When I import a mixamo fbx using this methodology, the animation is fine. However, when converting it to aniblock using "Convert AniBlock from Studio Keyframes' option, suddenly the animation has massive foot sliding translations.
In the attached, red is the animation after converting to aniBlock.
Is there a way to make Aniblocks without this happening?

I work with 3D scanned items a lot, I was using a gensis figure to repair a fragmented scan with R3dS and it hit me.... could I use R3dS to convert old victora morphs to gen 8 or 9?   It should be as easy as morphing the figure, exporting it, doing the alignment to the new mesh and re-import.

What am I missing, or should that actually work?

You can try else I will convert it to DS format.

Import the attached OBJ, with scale 10000% and standard DS orientation.

Load a G8M character.

Run Transfer Utility Edit > Object > Transfer Utility with G8M as source and the obj as target and default settings (you can add a smoothing modifier, but that can also be done later)

The obj is now rigged to match G8M.

Apply surface settings. There is 3 surfaces: Base plate, lights and wires.

You can save to your library (if wanted) File > Save As > Support Asset > Figure/Prop Asset (you have to choose a path, e.g. People > Genesis 8 Male > Accessories (or Props)).

It is zipped as forum won't allow an obj file.

I know how to import an object. As for transfer utility, the phrase rang a bell and I think it was in this tutorial I bought years ago https://www.daz3d.com/advanced-rigging-in-daz-studio-4-pro and haven't re-visited it since. At that time I primarily using Poser. Now I only use Poser if I need to use it's python scrips for a product prior to using it in Daz Studio.

I have the figures downloaded through the installer, each is in their own file. I attempted to import the file so I could work on it in studio 4.22, but studio won't allow it to be imported. What is the correct file format to import? py,, pz2, duf, png ? I looked at the tutorials and can't find the instructions there either.

Do you know how to import an obj, and then do transfer utility to fit G8M?

@Dartanbeck how  are you retargetting the Cascadure animation back to Rosie in Daz studio??
They recently removed the import /export features in the newer 2024 version which upset ALOT of people as this program is useless without FBX import/Export.

However one could have gotten a free two year license of the full import/export version if you registered way back in March.

I still have the older 2023 version which has 
import/export still and oddly enough they still  have older version installers on their web site.

Out of curiosity I grabbed an old 2022 version for linux as a test and indeed it still has the FBX export/import.

So it may still be possible to roll back to a version with export/import  for those who missed out on the Free two year indie license offer fo the latest version.

dream-weaver said:

I'm trying to recreate a character and I used one of the fiber style G9 brows. But I'm not fully there yet and there is now way to get them any further without distorting the otherwise pretty much final facial structures.

Is there any way to manually edit these eyebrows with something like a tool?

I tried meshgrabber, but that's not really working on fibers.

Depending what you're really using... If they're G9's fiber mesh brows, they are not SBH other than sort of transmapped ones. So Mesh Grabber works well on them...and you can freely save the tweaked shape as morph properties with Mesh Grabber.

Alternatively, you can export the brows as OBJs to external software like Blender, and sculpt the shape as needed, then import OBJs to the brows with Morph Loader Pro to make whatever partial head morph or corrective morphs. It should be pretty simple. 

crosswind said:

I'm sorry man ~ I was not able to watch that video on youtube without VPN which didn't work last night.. Now I can see it and got what you want !

So, in this case, you keep going in the simplest way: use one dFormer with default settings... and animate the Transform values of d-Former Field with keyframes on the timeline.

As for the way of morphing, the way I mentoined was for static case. If going for making an animation, the traditional way in DS is to make and import sequential OBJs (with dFormer or Blender...) Like this example, I exported OBJs and sculpted them a bit in Blender as it was quicker than using multiple dFormers, then import OBJs as morphs and animate them on the timeline... to make some subtle changes, roughly like this vedeo: https://mega.nz/file/aWwU2JIS#tr6a9vmwfiS_8vCEIX7l7nQaFnUxQ7a7se4kScU-lm0

Thank you! 

That is pretty much the conclusion I'd come to as well. Each individual OBJ morph could be hidden so as not to clutter things up. 

Honestly though, I think that simply having the null hold all the individual D-Formers and simply having its y-position change over the timeline and converted into an ERC freeze is the way to do it. It gives that much more control. It's just too bad there isn't a way to make an "animated" morph happen. 

Thanks again 

druc said:

Thanks, I am not that good at modeling and even worse with texturing.

Making it is as easy as loading a scene, using the deformer is a little harder. There is no modeling or texturing involved, you just use the built in primitives in DS, scale them to shape, export, re-import, then use a deformer to get it to fit the slope/curve of the head. When you export as OBJ it keeps the material zones, so just apply a metal, plastic or emissive shader to each one

I'm sorry man ~ I was not able to watch that video on youtube without VPN which didn't work last night.. Now I can see it and got what you want !

So, in this case, you keep going in the simplest way: use one dFormer with default settings... and animate the Transform values of d-Former Field with keyframes on the timeline.

As for the way of morphing, the way I mentoined was for static case. If going for making an animation, the traditional way in DS is to make and import sequential OBJs (with dFormer or Blender...) Like this example, I exported OBJs and sculpted them a bit in Blender as it was quicker than using multiple dFormers, then import OBJs as morphs and animate them on the timeline... to make some subtle changes, roughly like this vedeo: https://mega.nz/file/aWwU2JIS#tr6a9vmwfiS_8vCEIX7l7nQaFnUxQ7a7se4kScU-lm0

According to the readme this uses some or all of http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/referenceguide/scripting/api_reference/samples/metadata/list_products_used/start and that is certainly, as it stands, stoe agnostic (I think an earlier version did take the daz store as a starting parameter, but even if it did that was editable)

crosswind said:

1)  Yes ~  Switch Influence Mode to Weight Map,  paint the weight properly as needed ( Select polygons first, then Fill Selected and Smooth Selected with Node Weight Brush tool... and give them different weight if you want to have different size of bulges)... and then tweak Scale XZ of the d-Former ~ (ss1 ~ 2)

2)  No need... (I'm lazy to try... but I think that may work to some extent.)

3) Yes ~ set mutiple key frames with different scale value(s) with the d-Former. But I suggest you export the dFormed result to OBJ and import OBJ as a morph with Morph Loader Pro. Then animate with the morph, which'll be neater. (ss3)

I played with it and I realized where the miscommunication happened: 

I don't just want the different bulges to expand and contract, but to "slide along" the pipe, like in the video in the original post. So the Weight Mapped Influence isn't the way to go. I tried it and it only affects the specific geometry of the cylinder, not allowing it to move down its length. 

That just brings me back to your point on #3 in my original reply; with the Morph Loader it will absolutely scale the bulges outward, but I need to figure out how/if I can use the D-Formers to make the bulges move long the pipe and put that into a morph dial. Still experimenting! 

Thanks for the reply, and please let me know if you have any further insight on the matter.  

It turns out that for my second question, if you parent the D-Former bases to a Null object, and then parent the Null object to the cylinder, the D-Forms will still apply to the cylinder and just skip over the null. (I'm assuming because it doesn't have geometry and it just "passes the buck" up to the next parent that does?)  

crosswind said:

1)  Yes ~  Switch Influence Mode to Weight Map,  paint the weight properly as needed ( Select polygons first, then Fill Selected and Smooth Selected with Node Weight Brush tool... and give them different weight if you want to have different size of bulges)... and then tweak Scale XZ of the d-Former ~ (ss1 ~ 2)

2)  No need... (I'm lazy to try... but I think that may work to some extent.)

3) Yes ~ set mutiple key frames with different scale value(s) with the d-Former. But I suggest you export the dFormed result to OBJ and import OBJ as a morph with Morph Loader Pro. Then animate with the morph, which'll be neater. (ss3)

1) Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but I thought that if I had changed the Influence to a Weight Map, wouldn't I be weight-mapping the geometry of the cylinder itself? I didn't consider it because I thought then that the cylinder's mesh itself would be moving rather than the D-Form through its space? 
Please help correct my understanding on which part is actually being Weight-Mapped, but I will give it a go. 

3) A few clarifications needed here: 
I get what you mean, where I can take the D-Form's position on the timeline and set its y-position to the different spots along the cylinder, but I'm confused about the OBJ file. Can an OBJ file store data about animation like that? (Again, I'll take your word for it and try it, but I want to make sure that I'm understanding the way it works.) 

Thank you! I will keep you updated on the results

1)  Yes ~  Switch Influence Mode to Weight Map,  paint the weight properly as needed ( Select polygons first, then Fill Selected and Smooth Selected with Node Weight Brush tool... and give them different weight if you want to have different size of bulges)... and then tweak Scale XZ of the d-Former ~ (ss1 ~ 2)

2)  No need... (I'm lazy to try... but I think that may work to some extent.)

3) Yes ~ set mutiple key frames with different scale value(s) with the d-Former. But I suggest you export the dFormed result to OBJ and import OBJ as a morph with Morph Loader Pro. Then animate with the morph, which'll be neater. (ss3)

Check what's shown in the list of Compatibilities ?

And, with Edit Metadata with the product, in Content DB Editor, can you see the data of Compatibilities under the user-facing file(s) ?

1st, do not select any node in Scene pane before running the script... then it'll  Scan All ~~

2nd, in Settings tab, tick "Always scan all children..."

Be noted, at least for the time being, this script is not able to list any third-party products even if you've installed them to Smart Content (cms database...) with metadata..

Just load the FACS with easy import, then you can load arkit mocaps with the bvh module.

https://bitbucket.org/Diffeomorphic/retarget_bvh/downloads/

When creating props and figures it is extremely important that the model loads in at the center of the scene, is loaded in the correct rotation AND is exactly 100% the size it needs to be within Daz Studio.

If everything will be static and has no moving parts then just importing them one at a time via OBJ import will be fine.  If they will having moving parts, then they need to be imported through the Figure Setup tab so you can set up the bones and orientation.  Then use the Property Hierarchy tab to do fancy rigging math (if the product needs fancy bone movement).

Either way, you will use the Joint Editor tool with the Tool Settings tab open to adjust the props center point and or bone center and end points.

To expand on what Felis is saying, it will be best if you setup a separate folder for this product where you can create a separate content library just for this product and all its part.  This will make it very easy to find and edit as you go.

The best practice for a large scene is the break it down into its parts and save each piece out one by one.  This will allow you to offer individual items within the product AND when saving the whole scene AS a Scene Subset, you will not be duplicating files in your Data folder and your product will be much smaller and optimized. 

The other reason to do individual pieces is so you can use instances with in Daz Studio to duplicate pieces that are used more than once within the scene.  This also saves on product size and reduces resource use when rendering.  

If you are willing to buy a tutorial, I would suggest this one - https://www.daz3d.com/rigging-vehicles-and-mechs-in-daz-studio

I can merge a selecttion- like a wall piece, into a scene.  But- for example- when i merge a control console, it is white, and when I attempt to merge the console colors into the appropriate piece, nothing happens.

I have made sure that Surfaces is selected.  But still, nothing happens.

I also noticed that a '!' appears, in place a picture, on the tab, ..if that means anything.  I also clicked Update Metadata.

I even attempted to reshade and texture the wall console piece, and nothing happened.

 Anyone else have this problem with this item?