Re-purposing a Product: giving alternate life to an object
Linton
Posts: 543
Hi All,
I tend to use 3D products for thigns other than their original intention. I find it fun and exciting to use things in a different way. Recently, I used the https://www.daz3d.com/bank-vault door way, to create a massive space airlock. Not at all it's original purpose, but with some shader changes with the iRay shaders, it gave a different use for a great product.
Other products I have used creatively, is SickleYield's https://www.daz3d.com/the-constrictor as a piping along a sci fi wall. I re-textured it to a plastic shader, and it looks great. The head and tail both disappear into the wall, and if I didn't tell people about it, they wouldn't know.
How have you used a product in a different way than intended? I would love to hear how you have used a product in an unintended way! Renders welcome too! (Sorry, don't have any renders available for posting from my work computer).
Regards
Linton
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Comments
I love kit-bashing. Sadly I can't think of anything off the top of my head that I've done REALLY creative things with. However, I love using Iray shaders to turn things into different things. Also - primitives make great "effects". Need a power ball? Drop in a sphere primitive and use a cool shader on it, make it an emissive, and bam - magic ball/power sphere. Need a mirror box? Drop in a cube primitive and use a chrome shader on it. Cylinders make good fish tanks - just put a tall cylinder on top of a short cylinder. Shade the short cylinder with a wood shader and the tall one with a glass shader - instant fish tank. You can even put a smaller cylinder inside of it and use a water shader on it.
Oh and a Torus + Emissive makes a good angel halo. Torus + Gold Shader = hoop earrings or bracelets.
I turned the old Allosaurus into earrings. :)
Thanks for your response Divamakeup. The shaders are great, I found out how to use them effectively when Genesis hit the shelves, and have been adapting things ever since. Primitives have also been great, and like your torus info, I have done that many times. Never used them for earrings though, what a great idea!
The new DzFire flames and torch set http://www.daz3d.com/the-torch-and-construction-kit makes a great alternative to the spheres, you can line them up with the hands (also used the flames as a Ghost Rider flaming head option coming out of his head.
http://www.daz3d.com/nurnies-greebles-parts-and-pieces and http://www.daz3d.com/nurnies-greebles-parts-and-pieces-vol-2 worked great as end props for the primitices for a hypersleep tube, regeneration chamber, or floating health capsule too. Create a cylinder primitive, add a glass shader, top the ends with the greebles parts and done. I have used the constrictor here too for hoses and piping leading into the parts, used torus' to act as holding bolts around the 'tube'.
Primitives don't get their kudos enough, though a few convex and concave options, as well as being able to 'cut' sections out of them would make them infinitely more functional!
Oh that's epic! Awesome use of the allosaurus, thanks for sharing!
You can do that. :) Use the Iray Uber Shader on it, then in the surfaces tab you can place a cutout map where it says "Cutout Opacity". A fun trick is place a clouds/cloudy sky image in the "Cutout Opacity" slot and you get a neat distant fog effect for backgrounds.
Interesting, do you have an example by any chance? Also, does that 'fill' the edges? Like a pipe end closed off?
Interesting, do you have an example by any chance? Also, does that 'fill' the edges? Like a pipe end closed off?
While not quite as creative as examples already mentioned here (love the dinosaur earrings!) I do believe I have a few renders that can qualify as used "in an unintended way".
One of my very early renders, using the DAZ-Ogre as a pin-up model:
Another unintended pin-up model, RawArt's Hag Witch as a classic, although aged, fantasy heroine:
And of course, the AntFarm's Mini Bots as bikini mannequins:
Don't forget Maclean's Everyday Morphing Primitives! https://www.daz3d.com/everyday-morphing-primitives
With them, the Greebles, and the DAZ Primitives, you can create just about anything. The included morphs let you make primitives of almost any shape.
I'm making a starship command deck using EMP, Greebles, and Arcade Games. The ship is almost entirely EMP. Starfighters made from the available Mini Submarines and Allies & Axis airplanes. Toon vehicles repurposed as electric eco-cars. Armored vehicles and airplanes as shelf models. The Business Jet as a model on an executive's desk...
I don't think I could find one page of my webcomic that doesn't have an EMP in it somewhere!
You're welcome! Adventures in scaling, that one.
I have something else percolating, but it'll have to wait until I get back from vacation next week. I'm wifi and computer-free for a week.
I turned the MRI machine http://www.daz3d.com/mri-machine into a time control arm band
I keep liking those greebles, but they're way too expensive. They'd have to be at least 75% off to be close to my price range.
The geometry editor works amazingly well for repurposing older content. It's amazing how a fantasy item can be turned into a sci-fi item simply by hiding certain things and recoloring it. Spaceships and vehicles can be kitbashed in the same manner too.
..indeed. I use it a lot myself. One of the more extensive uses was in this scene I created for an RRRR challenge several years ago. The roof of Moonshine's Diner was actually repurposed for the shades on the hanging light fixtures.
Also bashed the interior of the Diner set together with the Aslan Court 2 set
"This is Da Place"
Here's a few I did a long time ago for a 'creative use' competition.
Using the Daz Dynamic tablecloth and old microphone cable freebie to make flowers (plus art-set paint-tube-cap vase).
Also tablecloth pizza and pacman ghosts.
Finally, the cavern the trolls are in is the tortoise and the torch at the back is (rather obvious in hindsight) a paintbrush
I think I've used vases for hats and chairs and a few other things. Hmm.
All of these are great! Thanks everyone for sharing your pics and re-purposed items.
Galatt, the MRI idea is really cool, how did it turn out?
Petercat, I did not know about the EMP items, added them to wishlist for next purchase. Do they take the new iRay shaders well enough?
Silent Winter, the ghosts look great, I loved Pac-Man as a kid!
Will, the lampshades make good hats?
Mtl1, I kitbash, a lot! Kitbashing is so much fun!
Kyoto kid, are those praetorian turrets used as laser lights?
Thistledown, the Greeble's parts have been worth their weight in digital credits. I have used them for so many projects.
Isidorn, those lingerie robots look remarkably good in braziers and skimp wear. And that's a confident ogre! ;P
Nice thread, Linton. It's very interesting to see how objects can be reformed using shaders, scaling and deformers to serve a different purpose.
I have some refurbishings in my renders from time to time:
Yes, they are not textured. They come with a wood and a metal shader, I think, but I use iray exclusively.
And if you happen to want the 3D world's absolute best iray leather shaders, try these from Parrot Dolphin:
http://parrotdolphin.deviantart.com/art/Pd-Soft-Leather-Daz-Studio-Shaders-497673070
Oh, and here's an example of my repurposing, an SP Howitzer:
Tracks and suspension made with EMP and Greebles.
Turret from Thor Tank shortened along the Z-axis
Body from a toy rocket launcher with a bucket O' Greebles thrown at it to see what would stick
Geometry editor to create headlights running lights and number boards as separate surfaces for texturing
Geometry editor to divide Greebles into different surfaces for different textures (Most Greebles are one surface...bleaugh!)
..yes, they are. Forgot to mention them.
...this one used a scaled down instance of the main organ for the "Positiv division" on the balcony banister. The Geometry editor also played a major part in this as I had to remove the bottom of the organ case and keydesk.
These are all so amazing! The chains and ribbons on the dog and dragon was a ncie touch.
Using the hair as a horse's tail is exactly the kind of unique use I like reading about. Totally not the intended use, but gees it looks great as the tail here!
I will check out those leather shaders once I get home, thanks for the link.
It came out pretty good. I'll have to find a picture.
My best one was creating a 1930's movie serial cyborg out of an overhead light fixture (skirt), a old gas pump ( body) and metal tentaclles for arms
Kitbashing? Oh, yeah. I know about kitbashing. Can't honestly say that any of this was used for something other than it was intended, though. But there was a whole lot of bashing going on.
Kitbashing is fun. I sometimes buy products from the store for a single part of an outfit to use with other stuff I have purchased to create a unique look. The red-haired ranger is kitbashed from about 4 different sets, while the hooded ranger is from about six if I remember correctly.
Galatt, using the gas pump was a good idea, especially for the 1930s era. A little reminiscent of early sci fi with the tentacle arms ending in a grasping claw.
Finally got back to one of my kit-bashing projects, using a candy corn prop and a couple other figures to make a zombie candy corn!