Hello again.

Thanks to all who have responded so far. Please note that I updated my most recent post (restarting this thread) with "Given that SketchUp is no longer free, is there any interest...".

The current state of SketchUp affairs is something that I want there to be no mistake about. When I originally developed the importer being discussed here, SketchUp Make 2017 was available for free. Since then, as has been pointed out, SketchUp is NO LONGER FREE, with pricing (as of the date of this post) as follows:

SketchUp Go is a web-based tool that, as far as I know, does not support Ruby scripting. Therefore, SketchUp Pro would be required to use models from there. SketchUp Make 2017 is also no longer supported (no surprise there), with the following statement (as of the date of this post) taken from the Trimble website:

If you still have SketchUp Make 2017, it should still "work". My plugin is certainly compatible with it, having been originally developed there. Having said that, it is possible that a given model on the 3D warehouse will no longer be available for download in SU2017 format, and therefore will be inaccessible to you if that is the only version of SketchUp you have.

These are some of the things that are driving my decision process, as to whether or not to resume this project. Additionally, if I restart this project, then proper development practices dictate that I must have a valid current subscription to SketchUp so that I can guarantee continued functionality of the plugin as SketchUp itself continues to evolve. This is a non-trivial expense that I have to consider, particularly in terms of whether or not I will recoup that investment, year after year, and then achieve some sort of margin that makes all of this worthwhile. That may sound harsh, but it's something I have to think very hard about.

In terms of the geometry questions that have come up, I'd like to chime in from the standpoint of having already developed a successful version of this importer for the Trainz Railroad Simulator. It's been in use for many years there, and I can confidently state that the geometry is internally structured in terms of triangles, and that triangles are used in my geometry transfer process. I will also say, however, that SketchUp models can sometimes have a large number of materials, and this can also affect performance in the target system (i.e. Daz). If you are using the SketchUp model as a static entity, I would not really expect this to matter; but if you are using it as part of an animation, it might. I say this with only limited knowledge of Daz, so please forgive me (and correct me) if this is not how it works.

My tool consists of a three parts: (1) a Ruby plugin that runs inside SketchUp, and creates an XML file that contains all the information needed to import the model into a given target environment; (2) an image processing utility that runs behind the scenes; and (3) a Daz script that reads the XML file and renders it in Daz.

The first part of the transfer process, in SketchUp, is governed by a parameters dialog that looks like this:

As you can see, there are options to deal with both sides of a given face. I also have some internal logic that attempts to automatically compensate for reversed faces when they are detected, but there is only so much you can do in this regard. The fact is that the person working with the SketchUp model is responsible for making sure that the model is READY to be transferred to another environment. My tool is not a substitute for laziness.

The produced XML file is read in by a Daz Plugin, with a very simple UI:

This plugin can (usually) auto-locate the XML file, and it uses Daz geometry APIs to re-create the model directly. So we go from this:

to this, with not much effort on your part, at least in terms of the transfer process.

As noted, my decision to proceed with this development effort will be -- in part -- based upon comments received here, both good and bad. I can tell you that there have been flame wars on the Trainz forums about how evil SketchUp is, and that I should be burned at the stake for even having dared to allow models from there into Trainz. I have also been praised by those who have taken the time to 'do it right' and have created iconic models that all seem to enjoy. The last thing I want to do is see a similar flame war erupt here, so part of my decision will also be based on the veracity (or not) of those types of comments.

Thank you for your kind attention. I look forward to reviewing continued comments from everyone.

Regards,
Mike

Sweet street Music with Bob

Inspired by the movie "A Street Cat Named Bob", 2016.
It's the true story of James Bowen, a street musician playing the guitar, with drug addiction problems  in rehabilitation treatment. One day a stray and injured ginger cat enters his apartment. Thinking the cat is lost, he asks the neighbors, who don't seem interested, so he decides to keep and look after him and calls him BOB. A deep friendship is born, with the cat following the owner everywhere, even when busking on the streets of touristy London. The two become a London legend and hit the media.
The cat's presence and affection gave the protagonist the strength and motivation to complete the detox treatment.The author said Bob had saved his life.It is a touching story of hope, friendship and redemption.
The author wrote a book in 2012 about his friendship with BOB entitled "A Street Cat Named Bob" from which the film of the same name was made in 2016.Both the book and the film were very successful.

This image has been resized to fit in the page. Click to enlarge.

Freebies

TelephoneBox for POSER by paul_gormley
https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/88019/telephonebox-for-poser

Subway-entrance
https://www.turbosquid.com/it/3d-models/subway-entrance-3d-fbx/913817

London Street (HDRI)
https://hdri-haven.com/hdri/london-street

wool scarf Free 3D model
https://www.cgtrader.com/free-3d-models/character/clothing/wool-scraf

David10 for G8M
https://sharecg.com/v/94874/browse/21/DAZ-Studio/David10

G8M dforce 40's inspired suit - high res version
https://www.deviantart.com/perlk/art/G8M-dforce-40-s-inspired-suit-high-res-version-963511567

"Bowler Hat" (https://skfb.ly/66OnJ) by Joycestick is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/bowler-hat-3c3f5bfb98284924a70cf410ab532bc9

Umbrella
https://www.turbosquid.com/it/3d-models/3d-umbrella-object-1270697

Brown Leather Briefcase 3D Model
https://open3dmodel.com/3d-models/3d-model-brown-leather-briefcase_196422.html

Everyday Hair Style for Genesis 8 Male(s) by zoro_d
https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/80194/everyday-hair-style-for-genesis-8-male-s-

Leisure Pants & Top for G8F
https://www.wilmapsdigitalcreations.co.uk/view_product.php?id=462

Allegro Trainers for Genesis Female 8 by Rapier69
https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/88819/allegro-trainers-for-genesis-female-8

Candy Braids Hair for Genesis 8 Female(s) by zoro_d
https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/88062/candy-braids-hair-for-genesis-8-females

Lily Character Morph For G8 and G8-1 Female Free 3D model
https://www.cgtrader.com/free-3d-models/character/woman/lily-character-morph-for-g8-and-g8-1-female

Nanami Genji Anime Charachter For Genesis 8 Female Free 3D model
https://www.cgtrader.com/free-3d-models/character/fantasy-character/nanami-genji-anime-charachter-for-genesis-8-female

Free: Bob haircut for Genesis 8
https://www.deviantart.com/perlk/art/Free-Bob-haircut-for-Genesis-8-887913550

Smartphone Prop by Foxclaw
https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/87343/smartphone-prop

Update Sailor Uniform Winter Set Part 1
https://sharecg.com/v/94617/gallery/21/DAZ-Studio/Update-Sailor-Uniform-Winter-Set-Part-1

Update Sailor Uniform Winter Set Part 2
https://sharecg.com/v/98662/gallery/21/DAZ-Studio/Update-Sailor-Uniform-Winter-Set-Part-2

Fisherman Outfit4
https://www.deviantart.com/kalhh/art/Fisherman-Outfit4-858253233

Genesis 8 Male Knitted Sweater
https://www.wilmapsdigitalcreations.co.uk/view_product.php?id=477

G8M Polo Shirt & Jeans Trousers
https://www.sharecg.com/v/89614/

Freebie Ferrieroutfit by Paspu (shoes)
https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/91974/freebie-ferrieroutfit

UPDATE - V Devil May Cry 5 Hair Prop for G8M
https://sharecg.com/v/93558/related/21/DAZ-Studio/UPDATE-V-Devil-May-Cry-5-Hair-Prop-for-G8M

El Mariachi Guitar Part 1 by sadrielxv
https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/93700/el-mariachi-guitar-part-1

El Mariachi Guitar Part 2 by sadrielxv
https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/93701/el-mariachi-guitar-part-2

El Mariachi Guitar Case by sadrielxv
https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/93706/el-mariachi-guitar-case

Molly for Gf8.1 Charakter Shape
https://sharecg.com/v/98445/gallery/21/DAZ-Studio/Molly-for-Gf8.1-Charakter-Shape

Blazer Uniform Set for G8F
https://www.sharecg.com/v/94694/gallery/21/DAZ-Studio/Blazer-Uniform-Set-for-G8F

Gwennili Hair
https://www.deviantart.com/kayleyss/art/Gwennili-Hair-670556854

TMWOutfit for Genesis 8 Female
https://www.deviantart.com/innmodels/art/TMWOutfit-for-Genesis-8-Female-878611570

No count
"House on Suburb" free in the 2020 Renderosity giveaway

Paid
DAZ House cat

I still have problems uploading the attachment, I put the link to the gallery

link to gallery

RiverSoftArt said:

Eboshijaana said:

Artini said:

Eboshijaana said:

I know this is a bit of a cop-out, but turning the figure into a single morph, then splitting it with the free character splitter and THEN converting the resulting character gets the best results.

It is an interesting idea.

What is this free character splitter, you are talking about?

 

https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/617476/character-splitter This.

The script does split the morphs based on what the morph affects.  The NECK_RANGE variable in the constants file specifies the low and high Y value for the cutoff for whether a morph affects the body or the head only.   

Load a G8 figure, paste the following into the IDE pane and execute (change the NAME (not label) and the low, high in the GetMorphTypeFromName function call to try out different morphs and different ranges):

function GetMorphType( oGeom, oMorph, neckLow, neckHigh )

{

if (oMorph.name.toUpperCase().startsWith('FHM')) return 'Head';

else if (oMorph.name.toUpperCase().startsWith('FBM')) return 'Body';

 

// do it the hard way

var oDeltas = oMorph.getDeltas();

oDeltas.loadDeltas();

if (oDeltas.getNumDeltas() == 0)

{

if (output_debugL2) print('%1 morph does not have deltas'.arg(oMorph.getValueChannel().getLabel()));

return '';

}

var bAffectsHead = false;

var bAffectsBody = false;

 

var y;

for (var i = 0; i < oDeltas.getNumDeltas(); i++)

{

y = oGeom.getVertex(oDeltas.getDeltaIndex(i)).y;

if (y < neckLow) bAffectsBody = true;

else if (y > neckHigh) bAffectsHead = true;

if (bAffectsBody && bAffectsHead) return 'Full';

}

if (bAffectsHead) return 'Head';

else if (bAffectsBody) return 'Body';

return ''; // basically neck

}

function GetMorphTypeFromName(name, neckLow, neckHigh)

{

var node = Scene.getPrimarySelection();

if (!node) return 'Select a figure';

var morph = node.getObject().findModifier(name);

if (!morph) return 'Morph name not found';

return GetMorphType( node.getObject().getCurrentShape().getGeometry(), morph, neckLow, neckHigh )

}

 

print(GetMorphTypeFromName('Sylvian Head', 151, 165));

 

Thanks for all of the tips.

MH said:

My Eye Morph has no "Controllers". My Face Morph has "Controllers" I included pictures to show it. How do I make my Eye Morph contain the "Controllers" please?

The steps are almost the same... After assigning the link (controller or subcompoment) in Property Hierarchy, make Adjust Rigging to Shape for the Head morph, ERC Freeze both morphs，then save the morph assets to the folders of your Vendor. You probably missed the step of ERC Freeze ...

Is this Genesis 9? If so the eye morph on the eye figure needs to have a matching proerpty (exactly the same name) on the base figure, so that it follows that, and your master controller needs to set the slider on the base figure not the one on the eye (cross-figure links do not survive reloads, including restarting the application).

My Eye Morph has no "Controllers". My Face Morph has "Controllers" I included pictures to show it. How do I make my Eye Morph contain the "Controllers" please?

MH said:

crosswind said:

Set eye morph as the subcomponent of head morph, then save morph assets... it's a simple way. If you DO need a single control morph, create a single property and do the same.. (set head / eye morphs as its subcomponents, and save assets)

The eye morph does not work for when I close Daz Studio and when deleting Genesis 9. I did save the morph asset, but it only is using the face morph, when I've restarted Daz Studio.

If you saved the morph assets correctly, they would work. You may check the eye morph and its controller link as below.

crosswind said:

Set eye morph as the subcomponent of head morph, then save morph assets... it's a simple way. If you DO need a single control morph, create a single property and do the same.. (set head / eye morphs as its subcomponents, and save assets)

The eye morph does not work for when I close Daz Studio and when deleting Genesis 9. I did save the morph asset, but it only is using the face morph, when I've restarted Daz Studio. As you can see, I've only the face morph in the property, after restarting Daz Studio

Set eye morph as the subcomponent of head morph, then save morph assets... it's a simple way. If you DO need a single control morph, create a single property and do the same.. (set head / eye morphs as its subcomponents, and save assets)

Thanks for fast reply! I've a problem with the eye morph, it works as it should, but when restarting Daz Studio, or deleting Genesis 9, and then add Genesis 9 back, the new morph only works with custom face morph, and not the eye morph. I did save the morph, so I wonder what the problem is?

Not really sure what you were doing but a morph is always a morph.. the so-called Character is just a Preset incl. multiple morphs dialed with certain percentage... In your case, if you converted 3 Full Body Morphs, then dial them 100%, the result must be 'weird' and distorted. Normally if you mix or blend some character morphs, you could not dial all of them 100% either... the mechanism is always the same. So in general, it will only work if you convert base morph of your character + deltas (fixed morphs...),  i.e. set Reverse Deformations + Delta Only in Morph Loader Pro.

emanuela1 said:

Sweet street Music with Bob

nspired by the movie "A Street Cat Named Bob", 2016.
It's the true story of James Bowen, a street musician playing the guitar, with drug addiction problems  in rehabilitation treatment. One day a stray and injured ginger cat enters his apartment. Thinking the cat is lost, he asks the neighbors, who don't seem interested, so he decides to keep and look after him and calls him BOB. A deep friendship is born, with the cat following the owner everywhere, even when busking on the streets of touristy London. The two become a London legend and hit the media.
The cat's presence and affection gave the protagonist the strength and motivation to complete the detox treatment.The author said Bob had saved his life.It is a touching story of hope, friendship and redemption.
The author wrote a book in 2012 about his friendship with BOB entitled "A Street Cat Named Bob" from which the film of the same name was made in 2016.Both the book and the film were very successful.

 

Freebies

TelephoneBox for POSER by paul_gormley
https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/88019/telephonebox-for-poser

Subway-entrance
https://www.turbosquid.com/it/3d-models/subway-entrance-3d-fbx/913817

London Street (HDRI)
https://hdri-haven.com/hdri/london-street

wool scarf Free 3D model
https://www.cgtrader.com/free-3d-models/character/clothing/wool-scraf

David10 for G8M
https://sharecg.com/v/94874/browse/21/DAZ-Studio/David10

G8M dforce 40's inspired suit - high res version
https://www.deviantart.com/perlk/art/G8M-dforce-40-s-inspired-suit-high-res-version-963511567

"Bowler Hat" (https://skfb.ly/66OnJ) by Joycestick is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/bowler-hat-3c3f5bfb98284924a70cf410ab532bc9

Umbrella
https://www.turbosquid.com/it/3d-models/3d-umbrella-object-1270697

Brown Leather Briefcase 3D Model
https://open3dmodel.com/3d-models/3d-model-brown-leather-briefcase_196422.html

Everyday Hair Style for Genesis 8 Male(s) by zoro_d
https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/80194/everyday-hair-style-for-genesis-8-male-s-

Leisure Pants & Top for G8F
https://www.wilmapsdigitalcreations.co.uk/view_product.php?id=462

Allegro Trainers for Genesis Female 8 by Rapier69
https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/88819/allegro-trainers-for-genesis-female-8

Candy Braids Hair for Genesis 8 Female(s) by zoro_d
https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/88062/candy-braids-hair-for-genesis-8-females

Lily Character Morph For G8 and G8-1 Female Free 3D model
https://www.cgtrader.com/free-3d-models/character/woman/lily-character-morph-for-g8-and-g8-1-female

Nanami Genji Anime Charachter For Genesis 8 Female Free 3D model
https://www.cgtrader.com/free-3d-models/character/fantasy-character/nanami-genji-anime-charachter-for-genesis-8-female

Free: Bob haircut for Genesis 8
https://www.deviantart.com/perlk/art/Free-Bob-haircut-for-Genesis-8-887913550

Smartphone Prop by Foxclaw
https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/87343/smartphone-prop

Update Sailor Uniform Winter Set Part 1
https://sharecg.com/v/94617/gallery/21/DAZ-Studio/Update-Sailor-Uniform-Winter-Set-Part-1

Update Sailor Uniform Winter Set Part 2
https://sharecg.com/v/98662/gallery/21/DAZ-Studio/Update-Sailor-Uniform-Winter-Set-Part-2

Fisherman Outfit4
https://www.deviantart.com/kalhh/art/Fisherman-Outfit4-858253233

Genesis 8 Male Knitted Sweater
https://www.wilmapsdigitalcreations.co.uk/view_product.php?id=477

G8M Polo Shirt & Jeans Trousers
https://www.sharecg.com/v/89614/

Freebie Ferrieroutfit by Paspu (shoes)
https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/91974/freebie-ferrieroutfit

UPDATE - V Devil May Cry 5 Hair Prop for G8M
https://sharecg.com/v/93558/related/21/DAZ-Studio/UPDATE-V-Devil-May-Cry-5-Hair-Prop-for-G8M

El Mariachi Guitar Part 1 by sadrielxv
https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/93700/el-mariachi-guitar-part-1

El Mariachi Guitar Part 2 by sadrielxv
https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/93701/el-mariachi-guitar-part-2

El Mariachi Guitar Case by sadrielxv
https://www.renderosity.com/freestuff/items/93706/el-mariachi-guitar-case

Molly for Gf8.1 Charakter Shape
https://sharecg.com/v/98445/gallery/21/DAZ-Studio/Molly-for-Gf8.1-Charakter-Shape

Blazer Uniform Set for G8F
https://www.sharecg.com/v/94694/gallery/21/DAZ-Studio/Blazer-Uniform-Set-for-G8F

Gwennili Hair
https://www.deviantart.com/kayleyss/art/Gwennili-Hair-670556854

TMWOutfit for Genesis 8 Female
https://www.deviantart.com/innmodels/art/TMWOutfit-for-Genesis-8-Female-878611570

No count
"House on Suburb" free in the 2020 Renderosity giveaway

Paid
DAZ House cat

 

I had problems uploading the attachment, I put the link to the gallery

link to gallery

 

 

All freebies checked please move to Entries

and yes I heard that there are again problems with attaching images, so link to gallery is fine

1. Set your morphs, and make sure nothing else is set.
2. Right-click to put the Parameters pane in Edit mode (if it isn't already)
3. Right-click in the property group you want to use for the cotnroller>Create New Property
4. Name the property, set its label, adjust limits if desired (you may not want it to go below 0%).
5. Set the new property to 100%
6. Right-click on the new proepety>ERC Freeze
7. Make sure that the listed subcomponents are just the two morphs you want applied, then click Accept
8. Check that everythign works.
9. Assuming all is well, zero the new property (otherwise it will load on every character for the base figure)
10. File>Save As>Support Assets>Morph Asset
11. The Author and product names in the option dialogue are used for folder names in /Data/Publisher>Figure>Morphs

Hello. Can anyone please be kind to share me their knowledge, with how to combine a custom Face Morph along with Eye Morph and turn these 2 morphes into 1 morph, so when drag the slider, the Custom Face Morph and Eye Morph follows together. I would really appreciate any help on this, as I struggle so hard to find out how to do this.

Eboshijaana said:

Artini said:

Eboshijaana said:

I know this is a bit of a cop-out, but turning the figure into a single morph, then splitting it with the free character splitter and THEN converting the resulting character gets the best results.

It is an interesting idea.

What is this free character splitter, you are talking about?

 

https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/617476/character-splitter This.

The script does split the morphs based on what the morph affects.  The NECK_RANGE variable in the constants file specifies the low and high Y value for the cutoff for whether a morph affects the body or the head only.   

Load a G8 figure, paste the following into the IDE pane and execute (change the NAME (not label) and the low, high in the GetMorphTypeFromName function call to try out different morphs and different ranges):

function GetMorphType( oGeom, oMorph, neckLow, neckHigh )

{

if (oMorph.name.toUpperCase().startsWith('FHM')) return 'Head';

else if (oMorph.name.toUpperCase().startsWith('FBM')) return 'Body';

// do it the hard way

var oDeltas = oMorph.getDeltas();

oDeltas.loadDeltas();

if (oDeltas.getNumDeltas() == 0)

{

if (output_debugL2) print('%1 morph does not have deltas'.arg(oMorph.getValueChannel().getLabel()));

return '';

}

var bAffectsHead = false;

var bAffectsBody = false;

var y;

for (var i = 0; i < oDeltas.getNumDeltas(); i++)

{

y = oGeom.getVertex(oDeltas.getDeltaIndex(i)).y;

if (y < neckLow) bAffectsBody = true;

else if (y > neckHigh) bAffectsHead = true;

if (bAffectsBody && bAffectsHead) return 'Full';

}

if (bAffectsHead) return 'Head';

else if (bAffectsBody) return 'Body';

return ''; // basically neck

}

function GetMorphTypeFromName(name, neckLow, neckHigh)

{

var node = Scene.getPrimarySelection();

if (!node) return 'Select a figure';

var morph = node.getObject().findModifier(name);

if (!morph) return 'Morph name not found';

return GetMorphType( node.getObject().getCurrentShape().getGeometry(), morph, neckLow, neckHigh )

}

print(GetMorphTypeFromName('Sylvian Head', 151, 165));

Artini said:

Eboshijaana said:

I know this is a bit of a cop-out, but turning the figure into a single morph, then splitting it with the free character splitter and THEN converting the resulting character gets the best results.

It is an interesting idea.

What is this free character splitter, you are talking about?

 

https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/617476/character-splitter This.

Eboshijaana said:

I know this is a bit of a cop-out, but turning the figure into a single morph, then splitting it with the free character splitter and THEN converting the resulting character gets the best results.

It is an interesting idea.

What is this free character splitter, you are talking about?

I know this is a bit of a cop-out, but turning the figure into a single morph, then splitting it with the free character splitter and THEN converting the resulting character gets the best results.

I tried using the clone suit method to convert my G8 character with a lot of morphs into a G9 character using several morphs that I wanted to maintain as separate in the final G9 character. Each of the individual morphs is great (and a good argument for something like the Riversoft/SickleYield morph converter, which I think automates the process). However, when I dial in more than one morph, they "multiply" their results and it gets bad quickly—the character gets taller and more distorted with each morph beyond one.

Part of the reason I want to do this is that my G8.1 character started out as a G3 character and the conversion to G8 lost some details that converting the G3 character to G9 promises to restore. But the G3 character is only a 3rd of the character now, so as it stands, either I need to take the distorted G8 version of it combined with all of the other G8 morphs and see that distored by the G9 conversion process even more—not ideal. I'd also like to maintain flexiblity to swap native G9 morphs for older ones when that feel like it would benefit my artistic process.

Is there a way to convert a morph that will act as a morph, not a character? E.g., a morph that can be added to others? Or is it an all or nothing process right now

Petercat said:

barbult said:

Petercat said:

I must be doing something wrong. I click on the UltraSceneCreator script, everything looks good (Except that in features/ecology/water panes it takes forever to scroll through the options)... but then in the "build" pane, all of the boxes are empty. If I click on any of them, the options are "Browse" and "Apply to All Layers".
Browsing takes me to My DAZ 3D Library/Runtime/Textures/Exnem/Steak BBQ.
If I go to Runtime/Textures/HowieFarkes, all I see is the original Harpwood Trail.
Installed via manual download to USB drive, transfer to art computer, into Install Manager Downloads, then open DAZ install Manager, and install.
What is wrong and how do I fix it?

i7 8700
1080ti
64G RAM
Studio 4.12

The boxes are optional layer masks. Empty is the normal default state.

What is a layer mask?
And I have Accelerator, how long should it take the program to finish running?
Say, with everything at default?
Because it's been over twenty minutes and the yellow bar hasn't moved. It's been at
about 3%, and I don't see anything relevant in Task Manager except that one CPU core
is bouncing off of 100% while the other seven are almost idling.
Frustrating.

It should take about a minute or so to build a default scene with the Accelerator. Not twenty.
Layer masks are explained in the user Manual that comes with UltraScenery - Realistic Landscape System.
Check the first post in this thread for troubleshooting tips.
Check the Daz Studio log file to see if there are any related errors or warnings.