a using DAZ content in UE4 thread

245678

Comments

  • EllessarrEllessarr Posts: 1,390

    later i will try to post some more details about the part of character in pieces to explain how to put all together inside unreal and use it without having any issues, and a little better explanation about how and why using it and the cleanup.

  • EllessarrEllessarr Posts: 1,390
    edited December 2019

    ok after read some posts here some important notes to do:

    HD characters x low poly.

     

    I see some peoples talking about "HD" and high resolution, is important to take in account which when you export a character to fbx outside daz it is exported on his "base mesh", let's do a better explanation.

     

    Daz normally use a system of "smooth" which allow you to "virtually increase the base mesh poly count of the character allowing the artists add some details to the mesh which are only visible inside daz when you take that mesh outside daz that details disappear, again for exemple a daz genesis 8 female character in her base counting the eyeslash have 1672k quad and 17020 vertices,  16363 quad and 16556 vertices, which for me is a good number and make the character overal more rounded than the iclone character and by rounded i don't means only the breasts but the body in general, like shoulders, butt and others places which again as i told whem compared with iclone is much better because iclone is too much game optmized making it have much less polygons then again when you use some morphs to increase some places of the body, like breasts or even shoulders that "low" poly start to appear and you start to notice that areas being more "sharp and less rounded", for what i could notice iclone use the same "old system as daz used in the past to use the same mesh for both "male and female" which ending making the female being more "problematic" since she have less poly in places which would need more and to be fair even paragons characters if you get then you can notice which for the womans, they also do have "more polygons" in some places like the breasts" to make sure its enough rounded than iclone.

     

    that sharp/rounded chan be a little mitigated using programs like substance paint and others which you can export a high resolution mesh and use it to generate a "normal map" with much more details, but's it's another topic.

     

    then when exporting a character outside unreal aways take in account it's base mesh not it's high resolutions, that is why when i ask the poly count of outfits i normally ask for the "base mesh" not the high resolution, because it's the base mesh which matters.

     

    if you want to export the high resolution then you must do it by exporting the mesh as a obj and not fbx which will make it's loose the skeleton and rigg then you gonna need to "rig" again the character and it will be a "new character", it will be a complicated process for peoples not familiar which that things and not worth of it unless you want do like a movie or animation and want a high level of detail and realism, even with that you could alternatively use that high poly obj to generate a better normal map.

     

    for a better understand of base and high resolution here images exemple:

    base mesh:

    body

    eyelashe

    total

     

    now high resolution

    body

    eyelashes

    total

    this is important not only when exporting to outside daz but also inside to know how much poly you have in your scene and how much it can impact inside daz in the render aswell.

     

    about my post with the tutorial, have in mind which this is not the "only and perfect way" to do it, you can find in the internet others ways, better or worse than mine, it's just the way it's work for me, it can have some flaws and errors, later or for more "skilled peoples than me" take as just a "base way to do" if you learn another "better way" feel free to use it and if possible share with us as i tried to do here.

    Post edited by Ellessarr on
  • EllessarrEllessarr Posts: 1,390
    edited January 2020

    ok here my "tutorial explanation about ONE PIECE CHARACTER X SPLIT PIECES CHARACTER:

     i will try to be the most "simple and basic" possible about it and point the diferences:

    ok basically when using a 3d character be for gaming or for animation or for others ways like render inside unreal, you have basically 3 types of characters with 2 being full body, then you have:

    1 - full clothed body - which means it will be a character where his "cloth are his skin or the character don't have a "skin body behind the cloths", this is the most common used specially when you don't have a customization system or that customization is very simple like adding glasses, or adding a cap or a backpack or others simple things like that, if you want a more "complex customization in this way you gonna need make "multiple versions of the characters" many exemples are the "moba games where you have skin variations, which are indeed a full totall new full body skin rater than just a customization for the already existing skin.

    2 - full naked body - basically the full naked body, this way make customization a litle more "easy" it's have strong sides but also weak sides it's strengt is which all you need is just apply the "cloth to the character (remember when exporting the clothr from daz to unreal to aways leave the minimum polygon needed to not crash the unreal, you can turn that polygon invisible inside unreal), this means which you can use any cloth as long you know how to proper adjust the cloth inside daz using any plugging/addon you have to make things work, at first sight it could be the best and perfect way to deal, however, here is when comes the "nightmare" i'm pretty sure many peoples or almost anyone already had issues even inside daz when "posing" a character because the cloth/outift you was using started to not proper follow the body or the body started to popup outside the body(not in the right way) and you have to start to fix it manually inside daz to make it work right, well surprise the same or even worst can happen outside daz cuz i've already told in others posts, daz have some "automated corrective fixes for that and also you have countles pluggings for that, what don't happen outside daz specially inside game engines since they never where used for that specifically reason, then having a "skin" or even others pieces of cloths under the visible cloth can lead to a "nightmare" or pocking throught, which would be a nightmare or almost impossible to fix inside the game engine, another problem comes with the character customizatino when you want to "stack pieces of cloth" over others pieces of cloth, if you don't do a proper "cleanup" in the cloths and skin it can be even worst, then becarefull when using this, part of that issues can be mitigated in unreal by using the unreal clothing system which can make the pocking happening much less, but is not a 100% solution aways the cleanup is the best solution.

    3 - body cut in parts - one of the best and most eficient way to export a character and have a really awesome customization system, many games specially mmos or even the sims sereis does use that "system", basically before exporting the character you cut ito into "pieces" keeping the skeleton just keeping the part of the mesh you want to export, for exemple if you want to export the head, go to the geometry editor(again this part is very important for you to already have at last a "advanced knowledge over the tool to proper use it otherwise start to learn more because it can make your work much more fast when you know how to proper select what you want) then go the body and select then make invisible the parts you don't want be exported in this case all the body excluding the head, then export and makr no hidden for the program delete all the hiddens mesh and only export the skeleton and head mesh, remember a good tip here is also before that you export a full naked body and use it as the base skeleton for all the pieces and also you can maybe use that body too if you feel needed, this way also allows you to use the full body if needed too), well i'm not gonna explain all the exporting thing again since i've already did it, this is just to explain the diferences and advantages of each system.

      -  going back this system is prety versatility because it allows you many ways to proper customize your character allowing him to wear multiples type of combinations of outfits, you still need to adjust the outifts for all the combinations first in daz before bring then to unreal.

      - after exporting all pieces, you want, like my exemple of 5 pieces(6 with the full body) you have the head, torso, hand leg and feets, then when you want to export a piece of a outfit load the "body part you want( a good tip is to make things more fast save each piece of the naked body in a different saved scene in daz, it can save a lot of trouble for you) then load the piece of cloth on that then proceed to the proper "cleanup" in the hidden faces, if the cloth allows that piece of body have some visibile skin then you can remove any non visible leaving only the visibles(tip here when cleanup make sure to leave some "few polygons non visible" when they are too close to the borde between the visible zone of the cloth ) then export only that part of the cloth to unreal, then inside the unreal when "puting all together you can just change the wanted part and later if you are good in bluprints and scripts or find a good "tutorial" you can make a setting where the wanted part will be changed when clicked or any regular customization way, the important thing is to have for let's say each "armor torso" have a mesh to change it later in game, following this way you reduce a lot the problem of pocking throught in most of the cases and can help a better cleanup/poly reduction.

     

    here some pictures exemple:

    following my 5 pieces parts:

    head:

    torso:

    hands

    legs

     

    the feets i will not post because i "just forget to take the pictures then well you already have got what i wanted to show at this point and i'm pretty sure you would not need it.

     

    now here a exemple of cloth make using this way:

    a torso piece:

    a exemple of base naked torso+ a piece of armor = the result and how you end with that result:

    base torso

     +  =  

     

    here the "true torso finall skin behind the armor after the cleanup.

    with this you will have a "perfect torso which never will have any "issues of skin popup throught the body an the final user never will notice and if at any moment you really need let's ssay the character to strip then you can use the "full naked body or the "naked torso aswell(you can use both, they will mix together in a way you not gonna notice in case you really need.

     

    Final toughts the most important thing here as tips are know how to proper setup cloths;outfits before sending to unreal to make sure in case you want to customize they not gonna be a mess of cloths and proper layered it can be a really tiresome job and you would need to have many cloth fix plugings as you need and alsot the second but not less imporant is the "cleanup process" it can make a lot of difference, don't go just load character, load the cloth and throw it to unreal and wait it magically make everything awesome, you still need to do a lot of work and chores if you really want a "perfect or almost perfect/clean work, those steps are really, really important.

     

    againn that things are to cover only the export process it's not about texture and materials, it need it's own tutorial which srry but i'm also can't do since i'm still also learning about it and still can't reach the proper results to be able to do a "tutorial" really srry.

     

    I hope those things will help anyone here wanting to use daz products inside unreal.

     

    Finally srry for any or many gramma errors, or misspelled words, i'm not a full english native but i'm doing my best to not make many mistakes and peoples can understand what i'm writing.

     

    thanks for the patient and a happy daz work inside unreal for peoples aiming to do that.

    ps: the only thing missing here is in case peoples don't know how to do is how to assemble all the pieces inside unreal, i will do it later it's very easy, simple and fast.

    Post edited by Ellessarr on
  • oh BTW my queries on the new features including gFur on the Unreal forum finally got a reply

    from someone suggesting I watch youtube and off-site tutorials devil

    .....this is why I started this thread yes

    I am following everthing BTW and if I can add anything useful I will

    only thing I learnt recently so far is those SKAmotion breast and butt bouncy walks with morphs break FBX exports so you need to use spring bones which you add in the Blueprint if its a third person player

  • EllessarrEllessarr Posts: 1,390

    oh BTW my queries on the new features including gFur on the Unreal forum finally got a reply

    from someone suggesting I watch youtube and off-site tutorials devil

    .....this is why I started this thread yes

    I am following everthing BTW and if I can add anything useful I will

    only thing I learnt recently so far is those SKAmotion breast and butt bouncy walks with morphs break FBX exports so you need to use spring bones which you add in the Blueprint if its a third person player

    interesting, if you know how to do that, you could share that info??(how to do that with the spring bones), this is something i'm also was looking for.

  • there is a screenshot in this video, I will try to find the tutorial I followed

    I would do one myself with a DAZ figure but 45°C today not turning my computer on

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 37,711
    edited December 2019

    I believe it was this one

    what I cannot figure out is how to bring it up on a migrated Blueprint, I did her skirt and wanted to do her boobs in the better version without the wide stance (using the skeleton and animation options on spine and pelvis) but not getting back to that screen, ah relooking it is down the bottom middle animgraph, as I said need to revisit this and do a DAZ tute with all the needed steps!

    Post edited by WendyLuvsCatz on
  • EllessarrEllessarr Posts: 1,390

    I believe it was this one

    what I cannot figure out is how to bring it up on a migrated Blueprint, I did her skirt and wanted to do her boobs in the better version without the wide stance (using the skeleton and animation options on spine and pelvis) but not getting back to that screen

    for the skirt you could had just used the unreal cloth tool, it have a very good cloth simulation which can be used even for hair(with the new hair system i believe peoples will switch to the niagara tool to simulate hair).

    I myself use that tool for my cloths, the only annoying work is proper adjust the collision capsules, but once you do that you get really cool results.

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 37,711
    edited December 2019
    Ellessarr said:

    I believe it was this one

    what I cannot figure out is how to bring it up on a migrated Blueprint, I did her skirt and wanted to do her boobs in the better version without the wide stance (using the skeleton and animation options on spine and pelvis) but not getting back to that screen

    for the skirt you could had just used the unreal cloth tool, it have a very good cloth simulation which can be used even for hair(with the new hair system i believe peoples will switch to the niagara tool to simulate hair).

    I myself use that tool for my cloths, the only annoying work is proper adjust the collision capsules, but once you do that you get really cool results.

    my cloths won't simulate 

    I am missing a vital step I think

    will try and upload what I do there tomorrow too and maybe you can see what I am overlooking

    and yes adjusted physics capsules is much like iClone in that respect

    Post edited by WendyLuvsCatz on
  • EllessarrEllessarr Posts: 1,390

    hmm talking back again about your "problem with the skamotion, hmm i have one question, you are also exporting "the morphs too"??, you know you need to export the morpsh of the bounce aswell, not just the character and the animation, you must mark export morphs then go in edit morphs rules and add all the "morphs used by the animation too" and if it don't work insire unreal at first sight then you must add the bounce back manually.

     

    Now i have a question, it's a issue about "duplicated bones", i means i noticed which some "stuffs" i means cloths or addons for body come with they "own bones" which could not be a issue if not was for a little problem, unreal engine don't work with "duplicated bones names", if let's say the base figure already have let's say a bone named let's say breast1 or heels1 and you add a bone to the cloth or body addon or whatever the thing, with the same "name" of that bone then it will bugg and unreal not allow you export giving a "error message" then my question is if have a way to make daz show that "bones" and if possible inside unreal to rename or remove that bones.

  • Bookmarking now thanks !!!

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 37,711
    edited December 2019

    Bookmarking now thanks !!!

    your skeleton did that duplicate bone thing but it also could have been the coat it was wearing 

    update, no it's your ears and it has no ears anyway

    Capture.JPG
    938 x 255 - 37K
    Post edited by WendyLuvsCatz on
  • @ellessarr, I don't actually use that SKAmotion walk but another user could not export an FBX with it so I tried it, it's not just Unreal it's the FBX file itself, it does it in FBX viewer, 3DXchange etc too, just the weirdest thing I have seen, only if the morphs added version used with the bounces.

  • EllessarrEllessarr Posts: 1,390
    edited December 2019

    @ellessarr, I don't actually use that SKAmotion walk but another user could not export an FBX with it so I tried it, it's not just Unreal it's the FBX file itself, it does it in FBX viewer, 3DXchange etc too, just the weirdest thing I have seen, only if the morphs added version used with the bounces.

    lol, then that's could be the case of contact the artist(in this case skmotion) and see if he can do any support.

     

    about the bones, i find a way to deleted that "extra bones" now i'm trying to find a way to "rename then if i'm able to do that then i will be able to export the character with all the pieces and bones.

     

    the problem is reallly on the cloths i ended finding which that armor:

    https://www.daz3d.com/angel-armor-for-genesis-3-female-s

     

    both legs and shoes have a "extra heels bones" basically the same bones duplicated and that bones use the same name and while in daz it's not a deal inside unreal it is a big deal, because we have inside unreal functions which call the bones by the name then all bones must be "unique" in name to avoid the script call "others bones than the one you true wanted because they using the same "bone name".

     

    that would be a good trip for PA artists when creating 'bones" for outfits or "extra body addons" like tails avoid "repeat bones names, if the compatible figure or one piece of the outfit already have a bone with the same name, don't repeat it, while inside daz it is fine, outside daz it can be a big problem, specially if the product can be used outside daz.

    Post edited by Ellessarr on
  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 37,711
    edited December 2019

    use the joint editor the bowtie shaped icon tool and optionally the tool settings window

    if you right click with a bone selected you can choose edit rename and there are nodes as well as bone names

    the typos in those hidden node names on some bones is what causes Genesis 3 and 8 to crash Carrara BTW

    Post edited by WendyLuvsCatz on
  • EllessarrEllessarr Posts: 1,390

    use the joint editor the bowtie shaped icon tool and optionally the tool settings window

    if you right click with a bone selected you can choose edit rename and there are nodes as well as bone names

    the typos in those hidden node names on some bones is what causes Genesis 3 and 8 to crash Carrara BTW

    yeah i found it, thanks, now i could proper export the character to unreal, now i'm working in tweak(cleaning) it, to export to unreal.

  • EllessarrEllessarr Posts: 1,390

    since i'm feeling a little more confident since some tests with skin materials i've did those days, then later or tomorrow i will try to add another tutorial, this time for the skin, how to setup a "basic skin" "close to realistic, it will be as aways a "basic" tutorial or start point to help peoples to learn how to proper setup materials inside unreal with his shaders, ofcourse it not will be good as many triple A games or even B games, but as i told it can be a bridge and start points for peoples understand how to use materials for later they can start to "experiment by themselfs and try new things or improve using my tutorial as base and again, this not will be the "only and perfect way" to do things, this is my "current way" which by the way is too far away from being the "best and perfect way", but can be a start.

  • I am meeting up witn my Brother and SIL today it being around Christmas, not seen them for 6 months so still not going to get around to the spring bones tute sadly, it's a crazy time of the year.

  • I whipped a quickie though

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 37,711
    edited December 2019

    cannot get cloth working though

    his hair and beard bottom bits are painted

     

    Capture.JPG
    1928 x 1048 - 183K
    Post edited by WendyLuvsCatz on
  • EllessarrEllessarr Posts: 1,390

    wow very good video, i really need to learn how to make that videos, lol, i'm still trapped in screens and writing, i a moment i will show you how to use the cloth paint properly i will use it with a hair probably.

  • EllessarrEllessarr Posts: 1,390
    edited December 2019

    here how to work with the cloth tools:

    step one select the piece of cloth or hair you want to use in your character, in my case my character was in pieces then i could place the hair in a separated mesh:

    but don't worry it gonna work with any sort of character you are using, if the character is a single piece you just have to select the "hair, then double click in the hair mesh to open the mesh options, then click in the section select buttom as displayed in this image:

     

    the select the "mesh in my case it was easy because it was just he hair.

    then after the hair become "highlighted", right click over the hair mesh and select create cloth data from selected then a pop up menu will menu will come for you to rename the cloth system for a name you want if you want, then after choose the name just click on "create".

     

    then after that in the menu top click in the buttom active cloth paint(the buttom with a brush icon), when you click on it a new window appear(keep the hair or piece of cloth selected)

    will be on that window which all the work will come, if possible move that window to this place:(if it not already open on that place

    then  you will click in the name you used to name your cloth data that will enable you to "paint" that area of the cloth(if the cloth have multiples meshes or materials it will be separated and you need to work on each piece of the cloth separated)

     

    now the most important things is get familiar with the brush and learn what each of the options do, if you already know how to work with "brushs" from others programs like substance painter, or photoshop or any other progran then you are fine, then only thing you need to learn is which you are "controlling" the strengt of the cloth simulation it will hae, when you paint it, you have basically 2 options or it will be full white or full pink, with with being a strong influence and pink being no influence, which means the more close to pink the "less" the piece of cloth will react to the character moviment or wind effects and the more "white" the more it will be affected like a single step can make the cloth go wild.

     

    the most important options for you to use will be:

    cloth paint:

    tool - is the type of tool you are using if is a brush, a gradient a smooth or a fill, i will not explain what each one do to not make too big the tutorial but if you just try and test things you will learn pretty fast.

     

     obs: the next options can change based on the type of brush you will choose but still basically making almost the same.

     

    tool setting:

    paint value - is the "natural strengt of the paint" when you are using the brush, if you change the brush type this change can disappear because some type of brushs come with they own default value and are make to specific effects like smoothing, 0 means no paint while 100 means full paint which means if you paint a pink zone with 100 it will become full white, then it's here where you adjust the strengt you want for the paint.

     

    brush - here is the setting of the brush,  when you moving your mouse around the mesh to paint you can notice a "big circle" around the mouse this is the zone you will paint while clicking with the mouse, by default it will come with 100, then you must adjust the size based on the size of the mesh and the zone you want to paint, this options will be on the radius, strengt and falloff are for the brush again to help the brush itself strengt and effects.

     

    ok now let's go to work after proper adjust the brush start to paint the zone you want to add the cloth effect, remember if that cloth have more than one mesh or that mesh is separated by multiple materias it can make the mesh have multiple zones and you have to paint each zone separated works based on the "cloth or hair" if it have too many zones it can get annoying otherwise no.

     

    Another note when painting the influence remember to never paint the "whole cloth" or hair or it can literally fall in the ground, you must only paint the places you feel it really need to move, like bordes and things like that, following that becarefull when paint a "zone of the brush" if that zone have "small polygons zones like a hair with a strand, if you acidentally paint a strand full it can fall apart in the ground from the hair then becarefull to never paint a full strand, aways watch where you are painting.

    after painting the influence in the hair now click on the top menu on the "deactive cloth paint, now go to the mesh and again "right click on it and choose the option apply clothing data, then choose the data you created, then the engine will start to generate the effect it can take a little time based on the "size of the cloth and bla bla bla" but nothing bigger than a few seconds like 5 to 10 seconds. then after that you will notice which that area painted will deform, then this is when comes the new "job" which is adjust the cloth/hair collision, then look at the top meny at the right side for the "physic:

    then after click on that it will appear:

     

    lol sorry for maybe the weird look of the capsules devil, this was the defaultcheekycool, lol, going back that capsules are the things which you will use to "controll" the cloth or hair collison with the body, they are what will prevent the hair to poke throught the body of the mesh, again mine is like that because my character is on pieces, the amount of capsules and how they will be grouped will be based on the mesh, if the mesh is a full character body then you will have more capsules but you don't need to adjust all only the ones where the hair will touch, then you can click on the capsule then like in maya and others "3d editor you will have 3 options to adjust the capsule W, E R, each one with a option, like rotate, scale or move, then based on what option you choose you will adjust the capsule to proper colide in the body as you want.

     

    any question feel free to ask, this is the most "basic way to use it" you have others ways but for that you have to use "external things like the "ncloth from nvida to adjust the cloth simulation based on bones if the piece of cloth have bones for cloth simulation it's adjusted outside but then imported to this cloth system in the option i skiped to talk but appear when you click to active cloth paint, it's where have the "import bution, but to be honest i never tried to go on that way then i really can't help on that.

     

    ps: i was almost forgetting, the menu at the side which i marked is also to control the capsules you can use it do "delete and genereate new capsules and others options, which i'm also not totally familiar with, just go and play with to learn more.

     

    then since i'm did "this tutorial today i will leave the one for skin for tomorrow.

     

    happy weekend for all.

     

     

    Post edited by Ellessarr on
  • looks like I didn't complete the process, yes I painted the cloth with that brush but not all that stuff afterwards 

  • EllessarrEllessarr Posts: 1,390

    looks like I didn't complete the process, yes I painted the cloth with that brush but not all that stuff afterwards 

    that was what i was thinking you missed, the part to apply the data to the mesh, because on that point what you did was "create the data info" not really added the effect to the hair, you just told the engine where you want to have the effect in the mesh then you would still need to make the engine "apply" it now, well now with that turorial more peoples can try to "play with it.

     

    Another thing which i also forget to say is which since i think it was version 4.18 or something close to that they added a new type of collision capsule, called "cloth capsule or cloth collision capsule or something like that, in general that "new capsule opton work pretty much like the "regular capsule" the difference is which that "new capsule" can be "morphed in better shapes, normally in the regular capsule it don't allow you for exemple scale down one side of the capsule alone or scale one side down and the other side up, that "new capsule allow it, she is much better which allow you make the capsule deform in a much more "precise form for legs and arms to help you, to enable that capsule you must delete the regular one then when trying to add the new capsules you must look to add a capsule with that "new name"  if i'm not wrong it have a different color than the regular one, so far i only tried one time to use that capsule but i was not sure if she was good because  based on her name it's looked like she only work for cloths and maybe others thing which needs that collision capsules could not work(if it'not the "regular capsule" that is why i stopped to test on it and already a good times since the last time i touched it then i don't know if they improved it or not, then any one wanting can give a try on it and see if you liked.

  • cannot get cloth working though

    his hair and beard bottom bits are painted

     

    I dread to think what character you are coming with, at least it's not a lycan in a bikini :)

  • cannot get cloth working though

    his hair and beard bottom bits are painted

     

    I dread to think what character you are coming with, at least it's not a lycan in a bikini :)

    it's this video and already uploaded, I could do a sequel still though

     

  • no spring bones on TP player in that video either

    the NPC's are iClone spring animation exports applied to the same mesh

  • EllessarrEllessarr Posts: 1,390

    another info which i also forget, what you do in the cloth editor is not "absolute", i means after you adjust and go back to the cloth/hair you can aways go back to paint again in case you don't like, just active the select mode again then click in the object(or the object part) which you want to adjust then click again in active paint, then it will bring you back to the paint mode then choose again the data if not already selected and redo again, you can also if you want "remove later that paint data you added to the cloth, just right click in the object and choose "remove" data then choose the data you had added it will remove and make the mash go back to "normal".

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 37,711
    edited December 2019
    Ellessarr said:

    another info which i also forget, what you do in the cloth editor is not "absolute", i means after you adjust and go back to the cloth/hair you can aways go back to paint again in case you don't like, just active the select mode again then click in the object(or the object part) which you want to adjust then click again in active paint, then it will bring you back to the paint mode then choose again the data if not already selected and redo again, you can also if you want "remove later that paint data you added to the cloth, just right click in the object and choose "remove" data then choose the data you had added it will remove and make the mash go back to "normal".

    apply clothing data was the step I needed but no good on Santa coat as too many surfaces can do the cuffs but not sleeves then

     

    so needs not painted areas between cuffs and hem but the resulting raggetty effect suits a skeletal santa

    Post edited by WendyLuvsCatz on
  • EllessarrEllessarr Posts: 1,390
    edited December 2019

    ok guys i'm finally here back for mine "final tutorial (for now), the last part of "tutorial to export a daz character to "unreal".

     

    we already covered

     

    how to prepare a character to export, how to remove unwanted polygons if needed, how to to proper retarget the character to use any "unreal engine" animations needed some tips here and there, now is time for finally how to proper setup a "skin", or how to make you character look more realistic first here my final results:

     

     

    if you liked that result then follow that tutorial otherwise you can for sure findo much better tutorials and results than this one mine

     

    First of as AWAYS, this is "my current way of work" and how i'm working which means, which this for sure is not the "best tutorial or the only way to do that, infact this is a very "novice way" and can be used more like a "start point" to try and learn and progress more than actually as a final product unless you liked my work then use for your own risk.

     

    Disclaimer told, time to dirty your hands in the work.

     

    let's start first we need to export the "right materials

     

    1 - While daz exporting tool is a very strong one when comes to some "options" when comes to "texture/materails the tool is really terrible, it's normally only export the "base color texture or in same cases the base color and the alpha like hairs(the black and white) leaving all others "important textures behind hidden in they own daz folders, then you need to dig on it to find

     

    the best way to "dig a texture in daz" which someone showed me in another topic, this is the fast way possible.

    open daz go to the products then smart content- look for figure then choose a figure you liked the skin then select it, then click again in the same image which now is on the product side

    it will make a new window pop up with info about the product, then scrool down and look for Additional Details - File list, click on file list.

    it will make the window change to another page, then in that new page scrool down again until you find lines like that:

     

    you are lookng for the "runtime/textures folders then is on that folder which the "texture maps are stored and they are what you need.

    then now you gonna close it and go back and click again in the figure figure in the product then when the product options appear go for material optitons, then it will display all materials of the figure then right click in one of the materials then go for browser file location, then a new windows folder will open then click in the simbol of the image:

     

    (note if you know a much more simple and fast way to find where the textures of the figure are being stored use it), then it will show others folders in descending order(they are part of this folder), then look for the number in michale case it is 1_45773, click on that it will move to another folder with the folders data/people/runtime, then since you already know which the runtime is what we are looking for click on it then go clicking in the right folder until you get to the texture folders.

     

    Once in the proper folder, you gonna look for the normalmap textures(the ones looking like blue) and for the specular map,which is one black and white map, becarefull in that folder you have 2 types of "black and white, one is the bump the other is the specular, the specular is the one with a S in near the end of it name while bump obvious have a B, grab the one with the S, you have to get both normal and specular maps for each "body zone", one for head, another for torso/body, another for arms and the last for the legs also the normal for eyes too if the character have a specular for eye get it otherwise you must ignore or choose to generate one.

     

    optional steps in case for some reason the character don't have neither a normal or a specular map you gonna need to "create one", the most fast way to do that is going here:

    http://cpetry.github.io/NormalMap-Online/

    on this site you can generate the normal maps, ambient occlusion and specular maps, when doing that you can use either the base color or a bumb map, bumb maps generate "more strong normal maps", than base color, but bcerafull when using it, because if you don't proper work on the map you can get weird results like having a too strong normal map making the character looking like a mosaic full of huge visible pores, then is important to "test the maps generated from here, a good hint in that page you have a option whe choosing generate a normal map, called strengt, by default it come 2.5, for a skin it can be too strong you must work between 1 and 1.5.

     

    ok after having all the maps now is time to transform that maps from jpg(when generate maps from that site remember to change the file type from png to jpg in a option in the lower area, where yo see a png with a arrow at his side click in this arrow then a opton to choose the format will come then choose jpg) to "targa" or more knowed as TGA format.

     

    Why i must do that???, well because while you can have a 4k jpg image it's quality still low since jpg is only a 8 bits image, for better results you must use a 32 bits image and for unreal the best option and most recommended is targa(tga), then open any image editor you have like photoshop or any other and open the image then jus go and "save as", in my case i'm using photoshop, then a option to choose the name to save and the extension, then i change the extension from jpg(or any other default the program using) to targa/tga, when doing that the program will ask you the quality you want if is 8, 16 or 32 bits, choose 32, if the program you are using don't have that opton then you must find inside the program before save how to change the image quality from 8 to 32 bits then save as tga.

     

    then you will create the tga file needed for unreal,

     

    now open the unreal and click select all the images you want to export then just drag to the unreal program inside the folder you want to save, it will automatically export all files, you can go to unreal and click in the "import" files buttom" and look for the images and import both ways work.

     

    after import all images to unreal now is time to work in the material/shader. which is when comes the big trouble, i will do a little break here for now, to not make this post too big then continue it on a second part which will be about work with the materials and will be the big one since it will have a lot of details.

     

    But in general working in materials in unreal is super easy at first, but really complext and hard if you want to enter in the professional triple AAA, movies, quality, i will give the basic notion of material and work on the shaders then after that if you want to "improve you need to look for others good tutorials outside( you can find a lot inside youtube) giving more hints about it;

     

    i will take a rest now and see if i can finish it still today later or ate worst tomorrow but fore sure i will finish it before christmass which will be my "christmass gift for everyone".

     

    see you later.

     

     

     

    Post edited by Ellessarr on
Sign In or Register to comment.