For those of us who use Daz to generate images for comics and such, exporting to Blender and then fiddling with the materials just takes too long.

You're just using it the wrong way.

The thing with blender is once you import your content you can do whatever you want. Especially with effects and simulations that are great in blender. But also for sculpting and character customizations. Plus there's eevee that's great to render fast and that's good for comics as well as for animations. This is worth fiddling a bit. A viable comics workflow will be to first export the assets, then use them in blender and work in blender to pose the characters and setup the scene and lights. Sticking to work in daz studio then exporting every single scene just to render it in eevee or cycles does not make much sense.

But in another discussion I asked about creating a library of figures, props, environments, etc., in Blender and I understood the response to say that there is no such concept as a content library in Blender. I don't get how to compile scenes within Blender without access to the DAZ Studio library.

The Blender devs have recognized that asset management is an area that needs work, and as I understand it improvements are coming.  Not sure what it will look like.  Meanwhile, the old school method of organizing your content in folders and within library .blend files for different types of content still works.

Keep in mind Blender is not designed primarily as part of a marketing strategy for content from one particular online store.  It has to encompass content from any source, including self-made.  So a content library very like Daz Studio's isn't possible: I don't think you will ever have a BIM and Blender Central to work alongside a Blender content library.

Dont see why a Blender Central/BIM equivalent is a necessary component for a library system.

In Daz, we can create our own assets, presets, etc in a library system; we can do this with assets from any external website that we import into Daz.  So Blender should have this too and having marketplaces dictate its design is not a relevant point of discussion really.

A BIM/Blender Central isn't necessary for a generic asset library system, but it is if you want content management in Blender to work as it does in Daz Studio.  That appeared to me to be what Marble would like.  

The only content management features Daz Studio has that Blender (without addons) does not is Smart Content/CMS.  You need DIM/Daz Central to load the metadata for Smart Content for products from the Daz store.  So if you want content management like that in Blender, you need something to load the metadata for the assets into a database, i.e. a DIM/Daz Central equivalent. You also need creators to provide metadata.  Everything else (Content Library) is just files in folders.

Any asset manager for Blender would have to handle content from any source, in various formats (not just DUF files), which is a much wider and more complicated remit.  When Blender has an asset manager included, a specification for metadata may be published with a means to load it, so asset creators can provide the metadata if they so wish.  Or it may not.

We are agreed that Blender will benefit from improved asset management.  I am not at all convinced that Blender needs to be more like Daz Studio in this area, or many other areas.  

Daz Central is quite possibly the worst thing Daz has ever created. Not just because of the current issue with access, but it is the slowest buggiest POC software, and I've been forced to use Sophos at work, which until now was the lamest.

Ok I have the same issue, Daz Central and Studio are stuck, don't accept my password. Looks like a general issue currently? Store is however working fine. 

In UK. Can't connect to Daz Central, Studio or DIM. 

Back to the New Product Library:

when (hopefully it's when, not if) they are fixing the product description and put Daz Central in it's place (down there with Daz Connect) it would be nice when they corrected the file type too - at the moment EVERYTHING is a "Daz Studio" file. Even Bryce and Bryce files ... sigh!

For those of us who use Daz to generate images for comics and such, exporting to Blender and then fiddling with the materials just takes too long.

You're just using it the wrong way.

The thing with blender is once you import your content you can do whatever you want. Especially with effects and simulations that are great in blender. But also for sculpting and character customizations. Plus there's eevee that's great to render fast and that's good for comics as well as for animations. This is worth fiddling a bit. A viable comics workflow will be to first export the assets, then use them in blender and work in blender to pose the characters and setup the scene and lights. Sticking to work in daz studio then exporting every single scene just to render it in eevee or cycles does not make much sense.

But in another discussion I asked about creating a library of figures, props, environments, etc., in Blender and I understood the response to say that there is no such concept as a content library in Blender. I don't get how to compile scenes within Blender without access to the DAZ Studio library.

The Blender devs have recognized that asset management is an area that needs work, and as I understand it improvements are coming.  Not sure what it will look like.  Meanwhile, the old school method of organizing your content in folders and within library .blend files for different types of content still works.

Keep in mind Blender is not designed primarily as part of a marketing strategy for content from one particular online store.  It has to encompass content from any source, including self-made.  So a content library very like Daz Studio's isn't possible: I don't think you will ever have a BIM and Blender Central to work alongside a Blender content library.

Dont see why a Blender Central/BIM equivalent is a necessary component for a library system.

In Daz, we can create our own assets, presets, etc in a library system; we can do this with assets from any external website that we import into Daz.  So Blender should have this too and having marketplaces dictate its design is not a relevant point of discussion really.

For those of us who use Daz to generate images for comics and such, exporting to Blender and then fiddling with the materials just takes too long.

You're just using it the wrong way.

The thing with blender is once you import your content you can do whatever you want. Especially with effects and simulations that are great in blender. But also for sculpting and character customizations. Plus there's eevee that's great to render fast and that's good for comics as well as for animations. This is worth fiddling a bit. A viable comics workflow will be to first export the assets, then use them in blender and work in blender to pose the characters and setup the scene and lights. Sticking to work in daz studio then exporting every single scene just to render it in eevee or cycles does not make much sense.

But in another discussion I asked about creating a library of figures, props, environments, etc., in Blender and I understood the response to say that there is no such concept as a content library in Blender. I don't get how to compile scenes within Blender without access to the DAZ Studio library.

The Blender devs have recognized that asset management is an area that needs work, and as I understand it improvements are coming.  Not sure what it will look like.  Meanwhile, the old school method of organizing your content in folders and within library .blend files for different types of content still works.

Keep in mind Blender is not designed primarily as part of a marketing strategy for content from one particular online store.  It has to encompass content from any source, including self-made.  So a content library very like Daz Studio's isn't possible: I don't think you will ever have a BIM and Blender Central to work alongside a Blender content library.

I'm so so excited about this, and I'm trying to figure out - is this Mac compatible? I can't seem to locate the plugin installer in either DIM or DAZ Central. 

For me, the needed zip file to install in Blender 2.9 was located here:

/Users/myusername/Library/Application Support/Blender/2.90/scripts/addons/AppData/Blender Foundation/Blender/DAZ 3D Add-ons

Daz Central and DIM have been updated so that this manual step is no longer required.

Thanks. I'll see about updating.

For me, the needed zip file to install in Blender 2.9 was located here:

/Users/myusername/Library/Application Support/Blender/2.90/scripts/addons/AppData/Blender Foundation/Blender/DAZ 3D Add-ons

Daz Central and DIM have been updated so that this manual step is no longer required.

Anyone know how to install this on the Blender side?

I used Daz Central to download and install. Guess what? That method also installs it in Blender. Just go to Blender Edit/Preferences/Addons. Type daz in the search bar, and if you have the old version installed, you should see the Armature: DaztoBlender. Uncheck the old one and check the new, and voila, the new features including environments are there. 

 

Whoa, I just tried that with my laptop that I hadn't installed 2.0 yet and it was installed in Blender already from DIM! Great catch!

Anyone know how to install this on the Blender side?

I used Daz Central to download and install. Guess what? That method also installs it in Blender. Just go to Blender Edit/Preferences/Addons. Type daz in the search bar, and if you have the old version installed, you should see the Armature: DaztoBlender. Uncheck the old one and check the new, and voila, the new features including environments are there. 

Anyone know how to install this on the Blender side?

Blender:

1. In Blender, go to Edit > Preferences.
2. In the Preferences window, go to Add-ons and enable the Daz to Blender
3. Browse to 'C:\Users\'username'\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\DAZ 3D Add-ons\'.
4. Open the tab and choose Import New Genesis 3/8 for Character.
   1. If the character has accessories in there hand run #accessory before importing.
5. Open the tab and choose Import New Env/Prop for Environment and Prop.

Daz Studio (advanced import):

1. Open your character in Daz Studio.
2. Locate and open the Daz to Blender Bridge, which can be found at the top of Studio under Scripts>Bridges>Daz to Blender.
3. Click on the Blender HD version of the script in the above path to run the script. 
   Blender:
4. In Blender, go to Edit > Preferences.
5. In the Preferences window, go to Add-ons (on the left side) > click Install (in the top right).
6. Browse to 'C:\Users\'username'\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\DAZ 3D Add-ons\'.
7. Select the "DTB_v280-283.zip" folder here and choose Install Add-on in the bottom right corner.
8. In the Preferences window, go to Save & Load on the left side.
9. Check the box next to Auto Run Python Scripts.
10. Exit out of Preferences and look for a tab named "DazToBlenderHD" on the right side of the Blender viewport.
11. Open this tab and choose Import New Genesis HD.

Anyone know how to install this on the Blender side?

I used Daz Central to download and install. Guess what? That method also installs it in Blender. Just go to Blender Edit/Preferences/Addons. Type daz in the search bar, and if you have the old version installed, you should see the Armature: DaztoBlender. Uncheck the old one and check the new, and voila, the new features including environments are there. 

No show-stopper bugs have shown up in RC2, so it now becomes the stable version 1.5.0.

I'm switching to v1.5.0. Still having issues with loading morphs at the Corrections step. For instance:

- BrowUp-Down<br /> - BrowUp-DownL<br /> - BrowUp-DownR<br /> - CheekCrease<br /> * CheekCreaseL<br /> * CheekCreaseR<br /> - CheekEyeFlex<br /> - CheekEyeFlexL<br /> - CheekEyeFlexR<br /> ...

I could import them as custom morphs directly from the character's folder and /Daz 3D/etc folders as well. I'm not using the standard Daz folder for the Libraries, but they were updated via Global Settings / Load Root Paths.

The materials are very faithful to the original Iray shaders, and MHX rig is fast.

I'm not familiar to Daz internal policies, but you could offer your plugin as an alternative to Bridge, as a Published Artist or via Daz Central.

Thank you for your hard work. The Daz to Blender importer is a crucial link for my project.

Regards.

Installation issue - use DIM/Daz central or Daz Studio itself to install to avoid such things, but you can fix it by taking everythign out of IM.../Content/ folder in the My Library folder and placing it directly in the My Library folder.

@KA1 Thanks for that. That does indeed look like the Katana used. :)

@scorpio I kept coming back to the Helena Hair as well because of the ornaments, but I'm not sure if it is them because the ones in Helena Hair are a completely different style. The ones used in the promo have more intricate curls and a large central stone, plus there appears to be some detailing on the shaft just below the decorative end.

I'm beginning to think perhaps Crocodile Liu has made the sticks as well since they feature in so many of the promos for different elements, but there's never anything listed in the Products Used or included in the products that the promos feature.

I really hope they get that Daz Central install button off of there. I almost click it every day I go to download the product pages, it is right there. I have to keep myself from my buttons on the mouse. But one day, I will not be paying attention and I hope there is a failsafe to say 'NO!'.

Yes, at least as of right now, it takes you to a page where you would have to click several more things before ending up with Daz Central installed.

I really hope they get that Daz Central install button off of there. I almost click it every day I go to download the product pages, it is right there. I have to keep myself from my buttons on the mouse. But one day, I will not be paying attention and I hope there is a failsafe to say 'NO!'.

And surely, 2nd time round,   Archway must lead to

Archway>Holborn>Arsenal>Tufnell Park>Hyde Park Corner> Hounsow Central>Archway>

Monument

Using, of course, the good old-fashioned DCMS variant which I have just invented.

I appreciate that progress has been made in restoring features we asked for.

They need to stop listening to whoever is coming up with these bright ideas to begin with.  Now if they put it back the way it was, and ditched Daz Central (fat chance) everything would be peachy.