One thing I forgot to mention -- w/Poser 11, you do get two figures -- Paul and Pauline -- that are "open source," although the interpretation of "open source" seems to be open to interpretation. :-)

But supposedly, you can use Paul/Pauline as bases for your own figures, if you ever intend to enter that arena.

I am not loving the P11 HD morph tool, but I have ZBrush. 

Your question -- Poser vs DAZ...which is better -- really has no answer.  You won't know if you like Poser, especially Poser 11, till you use it.  Experimenting w/a trial version makes a ton of sense, if there's a trial version available.

Edit/Correction:  Paul and Pauline are considered "merchant resources," not "open source."  I'm sorry for the error.

What DS needs are advanced easy dependency editor features. ERC-freeze appears very limited to me. A morph brush whould be lovley too. Poser is still stuck in the 90s' technologie and its users reject any progress afraid they are loosing V4 compability. I still will use both. I guess Poser mainley because of upcomming ProjectE release.

In the end I will go with that software, that offers pro features for pro figures. Just pose Genesis3F next to Poser's Pauline and you know who has really blown it.

I'm not sure what you mean - the bases (Genesis 2/Genesis 3) are the models, the named characters (Victoria, Michael etc.) are shapes for them. Both sets of bases have a wide range of morph sets available which add the detailed shaping controls for making your own characters.

Thank you guys for your advice!!

Neither the model nor the shorts has displacement maps. Also I waited for the smoothing finished.

I tweeked the parameters of the shorts to widen and lower the morph on the model's body, and higher the smoothing iterations to 10, then I had no holes.

Maybe that's how I should do. Change little, test rendering and again.

Just to explain the other way of transfering a customized character based on a variety of morphs.

Start with an empty scene. This time load Genesis2 Female in your scene. Dial In the Mei Lin 6 at Value 1 and Dial in the Bodybuilder Morph at 0.5. Now you have a pretty muscular version of Mei Lin. Basicly you created your own customized character that is not available in the DAZ Shop or somewhere else. It is not Default Mei Lin 6 nor is it the Default Female Bodybuilder, but it is based on both.

Go to the GenX2-Tab and follow these steps:

1. Choose Genesis2 Female via the Source Button

2. Change the Mode to Create Single Morph

3. Go to the Select Button and choose the Option Get Values from Figure in Scene

4. Again via the Select Button choose Transfer: On For All Non Zero Values

5. Click on the Transfer Button

6. If the Dialouge pops up enter the Name MeiLinMuscular and click on Accept

Now if you reload Genesis, you will find a new slider called MeiLinMuscular. If you dial in that one, you will clearly see the difference. The Mei Lin 6 Shape (Value 1) and the Bodybuilder Shape (Value 0.5)  have been welded together in one Single Morph. ;-)

With that method you don´t need to select anything in the Region Actor Section. Because only those morphs will be recognized with Non Zero Value. The Zero Morph Warning Message should not be there this time.

I would only be interested in Pro, and not the Standard version; the HD morph brush (I think its called is not available in Standard), and some other differences; I'd compare the two and see.

Other than the native Poser figures, I'm not aware of anything that can't be got into Daz; and even native ones could be with some tweakage as they are just meshes, rigging and textures. But they aren't well supported, I understand.

There is a free trial of Poser 11 Pro - use it, and wait for it to come on offer again - it will; at least if previous experiences with older versions are any indication.

1. Look at the art produced.

To me either has the tools to create great art.

2. Does the content you have all work in Poser, or Daz; and if so, will it all work in the other.

This answer depends on quantity that favours one or the other.

3. Do you like learning new systems?

Yes might be a take the plunge. No? Well obviously not. Just remember how you felt when you were learning Daz.

4. Whatever tools you used for the commission were missing, and that you could have really used that are available in Poser?

Are those tools available elsewhere? Such as Blender, which is free; from my point of view, I found Blender much easier to learn than Poser; I love the art that Poser users create, but can't get on with the tool.

I don't hate it, and have considered it because of the HD morph brush added to Poser Pro 11, and it's Dynamics system. But I have a lot of G3 items, and even with the new tool available, it requires work. I'm happy enough with using Blender atm.

Depending on how Smart Content - and specifically the DRM component - develops, I may still move over; looks less likely now, but companies change their minds due to market forces.

Up to now I've had pretty good success with the process, regarding skinning deformations and morphs. Maybe Max preserves better the FBX information than Lightwave?!? I don't really know (suppose there's no difference), but at least with my current workflow I can get the work done pretty well. But with the crappy low res base mesh... :(
There is indeed a 100 morph limit in Max. It doesn't bother me much, since I first set up the figure in Daz and bake those morphs, so then I just need expression morphs in Max. In any case exporting close to 100 expression morphs one by one via OBJ and setting them back up in Max... That's just crazy. That's why I use the FBX export support for morphs and skinning, I just don't understand why there is this "only base mesh" limitation!
Animating in DAZ... Well, let's say it's not my cup of tea. It's simply out of the picture. I find Max tools for animation way more convenient than DS, even if I don't get the same deformations as in DS. I can cope with that.
And yes, there are quite a few different methods to subdivide the mesh in Max. But in order to retain the morphing capabilities these have to be applied after the skinning and morphing stages... Which is what I'm trying to bypass.
Any other tips guys? Could anyone elaborate on the Mudbox method? Or maybe write some code that would do the magic, or find another alternative? Thx! :)

By going through the screenshots, I see what the problem is. You are still mixing the two different methods of conversion.

Now try this, just start with an empty scene. Don´t load Genesis2 Female/Mei Lin6 in the scene. Go to the GenX2-Tab and follow these steps:

1. Choose Genesis2 Female via the Source Button

2. Check Mei Lin 6 and Mei Lin 6 Body in the Region Actor Section

3. Change Mode to Selected Morphs ( Create Single Morph is causing the problem in your workflow!).

4. Go to the bottom of the GenX2-Tab and change the option Ignore Conditional Morphs to Transfer Conditional Morphs

5. Click on the Transfer Button

And thats it, now load the Genesis figure and you should have both Morphs you selected, Mei Lin 6 and Mei Lin 6 Body.

In case of Mei Lin 6 you don´t need a figure in the scene nor do you need the values from figure in scene. And there will be no longer a dialouge to give the single transfered morph a name.

You should be able to take the mesh to 3 levels of subd in ZBrush and do your morph.  Then take it back down to no subd in zbrush and export it for return to Daz Studio.  Use your high poly version in ZBrush to generate normals for details.  Just make sure that the version you export from DS, for the morph, is the same poly count as the one you exported from Studio originally.  Don't use anything that adds geometry as that will change the vertex count.

It isn't a problem, so much as an intentional restriction.

No morphs made on the subdivided mesh are importable, with Morph Loader, as morphs, no matter which program was used to make them.

this set is basically consisting in two parts : a cute little head morph for Genesis3F which is better used with the Girl7 because of the skin texture and the toonish shape and a set of 3 clothes parts designed for Genesis 3F : a blouse, a short and a pair of shoes. A lot of JCM are provided for the control of these clothes to provide always the best shape. I hope everybody enjoy thanks to the lower price of it..

I'm surprised that DAZ doesn't have this model yet, and wow do I wish I could model this myself so I could make it just for all of you!  But I don't have the time to learn right now, nor the software, and I guess it sucks to be me....

Anyway, not many people have heard of Author, Michael Ende - but if I mention the 80s flick, "The Neverending Story," I'm sure all heads will bob up and down in acknowledgement.   

German author, Michael Ende wrote the literary classic that inspired that aforementioned movie under the German title, Die unendliche Geschitchte.

If you've never read it then I'd highly advise that you do even if just once, because it presents an array of  interesting monsters from the Luck Dragon (which DAZ has plenty of varieties to pick from), to the Wisp, Gmork - servant to the Nothing, the Rockbiter, Grogramon - the many colored Death, and so on....

But who, Oh who could ever forget the First Gate of the Sphinxes?

You know?  The ones that could see straight into your soul and deem if you felt your worth.  If you did not, then the eyes would open and destroy you before you passed beyond them (or rather, Atreyu).

How could anyone forget the awesomeness of that scene growing up in the 80s?  

And the Southern Oracle, which was akin to the First gate - except they glowed blue upon the white and sparkling snow?

There was also the infinity fountain, similar to AURYN in shape, but I'm getting ahead of myself... My request was for the Sphinx.

Yes, and if someone could make the Sphinx happen, I will snap that product up in a millisecond with $$$.

Oh, but 'copyright infringement,' you say?

Not al all!!! - I reply.

The Sphinx is actually a mythological creature from Greek legend as well as in Egyptian lore.  

The Greek mythos presents the creature with the head and abdomen of a woman, wings of an eagle, the pelvis of a lion, and sometime the tail of a snake (usually a cobra).  In both Greek and Egypt, the Spinxes are powerful guardians.

As a prospective buyer of such a 3D creature, it would be great if the Sphinx was rigged for motion, flight, and the tail for movement.  

The face could be given the option of having expressions and mimic words (although all sphinxes are expressionless and silent that I have ever seen)... Maybe it could alternate (like the Gen 5 - Genesis models) between male and female chest anatomy  - so if someone wanted to parent an ignusSerpantus Egyptian themed headpiece to it and make it masculine - and thus design the Egyptian version, then they could do so. 

(Let's not forget that the once great and fierce Persian Empire also boasted a Sphinx as well) <--- Google image it.

So, yeah anyway.  I'm not asking for a copyright infringement of an 80s movie model.  I'm asking for a literary, and mythological, and historical model that was very symbolic to three powerful empires and pivotal to their cultures' enrichment.. And has been reused and recycled into famous literature and stories like Oedipus and the Riddle of the Sphinx, and Michael Ende's famous novel.

I believe a Sphinx model would be versatile in its uses, could be very marketable to an array of 3D artists who dabble in a plethora of different genres, and would add to the growing library of amazing wonders into the DAZ3D Store.

With the ability to morph the creature from male to female, you could get a sexy render that is popular with the hetero gents out there, or attract a comicbook artist like me who plans on using it for visual storytelling and further myth, or even a historian looking for content to be used in a visual presentation for educational purposes.

If you made it a morph from a Genesis 2 female or Genesis 2 male - then there is the possibility to tweak, dress, pose, and have your other characters interact with the Sphinx and also have it interact with others as well.  

Someone please make this happen!  It would be freaking awesome!!!

My G2F tab is there.  Setting it to 1 makes my Genesis a female, but the Mei Lin slider only makes her smaller.  It does not transfer Mei Lin's physical features.

If you'll be patient with me, here are captures of my workflow step by step. Somewhere here I appear to keep messing up.

Image 1: Mei Lin is already in scene, selected, with GenX launched.  Here, data has been received from Mei Lin figure by clicking source. Under morphs, as you can hopefully see, Mei Lin morphs are available and checked/ticked on left hand side. No other morphs are checked with left hand checks. There are right column checks on some of the non Mei Lin morphs, but that's GenX's doing, not mine.  Next:

Image 2: Get Value From Scene Selected

Image 3: Transfer: On For All Non Zero Values

Image 4: Transfer button is clicked when I get this warning message: "Some selected morphs have a zero value and will be ignored. Continue anyway?"  I click yes.

Image 5: Morph is named and icon selected.

Image 6: Scene closed.  New scene launched with Genesis figure selected.

Image 7: G2F and Mei Lin morph icons pop up and set to 1.0.  G figure becomes female (and smaller) but clearly has not taken on Mei Lin's visage.

If you're just dialing morphs than the G3 characters because they have more polygons in the face. As a guide you could use the demo version of FaceGen Artist Pro and then use the morph dial in DAZ Studio Genesis 3 character to see how close you can get to that.

You'll have an easier time of getting acturate geometric results if you turn off the textures so the the models appear all grey or white.

An Invitation to Dinner

Such a riddle, for the wise to unravel!  Is it more foolish for the vampire to invite the hunter for dinner...or for the hunter to accept?

Setup/Rendered: in DS4.9 Pro

Postworked in: Paint.net (removal of seams on dress, adjustment of color/lighting)

Neutral items: Aiko 3, Hiro 3.

Paid items: The Hunter and the Hunted for Aiko 3 (skin textures used on both A3 and H3, A3's stake and cross props and H3's teeth morphs also  come from this set); Aiko 3 Morphing Fantasy Dress (skirt morphing dials used to make it look more Victorian); 600 Pre-Teen Hand Poses (used for both characters' hands, with modifications).

Free items:

(registration required for all sharecg links)

1). Rani for Aiko 3 (used on A3): http://www.sharecg.com/v/15858/gallery/21/DAZ-Studio/Rani-for-Aiko-3-Le-V1.3

2). Manfred for Hiro 3 (used on H3, with the head/eye morphs dialled down a bit): http://www.sharecg.com/v/18241/gallery/21/DAZ-Studio/Manfred-for-Hiro-3

3). Inola for Aiko 3 (head/eye morph dialled partway up on H3): http://www.sharecg.com/v/38069/gallery/21/DAZ-Studio/Inola-For-A3

(dang, it's scary that I can remember when Dyald first released Inola!)

4). Still Morning suit for H3 (manually tinted in the surfaces tab): http://www.sharecg.com/v/36257/gallery/11/Poser/StillLife-and-StillMorning-twin-pack

5). Lady Tremaine for Morphing Fantasy Dress: http://www.sharecg.com/v/70293/browse/11/Poser/12-Days-of-Villainess-Lady-Tremaine

6). BunnyGirl hair (used on H3): http://www.sharecg.com/v/10629/browse/11/Poser/V3-Bunny-Girl

7). Kirk Hair (this is the M3 version, but Mylochka also made an M4 version): http://www.sharecg.com/v/38664/browse/11/Poser/Kirk-Hair

8). Dungeon Cell set complex: http://www.sharecg.com/v/65044/browse/11/Poser/Dungeon-Cell

9). Torch and Machete smart props (used for flame in wall sconce): http://www.sharecg.com/v/39216/gallery/21/DAZ-Studio/Torch-and-Machete-Smartprops

10). 100 Millenium 3 Superhero Poses (used with modifications on both characters): http://www.sharecg.com/v/44996

11). InaneGlory Simple Soft Lighting Freebie (used with modifications): http://inaneglory.deviantart.com/art/Simple-Soft-Lighting-Freebie-193115008

12). REC Weaponry shaders (used on stake and cross): https://redeyecat.wordpress.com/2013/05/04/rec-weaponry-for-ds3-1/

Here it is, I hope that now everything is ok.

 

One Book

This pisture is about my own struggle to write (and publish) books and games. I named it after the saying "A man of one book." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_unius_libri). I published five books in my own own language and now I am trying to make and publish new version in English, and I can't say it is going so good, though it would be better if I actualy spend more time doing it :). Also it was insipred with movie "Man of Honor", scene when Carl Brashear (played by Cuba Gooding Jr) is undergoing a trial to make 10 steps in 100kg diving suit with his left prosthetic leg to be left in service as master diver.

 

Done with Daz Studio 4.9

Items marked with an asterisk require registration.

Not Counting: Genesis 3 Male figure and hair

Freebies:

1.)* G3M Weekend Set

2.)* SciFi Boots for Genesis 2 Male

3.)* Dystopian Console Station

4.)* Accent Tables

5.)* Candy Book

6.)* Holiday Book (Textures for Candy Book)

7.)* Summer Coctails (DSC 20, page 22)

8.)* Sand Timer

9.)* SOTO's Expressive Skull

10.)* Poser 4 Skeleton Skull Eyes

11.)* Render Profiles for DAZ Studio 4.5 (Rendered on Insane)

 

No Counts: 

Retro Deck Chair (newsletter freebie)

Picture Screen (Inactive)

Links check out.  Entry Accepted.  Please Transfer it to the Entry Thread !

From the core body/head morph pack, I often add at least a little Heavy or Thick or Portly on characters, accompanied by some upper arm volume and maybe neck size.

 I really like the morph brush in Poser which I think comes in both versions

I would love to have that brush in Studio. I'm not fond of using d-formers.

Do the shorts have Smoothing enabled?

If so how many smoothing iterations, collision iterations and what is the collision object (it should be the figure that's wearing them)?

Is she made from morph packs or custom sculpted morphs? 

Yes, the shorts have smoothing enabled. The smoothing iterations: 5 and the collision iterations: 3. The collision item is her, the G3F.

She's made from Adaline with Gia body and tweek muscles volume with the Shape Shift for G3F. Not sculpted one.

Try reinstalling Gillian - if the non-zero morph slipped in from something you had done that should probably clear it; if not please open a support ticket to report this as a possible bug.