DAZ 3D Human Figures - A History
Scott Livingston
Posts: 4,331
DAZ 3D Human Figures - A History
IN THE BEGINNING, there was Poser. First launched in 1995, Poser was (and is) an innovative 3D software package aimed more at artists and hobbyists rather than graphics professionals. Poser was designed for use with poseable humanoid figures, and before long, other companies began to produce and sell figures built for use in Poser, as well as clothing, hair, props, and other Poser content.
DAZ 3D started out as a vendor of Poser content, and to this day most content sold by DAZ 3D is usable in Poser, either natively or via the DSON Importer. Once a division of the Zygote Media Group, DAZ 3D became an independent corporation in 2000.
The Millennium People - Generations 1 and 2
The Millennium Woman (later named Victoria) was first released in 1999. She was derived from the female figure known as Posette that was included in Poser 4 (the first version of the software that supported conforming clothing and transmapped hair). Victoria was widely used, and in 2001 an updated version was released, called Victoria 2. V2 allowed for a greater range of morphs and expressions, but used the same mesh as V1 and could wear V1's hair and clothing.
Because of Victoria's popularity, DAZ 3D created some additional human figures, including Michael 1 (and then Michael 2), Stephanie, the Millennium Girls (preteen and preschool-aged girls), and the Millennium Boys (preteen and preschool-aged boys). Aiko also made her debut in this era, but as a character for the Stephanie figure, rather than a stand-alone figure like the others.
Interestingly, the original Stephanie figure was based on Michael's mesh and could share textures with him, while Victoria could share textures with the kids. Each figure had their own conforming clothing.
Generation 3 - The Unimesh
For the next generation of their humanoid figures, DAZ introduced a technology they called the "Unimesh." Rather than building each figure on a distinct mesh of polygons, they started with a single, androgynous mesh and crafted all their people from it. The advantages of the unimesh included increased compatibility (particularly with regards to textures and morphs) and a streamlined development process. In that sense, it can be considered a precursor of Genesis technology.
The third-generation figures included Victoria 3, Michael 3, Stephanie Petite 3, Luke and Laura (preteens), Matt and Madison (preschoolers), Aiko 3, Hiro 3, David (3), The Freak (3), She Freak (3), and the Millennium Baby 3. Each of these was a stand-alone "base" figure. Victoria 3, the first third-generation person, was released in 2002, and the last of the generation came out in 2005. Another popular figure known as The Girl dates from this era as well; she is not based on the Unimesh, but she is compatible with textures made for Victoria 3.
Also in 2005, DAZ 3D launched the first version of their own 3D software, DAZ Studio. Since then, there has usually been a free version of this application available, presumably in order to create a larger pool of consumers for DAZ 3D's content. Most Poser content created by DAZ 3D and other vendors is usable in DAZ Studio (exceptions include dynamic clothing and hair as well as shaders).
The 4th Generation Figures
For the fourth generation, DAZ 3D opted for separate meshes for male, female, and child characters. There were three base figures: Victoria 4 (first introduced in 2006), Michael 4 (2008), and The Kids 4 (2010). Aiko 4, The Girl 4, Stephanie 4, and She Freak 4 all require the base Victoria figure. Similarly, Hiro 4 and The Freak 4 require Michael 4. A special celebrity character, Reby Sky, was also released for Victoria 4, with similar functionality and support to that of the other 4th Generation iconic characters.
The current version of the Victoria 4 figure is numbered "Victoria 4.2." This figure replaced Victoria 4.1, which in turn replaced Victoria 4.0. Each time the figure was updated, some additional features were added. Victoria 4.2 is often called "V4" for short, and is compatible with all Victoria 4.0 and Victoria 4.1 products. Like her predecessors, Victoria 4 quickly became the most popular 3D model, and remains one of the most commonly-used figures to this day.
Genesis (Generation 5)
In 2011, DAZ Studio 4.0 was released. It included a new base figure called Genesis. Genesis can be morphed into a man, woman, child, or creature, and is compatible with all skin textures made for Victoria 4, Michael 4, and The Kids 4 through a new feature that enables the UV map to be switched. Genesis can also wear clothing made for V4, M4, and K4 through the "AutoFit" function. The figure boasts superior bending capabilities compared to previous figures, and benefits like the fact that all Genesis morphs, clothing, poses etc. can be used by any Genesis character.
With the purchase of various add-on products, the versatility of Genesis increases: it can be morphed into clones of many third-generation and fourth-generation figures and a remarkable variety of different creatures and characters. And all of these shapes can be blended together and mixed with other morphs to create an infinite assortment of unique creations.
Fifth-Generation versions of the Victoria, Michael, Stephanie, Hiro, Freak, Aiko and David characters are Genesis products. Each came with a unique UV set, meaning that (in most cases) a user must own Victoria 5 to apply the skin texture of a character designed for Victoria 5 to the Genesis figure, for instance. Other popular Genesis characters include the Young Teens 5 (Justin and Julie), toon characters like Jasmine and Jason, Hitomi, Troll, and the Monstrosities, to name a few.
Genesis was designed for DAZ Studio 4, and originally was not very compatible with Poser. In 2012, several things happened that improved this situation: updates to the Poser software incorporated some new features that are important for making full use of Genesis, Cliff Bowman released the Genesis To Poser product, containing a tutorial and various scripts that made using Genesis in Poser easier, and DAZ released the DSON Importer, a superior method of getting a more fully-functional Genesis into Poser.
Genesis 2 - Generation 6
With the latest release, DAZ has again gone to separate male and female meshes. While this means that the new Genesis 2 Female and Genesis 2 Male figures can't share morphs with each other (at least not without requiring a conversion process), it does allow for more lifelike human forms and better fitting clothing. The Genesis 2 advances include a more detailed mesh and significantly improved bends and facial expressions. Victoria 6 was the first of the new Genesis 2 characters to be released. Other releases for Genesis 2 Female include Gia 6, The Girl 6, Teen Josie 6, Olympia 6, Stephanie 6, Giselle 6, Aiko 6, Lilith 6, Mei Lin 6, Belle 6, and Keiko 6. The first Genesis 2 Male character to be released was Michael 6, followed by Teen Jayden 6, Gianni 6, Lee 6, Brodie 6, Minotaur 6 HD, and Reptilian 6 HD. Genesis 2 is compatible with DS4.6+, and (via the DSON Importer) Poser 9+.
Genesis 2 can Auto-Fit content made for Genesis 1, and with the Victoria 4 for Genesis 2 add-on, can Auto-Fit Victoria 4 content also. Similarly, with the Michael 4 for Genesis 2 Male product, G2M can Auto-Fit M4 content. However, at least at the present time, morphs made for Genesis 1 or other figures are not supported. Aside from morphs, most content for Genesis 2 Female can be used on Genesis 2 Male, and vice-versa.
Sources
The Digital Artist's Complete History of V5- 3DArtDirect.com
Base Figures - History and Compatibility (posts by Lyrra on the old DAZ3D forum)
What Is the Unimesh? - DAZ3D.com
Compatibility Matrix
See Also:
A DAZ Newbie's Guide to the Figures
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Comments
See the official Compatibility Matrix for more information
Using Older Content With Genesis and Genesis 2
Compatibility with Genesis 1 (5th Generation)
Gen 6 clothing: Requires Genesis 2 Male Clone for Genesis or Genesis 2 Female Clone for Genesis
Gen 6 hair: Requires Genesis 2 Male Clone for Genesis or Genesis 2 Female Clone for Genesis
Gen 6 props: Requires Genesis 2 Male Clone for Genesis or Genesis 2 Female Clone for Genesis
Gen 6 poses: Yes - may require manual adjustment
Gen 4 skin textures: Yes
Gen 4 morphs: Requires Genesis Generation X2
Gen 4 expressions: Requires Genesis Generation X2
Gen 4 poses: Yes - may require manual adjustments
Gen 4 hair: Yes - AutoFit, Transfer Utility, or manual
Gen 4 clothing: Yes - AutoFit or Transfer Utility
Gen 4 dynamic clothing: Not supported but may work with manual adjustments
Gen 4 props: Yes - may require manual adjustments
Gen 3 skin textures: No (but can be converted with TC2)
Gen 3 morphs: Requires 3rd Gen Shapes, GenX2, Gen3
Gen 3 expressions: Requires 3rd Gen Shapes, GenX2, Gen3?
Gen 3 poses: Yes - may require manual adjustments
Gen 3 hair: Yes - may require manual adjustments
Gen 3 clothing: AutoFit requires 3rd Gen Shapes
Gen 3 props: Yes - may require manual adjustments
Other props: Yes - may require manual adjustments
Other content not listed above: Not supported
Compatibility with Genesis 2 (6th Generation)
Gen 5 skin textures: Yes - V5 and M5 only at the present time
Gen 5 morphs: Requires Genesis Generation X2 and Genesis 2 add-on
Gen 5 expressions: May require Genesis Generation X2 and Genesis 2 add-on
Gen 5 poses: Yes - may require manual adjustments
Gen 5 hair: Yes - AutoFit
Gen 5 clothing: Yes - AutoFit
Gen 5 dynamic clothing: Not supported but may work with manual adjustments
Gen 5 props: Yes - AutoFit or manually
Gen 4 skin textures: Requires V4 shape for Genesis 2 Female/M4 Shape for Genesis 2 Male
Gen 4 morphs: Requires Genesis Generation X2 and Genesis 2 add-on
Gen 4 expressions: Requires Genesis Generation X2 and Genesis 2 add-on
Gen 4 poses: Yes - may require manual adjustments
Gen 4 hair: Yes - may require manual adjustments
Gen 4 clothing: Requires V4 shape for Genesis 2 Female/M4 Shape for Genesis 2 Male
Gen 4 dynamic clothing: Not supported but may work with manual adjustments
Gen 4 props: Yes - may require manual adjustments
Gen 3 skin textures: Not currently supported
Gen 3 morphs: Requires Genesis Generation X2, Genesis 2 add-on, and Gen3 add-on
Gen 3 expressions: Requires Genesis Generation X2, Genesis 2 add-on, and Gen3 add-on
Gen 3 poses: Yes - may require manual adjustments
Gen 3 hair: Yes - may require manual adjustments
Gen 3 clothing: Can AutoFit if converted to Genesis first
Gen 3 props: Yes - may require manual adjustments
Other props: Yes - may require manual adjustments
Other content not listed above: Not currently supported
Using Genesis 2 Male content on Genesis 2 Female, or G2F content on G2M
Morphs: not supported
Skin textures: Yes (but note any requirements listed on the product page)
Clothing: Yes - via AutoFit
Hair: Yes - via AutoFit
Props: Yes - via AutoFit and/or manual adjustment
Poses: Yes - may require manual adjustments
This is intended as a quick reference, and in some cases the full answer is much more complicated (in particular, there are some workarounds and alternate methods that I didn't mention).
If anyone spots any errors, or has a change or addition to suggest, feel free to post below!
Product Links
First and Second Generation Figures
Victoria 1
Millennium Girls
Millennium Boys
Stephanie Reduced Resolution Figure (a lower-resolution version of the original Stephanie figure)
(some others not included in this list have been "vaulted" and are no longer available)
Third Generation Figures
Victoria 3.0
Michael 3.0
The FREAK
Stephanie Petite 3.0
David
The Girl
Millennium Kids - Young Teens
Millennium Kids - Preschoolers
Aiko 3.0 (also included in Anime Star Fighter, available free for PC members, free with purchase, or cheap at $6.95)
Hiro 3.0
Millennium Baby 3.0
She-Freak 2 for V3 SAE
Fourth Generation Bases
Victoria 4.2 (base figure)
Aiko 4
Michael 4 (base figure)
Hiro 4
The Girl 4
The Freak 4
The Kids 4 (base figure)
She Freak 4
Stephanie 4 Elite
Reby Sky
Genesis (5th Generation) Bases
DAZ Studio 4.x (Contains Genesis Starter Essentials, including the base Genesis figure)
Victoria 5
Michael 5
Stephanie 5
Hiro 5
Freak 5
Young Teens 5
Aiko 5
David 5
Legacy Shapes for Genesis (allow Genesis to take the appearance of earlier figures)
V4 and M4 Shapes for Genesis
Stephanie 4 for Genesis
Gen 4 Iconic Shapes
Reby Sky for Genesis
Gen 3 Iconic Shapes
David 3 for Genesis
Genesis 2 (6th Generation) Bases
DAZ Studio 4.x (Contains Genesis 2 Starter Essentials, including the base Genesis 2 Female and Genesis 2 Male figures)
Victoria 6
Gia 6
The Girl 6
Teen Josie 6
Olympia 6
Stephanie 6
Giselle 6
Aiko 6
Lilith 6
Mei Lin 6
Belle 6
Keiko 6
Michael 6
Teen Jayden 6
Gianni 6
Lee 6
Brodie 6
Minotaur 6 HD
Reptilian 6 HD
Legacy Shapes for Genesis 2 (allow Genesis 2 to take the shape of earlier figures)
V4 for Genesis 2 Female
M4 for Genesis 2 Male
Gen4 Legacy Shapes for Genesis 2 Female
Gen4 Legacy Shapes for Genesis 2 Male
Gen5 Legacy Shapes for Genesis 2 Female
Gen5 Legacy Shapes for Genesis 2 Male
Other Products Allowing for Increased Compatibility Between Figures
(please see Compatibility Matrix for more information)
Genesis Generation X2
GenX2 AddOn for Genesis 2
GenX AddOn Gen3 Bundle
Genesis 2 Female Clone for Genesis
Genesis 2 Male Clone for Genesis
Generation 5 UV Bundle for Genesis 2 Female
Generation 5 UV Bundle for Genesis 2 Male
Genesis 2 Male and Female Base UVs for Genesis
Victoria 6 and Michael 6 UVs for Genesis
Genesis 2 Cross-Figure Resource Kit
Link to a chart listing popular morphs
The Morph Matrix
List of UV sets for Generations 4-6
Q: What is a UV set? And how do I manually change the UV set?
A: Please refer to page 46 of the User Guide for the official explanation
Figure/Character--Default UV
Victoria 4--V4
Aiko 4--V4
Girl 4--V4
Stephanie 4--V4
Michael 4--M4
Hiro 4--M4
Freak 4--M4
The Kids 4--K4
Genesis--V4 (note: Genesis also comes with M4, K4, Genesis Basic Female, and Genesis Basic Male options)
Victoria 5--V5
Hitomi--Hitomi
Michael 5--M5
Stephanie 5--S5
Hiro 5--H5
Freak 5--F5
Justin--V4
Julie--V4
Aiko 5--A5
David 5--D5
Monstrosities, Troll, and some others each have their own UV set as well
Genesis 2 Female--G2F (note: also comes with V5 UVs)
Josie 6 uses the basic G2F UV set, but also comes with Victoria 6 UVs (so that you can use Victoria 6 textures even if you don't own V6 herself)
Each of the other base characters for Genesis 2 Female (listed in the first post) has its own unique UV set.
Genesis 2 Male--G2M (note: also comes with M5 UVs)
Jayden 6 uses the basic G2M UV set, but also comes with Michael 6 UVs (so that you can use Michael 6 textures even if you don't own M6 himself)
Each of the other base characters for Genesis 2 Male (listed in the first post) has its own unique UV set.
Currently, V5 and M5 UVs are compatible with Genesis 2 by default. There are products available that will enable V4 and M4 UVs to be used with Genesis 2. If you wish to use a skin texture that uses another UV, you can try a map transfer (see tutorial here).
For female Genesis characters, there's a list here of which characters use which UV sets.
Thank you for this. I've printed it out because my teeny brain can't ever remember.
A very small quibble: Under Genesis 2 (6th Generation) People DAZ Studio 4.x should really be something like DAZ Studio 4.6+ as it wasn't available before then and apparently doesn't work (at least not well) in prior versions.
A second quibble, before Poser there was Zygote, which sold meshes that were, to me, precursors to Mike and Vicky.
--Walt Sterdan
Ah, you mean the lovely Posette and the Dork
http://classes.soe.ucsc.edu/cmps080v/Fall97/software/zygote/catalog/catamen.htm
I used to use some of these models in Infini-D, long before Poser.
-- Walt Sterda
Thanks, sjhayes2 and wsterdan!
I updated the Genesis 2 entry to indicate software compatibility.
I did mention Zygote, but I don't know much about what they did prior to Poser. If anyone can provide more information on Posette and the Dork, and how they're connected to V1 and M1, I'd appreciate it!
Thank you Scott....I am saving this....Trish
There was an Aiko based on the original Stephanie. She had a very large "anime" style head and some body modification. Oddly, the legs seemed to be untouched because she could wear Stephanie or V2 thigh high boots out of the box.
The original G.I.R.L was an independent character created by Kim Goossens and was not based on the unimesh (and not called Girl 3). She DID have a version that was UV mapped to take Gen 3 skins.
this is incredibly useful. You rock!
A cpl of questions
1) I assume the Genesis 2 figures are free with the upgrade to 4.6 (which I haven't done yet)
actually, that's only one question. Can't remember the other one.
EDIT: sorry, you appear to have answered this affirmatively in the post. That'll teach me (not) to skim read!
Thanks, everyone! I updated the information about The Girl...hopefully it's more accurate now.
@Sertorial: if you have ordered DAZ Studio from the store, Genesis 2 Female Starter Essentials should already be in your Product Library. You can use it in DS4.5...at least to an extent...but 4.6 is needed for best results. As I recall there are some issues with the textures in DS4.5.
only the genesis2 female? Not both?
only the genesis2 female? Not both?
The Genesis 2 Male has not been released yet.
sorry, another question. Since V6 is really genesis 2 is there any need to purchase it (since genesis 2 female comes free with DAZ)?
Sorry if I am being dim, but I am getting a bit confused here...
V6 is a MORPH for G2 just like V5 is a morph for G1. You will only have V6 if you buy it.
ok, thanks
So like Aiko4 was a morph for V4 (which was the base figure)?
ok, thanks
So like Aiko4 was a morph for V4 (which was the base figure)?Yes, the same type of thing. You got it.
Very cool history lesson Scott Thanks ..but I do have one question I"ve used Bree a few times ..so who the hell is she?..just a gen2 clone with makeup?As a new comer it's a bit confusing to know who is who and by just shopping the sight you would be led to believe that the figure to have is Victoria 4.It seems every thing is made for her.Try finding some nice slutty pumps for gen2 ..good luck...shoes are almost non existent for gen 3 without out buying a converter.I've been planning on buying Victoria 4.2 as my next char acter because she is much easier to shop for...did U really just say that.My old girl friends would be amazed.thanks for the article I'm printing it out now.You Rock!...Raykat
thanks for this history of 3D characters, really interresting especially to me who only joined last year and mostly using Genesis 1
Bree is just the name for the Elite texture which came with Victoria 5. It is also the default texture for Genesis 2 Female, but with a different UV mapping. I am not sure whether the G2F Bree is Elite standard, I suspect not.
speaking of shopping. How do I know what to buy for Bree? or anyone else? I only have what came with Studio 4.6 If something states It will work for Gen2 then will it work with my Bree? I never bought V5
Using Windows 7 64 bit Studio 4.6
Just a couple more tidbits in case anyone is interested
She Freak is a 3rd generation unimesh stand alone character. Not a lot of clothing available. With a lot of fiddling morph transfer software will work for more clothing.
She Freak 2 is still 3rd generation unimesh but is now a morph of V3. Still not a lot of clothing. Since she's now a morph, transfer software works with less fiddling.
She Freak 4 is a 4th generation unimesh character but, like all gen 4 females, is a morph of V4. As far as I can tell the ONLY unimesh fit clothing that includes SF4 morphs is Courageous. Morph transfer still works.
Ah, thanks for clarifying that as I was wondering about the history of She-Freak myself. Was the original She-Freak vaulted? All I see in the store is:
She-Freak 2 for V3 SAE and
She-Freak V4
I have edited the product list post to add She-Freak 2 for V3 SAE, Gia 6, and The Girl 6.
Your Bree is a skin texture for Genesis 2 Female. It is the default skin texture. So you can use any product made for Genesis 2 Female--with one caveat: if the product is a character for Victoria 6, Gia 6, or The Girl 6, (or any future G2F person) then you need to own that product in order to use the character. Hair and Clothing for V6, Gia 6, The Girl 6, etc., should work fine on the basic Genesis 2 Female, and poses will work also but may require some adjustment if they were designed for a specific G2F person.
Regarding textures for earlier Victorias:
* IF you own the Victoria 4 for Genesis 2 Female product, then you can use ANY skin texture made for Victoria 4 and/or Victoria 5 on Genesis 2 Female. Some skins will need to be loaded onto V4 or Genesis and re-saved in .duf format before it will work on G2F.
* If you don't own the Victoria 4 for Genesis 2 Female product, you can use any skin texture designed specifically for Victoria 5 on Genesis 2 Female, as long as it uses the V5 UV set--even if you don't own V5. Unfortunately it isn't always clear which UV set a character's skin is designed for...best to ask, if the product description isn't clear.
Ah, thanks for clarifying that as I was wondering about the history of She-Freak myself. Was the original She-Freak vaulted? All I see in the store is:
She-Freak 2 for V3 SAE and
She-Freak V4
I have edited the product list post to add She-Freak 2 for V3 SAE, Gia 6, and The Girl 6.
I think the original She Freak was a vaulting pioneer. The bulking up of the mesh without re-rigging led to terrible breaking at the shoulders. And then there was some sort of an argument between Daz, the PA and this community over rights. There were several attempts at an off the shelf substitute. Transferring David's "Bulk" morph (and maybe 1 other) to Stephanie 3 Petite is the one I recall being popular
Personally, I wanted to like She Freak (the original) but she was simultaneously not feminine enough AND not freakish enough. I solved this by adding the (unfortunately no longer available) Kattiva morph. This combo almost worked with She Freak 2 but the shape of the top of the breasts had an odd slope that needed to be hidden.
@ Scott
This is a wonderful resource and many thanks to you for posting this!!!
I've been working with outdoor scenes for many years in various software and have some experience with using animals but never messed with people. Now I have a need and bought the Carrara Pro upgrade partly to get V5 and M5 to fill my need. Until I found this I was in a sea of confusion. All my thumbs and toes up and a few dozen stars!!!
In between Posette for P4 and Vicki there was Zygote's Nude Young Woman figure. I still have the invoice for it. The original price along with a single texture is still scary.
In the Zygote and even early DAZ days, models and texture pack were sold separately. Gen 1/2 models had the morphs built in but did not come with textures, hair or clothing. All separate purchases. Gen 3 gave you the base model, period. Originally, V3 and M3 didn't even have expression morphs. Those were added in later service releases. Head and body morph packs were separate items. You could purchase them individually or in bundles. Again, no textures, clothing or hair included. Gen 4 models included expression morphs, lo res texture, the family friendly purple bathing suit/brown shorts painted on texture. The default family friendly texture also had hair texture on the head so at least Vicki didn't look bald out of the box.
And the complaint about her not being freakish enough is certainly gone.
As far as the breakage of the mesh goes:
As I said, the original she freak didn't get the re-rigging she should have gotten. This would have broken V3 clothing but they didn't fit anyway.
Then there was a period where poser had a problem with not handling re-sizing morphs correctly (Actually, I think DS added this capability and poser didn't catch it right away). Most of the forum conversation on this concerned the freak
Then Poser came out with a version that did handle re-sizing and the newest models work correctly.