Daz4 vz Daz3

TheCastellanTheCastellan Posts: 698
edited December 1969 in The Commons

What's the differences between them, and how different is the controls and so on?


I'm awaiting a custom made, super mega beefy computer, soon, and want to know what to use, especially since I do have a comic series that I want to start this up coming year.

By the way, is there any landscape kit or something with a variety of environments? I'd like to find something good and not have to download and instal dozens of stuff from shareCG and end up having most of them either give me error messages or be stuck with pieces of white glossy plastic-like landscape.

Comments

  • Proxima ShiningProxima Shining Posts: 969
    edited December 1969

    DAZ Studio 3 is the old version, DS 4.0 is newer, DS 4.5 is newest. You cannot use Genesis and Genesis related clothing in DS3. If you are a new user, I am curious how you got DS3 because it is no longer sold in DAZ store. I don´t use DS3 myself, so hopefully someone more knowledgeable will soon pop in and give you a proper advice.

  • JOdelJOdel Posts: 6,246
    edited November 2012

    One of the big advantages I found to DS4 is that you can add you own mat zones to things without having to go outside to another program. Plus, of course, Genesis runs native in it. Ergo, a lot of the newer content in the store won't always run in anything earlier. And autofit is helpful -- still not perfect, but a whole lot better than the first version.

    You can still run most your older content in DS4.5, although some plugins need upgrading. And DS4.5 renders a lot faster on the whole.

    What *kind* of landscaping are you looking for? Open nature? Urban scenes? SciFi?

    Post edited by JOdel on
  • bighbigh Posts: 8,147
    edited December 1969

    landscape kit or something with a variety of environments?

    Bryce is just what you want and it now free !

  • TheCastellanTheCastellan Posts: 698
    edited November 2012

    JOdel said:
    One of the big advantages I found to DS4 is that you can add you own mat zones to things without having to go outside to another program. Plus, of course, Genesis runs native in it. Ergo, a lot of the newer content in the store won't always run in anything earlier. And autofit is helpful -- still not perfect, but a whole lot better than the first version.

    You can still run most your older content in DS4.5, although some plugins need upgrading. And DS4.5 renders a lot faster on the whole.

    What *kind* of landscaping are you looking for? Open nature? Urban scenes? SciFi?

    i'm not gonna use Genesis, I'll stick to Aiko4, Victoria4, Michael4, and Hiro4.

    As for landscapes, a mix of all of 'em.


    landscape kit or something with a variety of environments?

    Bryce is just what you want and it now free !

    I have absolutely no experience with Bryce, so I have no idea what to do there.....and I am still trying to figure out how Daz works. o.O I want something with a variety of environments.....forests, deserts, tundra, seas, caves, a few futuristic cities, some ancient ruins, etc. And not have to clog up my computer with so many environments like I see on ShareCG, most of them barely work for me, just either being glossy plastic or just giving me some sort of error message, and not being able to use it.

    DAZ Studio 3 is the old version, DS 4.0 is newer, DS 4.5 is newest. You cannot use Genesis and Genesis related clothing in DS3. If you are a new user, I am curious how you got DS3 because it is no longer sold in DAZ store. I don´t use DS3 myself, so hopefully someone more knowledgeable will soon pop in and give you a proper advice.
    I won't worry much about Genesis, I'm gonna stick to the generation4 folks. I started Daz3 in April of 2011, my compy got messed up in February of this year and only started again this September. I got Daz3 on my new, 1 or 2 terabyte external hard drive.

    I just want to use something that will allow me to make the 3D comics that I've had in mind to make.


    Also, what's the difference between these 2 items?
    http://www.daz3d.com/shop/software/daz-studio-4/daz-studio-4-5-sdk
    http://www.daz3d.com/shop/software/daz-studio-4/daz-studio-4-pro

    Post edited by TheCastellan on
  • bighbigh Posts: 8,147
    edited December 1969

    the first one is if you want to program
    the other is if you want the newest version of DS

    link to help you with Bryce
    http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/artzone/pub/software/bryce/start

  • Proxima ShiningProxima Shining Posts: 969
    edited December 1969

    You will run into problems with old DS3 if you buy some new items or shaders in DAZ store, because most creators now release only products compatible with DS 4.5, which won´t work in DS 4.0 or DS 3. Of course if you already have enough content and won´t need more, or if you´ll buy only older pre-DS4.5 items, then all is fine.

  • StratDragonStratDragon Posts: 3,167
    edited December 1969

    the majority of vendors are still releasing more V4/M4 related products over Genesis due to the complexities of Genesis especially on sites outside of Daz3D, a there is a litany of packages and 3rd party development is still exclusively DS3.

    Go with what you like, but if you plan to use Generation 4 figures DS4 does not appear to offer a noticeable improvement over DS3 IMHO.
    Your mileage may vary but I suggest you try both and see. Personally DS4 did not work out for me, and I continually go back to DS3. I'm not anti-DS4, I'd love to add it to my arsenal but it wasn't offing me anything to keep me working around the issues I was experiencing.

  • roberthutchinsonroberthutchinson Posts: 306
    edited December 1969

    What's the differences between them, and how different is the controls and so on?


    I'm awaiting a custom made, super mega beefy computer, soon, and want to know what to use, especially since I do have a comic series that I want to start this up coming year.

    By the way, is there any landscape kit or something with a variety of environments? I'd like to find something good and not have to download and instal dozens of stuff from shareCG and end up having most of them either give me error messages or be stuck with pieces of white glossy plastic-like landscape.

    Check out dreamlounge.com. He has some free environments and some very minimal costing backgrounds.

  • MattymanxMattymanx Posts: 6,878
    edited November 2012

    i'm not gonna use Genesis, I'll stick to Aiko4, Victoria4, Michael4, and Hiro4.

    Also, what's the difference between these 2 items?
    http://www.daz3d.com/shop/software/daz-studio-4/daz-studio-4-5-sdk
    http://www.daz3d.com/shop/software/daz-studio-4/daz-studio-4-pro


    I still use Aiko3. Even though that model does not have all the features that Genesis does, features such as the Collision can be applied to any item in your scene.

    In this scene here - http://mattymanx.deviantart.com/art/The-Driver-2-331682685 - the shirt and bra both have collision in use. The shirt normally sits farther from model so I reduced the scale of it and let the collision do the rest to give it that tighter look. I could have buiilt the whole scene in DS3 but I would have lacked some of the features I used in DS45.

    The SDK stands for Software Developement Kit. If you are not making plugins for DS45 then you do not need it and just the DS45 Pro instead.

    Post edited by Mattymanx on
  • Proxima ShiningProxima Shining Posts: 969
    edited December 1969

    Also, good thing is that you can have both DS3 and DS4 installed on your computer at the same time. You cannot have both DS 4.0 and DS 4.5 at the same time but you can have DS3 and either of them.

  • MattymanxMattymanx Posts: 6,878
    edited December 1969

    Also, good thing is that you can have both DS3 and DS4 installed on your computer at the same time. You cannot have both DS 4.0 and DS 4.5 at the same time but you can have DS3 and either of them.


    You can have DS4 and DS45 on the computer at the same time but I dont think its a good idea to run them at the same time as they share certain files.

    Here is how to have them both.

    1. Go to your DS4 folder and use a program like Winrar to compress everything into a single file.

    2. Move that new compressed file out of that DS4 folder and uninstall DS4

    3. Install DS45

    4. Take the compressed DS4 file and decompress it to a location of your choice.

    5. Go in to that new folder and you should be abel to run DS4 from that new location.

    Then you can easily compare the two versions to see which one you prefer.

  • Proxima ShiningProxima Shining Posts: 969
    edited December 1969

    Mattymanx said:

    You can have DS4 and DS45 on the computer at the same time but I dont think its a good idea to run them at the same time as they share certain files.

    Here is how to have them both.

    1. Go to your DS4 folder and use a program like Winrar to compress everything into a single file.

    2. Move that new compressed file out of that DS4 folder and uninstall DS4

    3. Install DS45

    4. Take the compressed DS4 file and decompress it to a location of your choice.

    5. Go in to that new folder and you should be abel to run DS4 from that new location.

    Then you can easily compare the two versions to see which one you prefer.

    That´s very interesting. I have heard it would be impossible to have them both - something with the registries. I presumed DS4.5 would overwrite some of the files or registries that DS4.0 needs and thus DS4.0 would not work anymore after DS4.5 has been installed. Is that not so?

  • mjc1016mjc1016 Posts: 15,001
    edited December 1969

    Mattymanx said:

    You can have DS4 and DS45 on the computer at the same time but I dont think its a good idea to run them at the same time as they share certain files.

    Here is how to have them both.

    1. Go to your DS4 folder and use a program like Winrar to compress everything into a single file.

    2. Move that new compressed file out of that DS4 folder and uninstall DS4

    3. Install DS45

    4. Take the compressed DS4 file and decompress it to a location of your choice.

    5. Go in to that new folder and you should be abel to run DS4 from that new location.

    Then you can easily compare the two versions to see which one you prefer.

    That´s very interesting. I have heard it would be impossible to have them both - something with the registries. I presumed DS4.5 would overwrite some of the files or registries that DS4.0 needs and thus DS4.0 would not work anymore after DS4.5 has been installed. Is that not so?

    It does...well, it actually will uninstall 4.0, that's why you need to make it a compressed file before you install 4.5.

  • TheCastellanTheCastellan Posts: 698
    edited December 1969

    Well, Daz4.0 I won't use, since I heard form friend of the headaches with crashes it gave them, so if I use a newer once when the new computer is completed, I'll probably go for the 4.5 or something.

  • JOdelJOdel Posts: 6,246
    edited December 1969

    The reports on who has problems and who doesn't are all over the map. Some people have never had any trouble at all (once they figure out where what they are looking for has been moved to), some have nothing but trouble. And from most accounts the underlying setups on the computers are pretty much the same. It's a bit of a lottery.

  • MattymanxMattymanx Posts: 6,878
    edited December 1969

    If your going to try both at the same time, it also helps to have a seperate content folder for both.

    Dont worry about reinstalling content as DS45 can use all older content but just for testing purposes you will want to seperate the content folders to avoid mixing up the save files.

  • FSMCDesignsFSMCDesigns Posts: 12,518
    edited December 1969

    Well, Daz4.0 I won't use, since I heard form friend of the headaches with crashes it gave them, so if I use a newer once when the new computer is completed, I'll probably go for the 4.5 or something.

    I started with DS3 and now use DS 4.5 and have had no issues whatsoever. I mainly use V4 and now with genesis and genX i can use nearly all my V4/M4/A4 addons including morphs and clothes with no problem. You can either try something new that might improve your workflow or stick your head in the sand, LOL.

  • TheCastellanTheCastellan Posts: 698
    edited December 1969

    Mattymanx said:
    If your going to try both at the same time, it also helps to have a seperate content folder for both.

    Dont worry about reinstalling content as DS45 can use all older content but just for testing purposes you will want to seperate the content folders to avoid mixing up the save files.

    If and when I use Daz4.5, is when the new computer comes in, so I'm pretty much having to install everything....that's gonna take awhile. T_T

  • wowiewowie Posts: 2,029
    edited December 1969

    You can still use Gen4 figures in DS4.x. Collision detection and the smoothing modifier will still work with Gen4 figures.

    Genesis can also load Gen4 textures, just remember to use the appropriate UV layout. Conforming clothing can be converted via AutoFit and leftover pokethroughs be minimized with collsion detection and the smoothing modifier.

    DS3 comes with Elite Human Surface Shader, while DS4 comes with UberSurface which is more capable. You have to buy UberSurface separately if you want to use it in DS3.

    Posing Gen4 figures in DS4.5 is slow though, much slower than posing Genesis. Rendering is also slightly slower (using the same lights, settings and materials). Well, at least for me. In the end, I still prefer to work with DS3.

  • mjc1016mjc1016 Posts: 15,001
    edited December 1969

    wowie said:
    You can still use Gen4 figures in DS4.x. Collision detection and the smoothing modifier will still work with Gen4 figures.

    You can use any obj based figure in DS4.x...and if it's rigged in the Poser/DS manner, it's posable.

  • wowiewowie Posts: 2,029
    edited December 1969

    mjc1016 said:
    wowie said:
    You can still use Gen4 figures in DS4.x. Collision detection and the smoothing modifier will still work with Gen4 figures.

    You can use any obj based figure in DS4.x...and if it's rigged in the Poser/DS manner, it's posable.

    Thanks for making it clearer. I think the only exception is weightmapped figures in Poser9/2012 (if there's no fallback to old poser rigging).

  • DWGDWG Posts: 770
    edited December 1969

    You say you don't plan to use Genesis, but my advice would be to install DS4.5 and play with it to understand the possibilities.

    With Genesis, you can potentially take your Gen 4 characters, convert them to Genesis with Gen-X, and then be able to use all the clothing you previously bought for A4, V4, M4 etc on any character via autofit. Think that V4 skin would actually look pretty good on a male character, Genesis can do it, think H4 would look better with a touch of A4, Genesis can do it. And so on. DS4.5 opens up a range of possibilities that simply weren't possible in DS3, and Genesis opens up a range of possibilities that simply weren't possible in Gen 4. Overall I'd say the pairing significantly enhances the value of your existing Gen 4 content.

  • mjc1016mjc1016 Posts: 15,001
    edited December 1969

    DWG said:
    Overall I'd say the pairing significantly enhances the value of your existing Gen 4 content.

    And if you add the Gen3 packs...even more stuff is available....

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