dForce Master: reviews wanted.
exstarsis
Posts: 2,128
Could I get some feedback on the dForce Master hair and cloth products? I’m seriously thinking of getting them today, but I’d like some reviews first.
(My experience with dForce has been mixed. I love using dForce presets but they only work properly maybe 60-70% of the time for me. My experiences applying dForce myself are less successful. I have not been closely following any processes; with preset clothing/kinley hair I usually just arrange my character, start from memorized pose, and press simulate. (I know the animation timeline works better but I always end up having ridiculous problems with my camera flying around or getting the right sequence of poses placed.))
Daz 3D is part of 
Connect
DAZ Productions, Inc.
7533 S Center View Ct #4664
West Jordan, UT 84084
Licensing Agreement | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | EULA
© 2025 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
I use the dForce Master Cloth settings a lot when I'm using dForce on older content. It works pretty well (you have to add the occasional dforce weight map), so that was a good purchase. I have less explosions than fiddling with the settings myself.
Does it teach you how to make the weight map in the accompanying documentation?
I was wondering same .. i like the hair deal too, altrhough in the promos it appears the long long hair is still not draping as it physically would unless you have it tied to your shoe or something so it stays straight. maybe its a bit of a mixed bag.
I used dforce master hair and it's a good product, with good documentation. Another reason to consider picking it up is that it helps you get the hang of dforce; you can try out different presets, see what they do, and see the different outcomes. I still get weird results sometimes, but it's apparently because of the hair itself (like on long hair that parts in the center, the whole hair drops into the scalp, so it gives the model a little bald spot on the top of their head). If I had it to do over again, I think I'd start with the clothing product---it seems like clothing is easier than hair and you get more predictable results.
Here's the link to the turorial: http://docs.daz3d.com/lib/exe/fetch.php/public/read_me/index/50109/50109_dforce-cloth-simulation-preset-tutorial.pdf
More details on the REadme page: http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/read_me/index/50109/start
As for how to paint weightmap cards, I'd refernce you to this excellent thread: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/208141/how-to-use-dforce-creating-a-blanket-draping-clothes-on-furniture-and-much-more#latest
Seconded. I have a few hours to decide but I think that this is one product that won't be included in many sales so I'd like some feedback too. My very limited experience with dForce so far is that it is just too unstable to take seriously. But if they make progress and limit the frequent explosions, I can see that the presets would eventually become very useful.
I read the launch thread for the Hair Master and decided it would probably be too frustrating. But I'm still thinking hard about the Cloth product. I saw that Giselle made a Visual Guide to the settings in the product, which is both... potentially useful and intimidating. It's in my cart but I'm looking at lots of other stuff and then I have to go start a BBQ and hopefully I'll remember to check back in before the sale ends....
Bee, that's a really big thread. I remember looking at it when it started but it rapidly grew past my ability to keep up. Are there any particular posts you could link to, if perhaps you recall any you can find easily?
I did a mini tut with screen shots here. https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/3711726/#Comment_3711726
are the products worth buying? or is this something can just be done with experimentation using the dforce settings?
Anything in daz can be done/learned through experimentation.
@dreamfarmer, it has an inventory list in the first post, so you can work on it "one solution at a time". It really is helpful, and the solutions in themselves are usually a post or two.
For anyone who hasn't seen this, this is @Gigi_FenixPhoenix 's fabulous visual guide to the cloth version of dforce Master. I find it really useful for choosing which settings to use. Plus there are a few hints and tips in the thread.
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/251456/dforce-master-cloth-simulation-presets-unofficial-visual-guide/p1
Well, I came back from an extra-exciting fireworks viewing (I had to call 911) and managed to snag the Cloth Presets in the nick of time. Now to.... go away on a weekend trip away from my rendering station and possibly forget I own them!
fence sitters in luck..sale extended another day
I think it helps, but it depends a lot on the item you are using it on. It does not teach weight mapping, but it might teach you what combo of dforce settings works better than others. Having the presets can be handy.
My one complaint is that the different settings, like Dress 1 or Dress 2 do not say what is different between them. I get that they are different combinations, but it would be helpful to have a pop up tool tip when hovering over each that describes in a nut shell what each one emphasizes over others. Like, maybe #1 has higher buckling and is heavier than the other presets. That sort of thing.
But overall it is a handy thing to have. Can you do this yourself? Of course, but the entirety of Daz3D is like that. Pose presets, shader presets, and everything else can be created by users. I consider this product a head start of dforce, just like a pose preset can be a head start on posing. I still can get explosions, but I have the ability to make almost anything explode, including products made for dforce, so that's not really a negative against this product. I have a very love-hate relationship with dforce. >.<
Here's two that talk about influence weight maps:
#11 Hanging Towel (introduces use of dForce influence weight map)
#19 Exploring Influence Weight Maps