M4's textures should work fine as well, but remember you will need to use lower resolution textures, (or better remove the textures and put a skin colored tone on the surfaces), otherwise your memory saving will be much smaller.

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,724

    Thanks, again.

    What gets me is I've been working with gen 4 figures since DS3 and NO ONE has ever mentioned or explained this. The solution has always been Lorenzo or Loretta. But my scene has so many figures in it that needed believable poses (even at a distance) and to be able to easily wear m4 clothes I HAD to find a solution.

    If my scene ever actually opens (It's been trying to open for over four hours), I'll definitely try this.

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,724

    Havoc,

    If 4k is close to what Lorenzo's 'size' is, how's 17 work/look compared to regular m4? How big is regular m4?

  • HavosHavos Posts: 5,294

    Regular M4 is about 80K, so 17K will be roughly a quarter of that, and should look just fine for any figures in the mediumground -> background. 4K figures are best for background figures.

    One thing I should have said before, if all your multiple M4 figures are using the same textures, that should help matters.

    Are you using instancing for any figures in the same pose?

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,724

    So far each figure has its own pose, but that's mainly because once I hit 15 figures on the ship, I noticed it slowing down. At 20 figures, I'm at a tedious crawl, and my final scene needs two fully-crewed ships. I'm thinking 30 figures per ship will look good.

    I am planning on using the same 'skin' on every figure, as well as the same clothes. I'm also not adding hair.

    The only full m4 I need in the scene is the book's main character.

  • HavosHavos Posts: 5,294

    If the clothes are posed separately, then then you will need a copy of each, but at least they will share the same textures (which is a big help). You need to look at the polys of the clothing items, if this is very high, it will also boost your memory usage. If you have decimator, this can reduce this, although this may create some poke through issues.

    For background figures, then textural hair should look fine.

    Another thing you should do, is to do turn any figures into props, once you are happy with the final pose. This should also significantly reduce memory usage. You might also want to save some figures as a sub-scene, and then delete them from the main scene, so you can then open and manipulate this main scene easier. The sub-scene with the extra characters can then be merged in near the end when you are doing the final render.

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,724

    From what I've been told, decimator doesn't work in DS4.7.

    Right now I'm trying to swap my existing figures for the 4k figures.

  • HavosHavos Posts: 5,294

    The current decimator will not work in 4.7, as they are tied to the lastest release. You would need the decimator for 4.7 to do that.

  • Pack58Pack58 Posts: 750

    I regularly use the method Havos suggests above "turn any figures into props" and it reduces the drag on my system by around 80% each with 4th generation figures (well M/H/F4, haven't tested with females), so I can get 5 times the number in a scene before it turns to treacle.

    Sure it's a bit fiddley, unparenting all clothing etc, converting them all to props, converting the character to a prop, sometimes needing to go back and re-pose, then reparenting everything.

    At that stage I reduce textures to 512 and export the dressed character then reimport as one prop (which reduces load by a farther 2>4 + 3>7%). Not enormous savings unless spread over a large number but I reuse most so worth it for me. It's easy enough to swap back any textures for foreground models pre rendering.

    Of course if you want to change the pose later you need to go back to your saved copy of the "pre-propified" file.

    Some of these steps could undoubtably be improved on but they work for me, mostly with M/D/V3 and Genesis1 where the savings are less then with 4th gen for some reason beyond me.

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,724

    Seems like there should be an easier way to convert a few selected items into a single prop. What about creating a shell for selected items, the retexturing the shell?

  • HavosHavos Posts: 5,294

    There is a script for converting a hierarchy of figures (eg character, all clothing and hair) into props. You can grab the script from here

    http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/referenceguide/scripting/api_reference/samples/nodes/convert_figure_to_props/start

    It is all discussed in greater detail in this thread:

    http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/66390/what-s-this-about-turning-characters-into-props

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,724
    edited July 2016

    Wow ... Thanks, Havos. Between helping me discover the low rez m4/v4's and now this, you have been a treasure this weekend. :D

    ps. How do I make use of this script?

    Post edited by WillowRaven on
  • HavosHavos Posts: 5,294

    Wow ... Thanks, Havos. Between helping me discover the low rez m4/v4's and now this, you have been a treasure this weekend. :D

    You're welcome, I'm glad to of assistance :-) I became a sort of memory saving specialist when my main machine only had 8GB, although that is less important now I have a box with 32GB. That said, if you are working on a scene with dozen's of characters, like you are, memory saving can be important even on a well spec'd box.

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,724
    Havos said:

    You're welcome, I'm glad to of assistance :-) I became a sort of memory saving specialist when my main machine only had 8GB, although that is less important now I have a box with 32GB. That said, if you are working on a scene with dozen's of characters, like you are, memory saving can be important even on a well spec'd box.

    I do have a good system, but with 40+ characters planned for the scene, it's dragging my work time down because it takes foreven to load, forever to save ... ugh!

  • Pack58Pack58 Posts: 750
    edited July 2016

    LOL. You can select all the parts and export/re-import as one. Thats what happens with finding a method that works and not looking any farther.

    File/load sizes seem about the same given I haven't changed textures.

    Post edited by Pack58 on
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