FWSA Martin HD for Michael 8 texture fail
in The Commons
Hi all,
I just realised that this product has an awful issue with the face/head textures. You can even see it in the promo pictures (3rd image). I didn't notice at the time of purchase.
https://www.daz3d.com/fwsa-martin-hd-for-michael-8.
I've attached a picture highlighting the issue. It is present in all base and SSS material options.
I know it is a 2 bucks item (for DAZ+ people) but still it is a defect that should be fixed by the PA and not by the customer using Gimp/Photoshop healing tools.
(I cropped the image and smudge the face deails to avoid copying texture)
I'll open the ticket at some point and wait 6 months for it to get fixed.


Cheers

Comments
The product has been out for about 4 years and this is the first post I have seen in the forums about any percieved issue. I honestly can't see the issue in the image you posted.
If you zoom in, there's a fairly clear seam on the forehead.
I do see the seam, but doubtful it'll ever be fixed.
The seam is there whether you can see it or not (I guess you are... lucky?). In all fairness I didn't notice at first, but now that I know I cannot unsee it. It's distracting and it ruins my render (lucky for me only one). You may get away with it if the character is not in the forefront of the render but otherwise for me it's very obvious. I mentioned is shown in the 3rd image in the promo pics but it can be seen in most of them. I wear glasses all the time and I still can see without them.
It's being out for almost 4 years, but I bought it end of September 2021 and is the first time I'm using it now. Again, as I said, is an easy fix with the healing tool, but if someone doesn't have the skills or the time to fix it themselves then let this thread be used as a warning. As AllenArt said, it is unlikely it'll be fixed any time soon if ever... especially if i don't submit the ticket. Is much faster if I fix it myself, or better yet use another skin, which is what I did.
Cheers.
Is the seam present in accompanying textures as well? (Bump, normal, roughness, etc.) If so, the seam could manifest in renders even if you heal the diffuse.
Since it is a DAZ Original, there is the small possibility that it might still get fixed by DAZ staff if someone files a bug report.
I had a quick glance and only noticed on the "base" and the SSS images. I cannot see it in the bumps (B), normal (N) or (S) images. Sorry not sure what S stands for but is in gray tones like the bump but with more details.
Cheers
Specular.
I can see the seam. Not great.
Your chance of getting a texture fix on an old FWSA product is very very low, based on my experience with Daz Customer Support. Users have complained for years about the double anus on FW male characters. Nothing was ever fixed. FW just kept cranking out more characters with the same basic skin resource with slight modifications, retaining the error. I quit purchasing their stuff.
If I'm not mistaken, Fred Winkler (the FW in FWSA) is now Emrys. If so, buyers may feel encouraged that they now partner with Morris for a lot of their products.
I have no "inside knowledge" but that doesn't sound right to me. FW and Emrys each have their distinctive styles and they look different.
A quick search brings up characters that lists both FW and Emrys, which also makes me think they're two separate PAs.
I disagree about their styles being distinct, apart from any evolution that Emrys might have made as an artist in the time since the (alleged) name change. Look at the eyes.
Also, this is definitely not proof, but the first product released by Emrys was only a few months before FW's last, and if you agree with me that their styles are very similar, then the timing certainly appears significant.
I did some cyber-stalking and found this... FW referring to an Emrys character as "not mine".
They do seem to be frequent collaborators, though.
Again, even if it turns out that they are distinct entities, their styles still look utterly interchangeable to me.
Agree to disagree, then
the reason why I'm obsessing over this is that their styles look really quite different to me, so the idea that they are the same person was blowing my mind a little bit!
Like I said, take a look at the eyes. FW gave basically all his male characters the same eye shape, and Emrys does the same. The main promos also look the same to me, although it's possible that they use the same promo artist rather than doing their own. I can easily spot a character by BlueJaunte, or Mousso, or Spows, or any number of other PAs. If you showed me a character by Emrys or FW and asked me to tell you which one, I could only guess.
Appears to me as something that can happen when trying to make a browless face texture. Do a gentle clone [feathered, maybe less opacity] over the seam - and also check all the concerned layers. Put a bandana around his head ... running out here now ... Cheers!
Here, another PA, who also changed her name, says that FWArt is Emrys.
I think Emrys does a quite a bit more realistic style then FW and they are not the same PA. I also thought Emrys is a female but that's strictly because Emrys sounds like a female name to my native English speaking ears.
Emrys is another (Welsh) name for Merlin (the wizard not the 3D creator), so not female
Ok, I just DM´d with Emrys and they're indeed Fred Winkler.
My mind is blown, I'm never getting over this
I'm surprised too. They stepped up the realism in their models..